The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-01-21
.SEAMEN'S STRIKE
HASN'T HAMPEREO
VESSEL OWNERS
Boats Put in Commission as Fast
as Needed and Manned Without
Difficulty, Is Presidents Report
= at Lake Carriers Meeting.
Welfare Plan Declared To Be Work
ing Well, and Intimation Is That
1t Will Be Continued.
-wILLIAM LIVINGSTONE.

That the strike OF the lake seamen
! offered no hindrance In the operation
OF vessels owned by members OF the
Lake Carriers association the past
season was the gist OF the annual re-
port OF the board of directors, eXecu-
tive committee and officers OF the as
ISOLATION, with reference to labor con
ditions. as read by President William
Livingstone at the opening of the an-
nual meeting In the Cadillac Thursday
morning. There was no indication In
the report that the association intends
10 make any concessions TO the strik-
seamen. On the other hand, the OIL
GERS point with pride" 70 the results
accomplished under the welfare plan
and the intimation is plain that they
propose to adhere 10 1t.
In q general way" said Mr.. Living
stone, reading from the report, 1T
may be said that all OF the vessels or
the association were put In commits
sion during the year as rapidly as bust
ness demanded. and were manned and
! operated strictly In accordance with
: the open shop principles declared by
our association; and that larger ton
mage OF ore was carried during the
lpast year than has ever been carried
! upon the Great Lakes In any proceed
ing year.
vessels were manned without diff
ficulty as rapidly as they were put
into commission. and but little trouble
was experienced from this strike other
than the annoyance TO which the men
who entered service OF the vessels
were subjected by picketng and as
saults.
The welfare plan was the ostensl.
bic object of attack, although. II was
apparent that the real object of the
opposition was the policy OF the open
shop. Great credit is due to our mem
.'bers for the earnest. loyal. resolute
manner in which they stood together
to protect their right to conduct their
business without interference from
disinteTested outside influences"
!, The report declares that vessels
were placed In commission as fast as
the recovery OF business warranted
and that little difficulty or delay was
experienced in growing all our vessels
with a full complement OF men"
I IL continues. with reference to en-
gineers' contracts returned unsigned
and the failure, in some instances Of
NhbAhCOAo W iNPOiN 0ANNAa HA6hAhB IOh-
tracts.
In most instances, however, these
annoyances were overcome without
delay in fitting out the vessels. The
union policy OF interference was con-
tinued In various ways throughout the
season. Pickets were established by
the union at all ports to interfere with
engineers employed upon the vessels
going 10 their ships to take up their
duties, and efforts were made 10 per-
suade these men to repudiate their
contracts. In many cases where argu-
ment failed of effect, violence was re-
sorted TO. and throughout the season
assaults were committed upon engin-
ieers in the service of vessels.
Notwithstanding these tactics and
the business depression. 1873 vessels ot
our association were in commission and
many more were ftting out by May /,
every one OF which was manned by
engineers under contract"
\ From a business standpoint. the re-
port declares, the season was on the
whole unsatisfactory. owing to delay