The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1909-08-07
TIPPING on
OCEAN GRffh0UhDS


/. WASHINGTON Aug. 5.--d en: and
women herded together like cattle;
human slaves sweatinE their lives out
in the stokeholes OF the ship, for al
most nothing ii q wages; employees
ofIngins and fawnihg Tor tips Is make
up the pay that the transport ton
company IL dodgtng. .... > 4 !.
These are some Of the Observations
made: by Samuel Golnpers, president
OF the American Federation zof Labor
on MS way to Europe, aboard one 81
the large f1rst- class liners bound Tor
Liverpool :..ss s 4 s . . Il #
b A. he took the trip for purposes Of
J! studying cond itions sof labor, Gonpers
thought : it would be a coed idea to
begin on. the voyage over. So he wrote
the captain, q note, stating his: desire
to inspect the ship, and telling him
frankly his purpose. $T.5.. .s=ss +.
Federationist for August. IA n
In The August number Of the FEEDER
atiohist, the official organ Of I the
Anaerican Federation Of Labor, Com
pers tells how tl1eS captain readily
agreed to place q guide at his dis
posa1, but how the guide In question
hustled him past the plague spots Sd
fast that he: was able to see prac-
/ tlcally nothing Of the real conditions
among the working sailors BY reason
Of a little detective work later how
ever, Gompers was able TO obtain j
very fair description Of the col1di tions
He says that The working sailors or
the ships get from $50 70 $50 a
month; alternately working four hours
and then sleeping ! four hours 4 III
miserable quarters, ana are supplied
with poor food. ,:.s X. ...5:s &ss@ E".@s:.
: Although the steamship regulation.
are supposed to allow the liner that
Gonspers travelled on to carly no more
than 1880 steerage u passengers, he
says It frequently carries more than
1000. E '. : n - ~ - -.
! The coal passers and stokers, he
says, sleep III place where the tenn
perature Is: equal to that Of a Turk
eish bath. 80 ~ " 80, ..
~ - Tips Saws Wages. = -.
The abuse Of the tipping system
was, to Gompers, one Of the worst
evils on board the ship. The stew
ards, he writes, are paid only 5000
a year as wages The passengers are
obliged to make up the rest. = LITTLE
wonder" he says, that the stewards
faithfully work their charges for
the tips In maintaining the tipping
system, the steamship companies
manifest a shrewd perception OF thei,
own interests. Z Tiptakers rarely, / ii
ever, strike Every eager tipseekel
studies the short and sure route to
the shilling or: pound waiting his
quest IN the liberal passengers pocket
The tipped servants vocabulary Z Of
lip gratitude; his gestures 4 Of obse-
quiousness y. his me thods 6 forcing
upon his Intended victim q seriesrof
subtle and unnecessary attentions; his
hab1tual air Of profound Difference
what IL all this but the practice OF q
profession in which the most sue
cessful, need have the least heart or
naanliness.r 49, "a. - = 49, < n. a Il.
Gompers suggests that II the steam
ship stewards would organize unior
they could force the steamship com
pa1fes to pay them decent wages, and
the long suffering passengers would
be relieved OF the burden they are
now carrying. According to his com
putation, Compers says that $4,000 II
tips IL given by the passengers every
trip across the water. This sum SHOULD
be paid to the employees. by the steam.
ship, companies, but as 1t. is paid by
folish passengers instead, he remarks
II Is nothing more nor less thar
'tsraft" Tor to- corporations.