The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1910-03-05
Secretary Of Lake Seamen De-
scribes Conditions Under "Wel-
fare Plan to House Committee
at Washington.

Washington, D. c., March 4.-'They
manned their ships with boys-boys,
whose trousers only came down to
their knees-to break the strike on
the great lakes
The chairman Of the house CON-
mittee on Merchant Marine and Fish
cries raised his hand impatiently to
the secretary Of the Lake Seamens'
Union:
Do you mean to tell this committee
that these great corporations, these
immense investments Of capital. would
risk their vessels in the hands Of
boys?"
It was the second days. hearing Of
the sailors side Of the testimony Of
fered in favor Of Representative
Spight's bill for the protection OF
seamen. Secretary. Olander, broad
shouldered, blue-eyed, the hard knit
figure of man who would be picked
out in any waterfront gathering as
Chairman Green:
Anything to Attain End.
ITO break strike-yes. They do
not lllHu 1OSl11S u VESSEL VI lWO, IL ~ .
insured"
You ask what those boys do?
They act as deck hands, as watch
men, or even coal-passers. There is
no law to prevent it. I saw five lads
on the Rockefeller out of a crew Of
ten. On the Major they had lad
Cf IA years working in the tireroom;
and when he took sick from exhaus-
tion they chucked him out on the
DOCKS
Backing up his verbal testimony,
Secretary Olander produced copies Of
the minutes Of the fifth annual meet
ing Of the Pittsburg Steamship COM
panies' offcers-this is the lake-end
of the United States Steel corporation,
owning over 100 vessels-in which
General Manager Colby is quoted as
saying 'in a good many cases the men
we shipped as watchmen have never
been on a ship before"
Undermanning Was Frequent.
Undermanned, regardless of conse-
Quences, vessels in the seaway will
frequently have but one man on deck
in addition to the officer. The Eads,
a vessel four hundred feet long, sailed
to Duluth with 'only one man to re-
lieve the other two Watches
From the port of San Francisco the
marine fireman sent their financial
secretary, Patrick~Flynn, to ASK that
law be made compelling ship owners
to have at least three watches in the
fireroom.
I'VE go into the freroom and strip
off everything except our underdraw-
ers and Shoes" explained Flynn, ''and
there, in $50 degrees Of heat, they
compel us to work II hours out of
the "a. It. is deadly, no man can
oil-burning furnace and it takes you
five minutes before your eyes can read
the gauge. In France, Germany and
other countries, three watches is the
law-why can't the United States give
as good protection to her seamen?
Law Makes Mel, Property.
In mortal just issued, as senate
document No. $40, the legislative COM
mittee. of the International Seamcns'
Union of America declares:
"Existing maritime law makes Of
us, excepting in the domestic trade
of the United States, the property of
the vessel on which we sail We
cannot work as seamen without sign
ing a contract which brings us under
this law. This contract is fixed by
the law or authorized by the govern
ments. We have nothing to do with
its terms. We either sign it and sail,
or we sign it not and remain lands
men.
when signing this contract we
surrender our working power to the
will Of another man at all times while
the contract runs. We may not, on
lain of penal punishment, fail to
join the vessel. We may not leave
the vessel although she is in perfect
safety.
IF the owner thinks he has reason
to fear that we desire to escape, he
may. without judicial investigation
cause us to be imprisoned for safe
keeping until ~he shall think proper
to take ns ont