The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1910-01-08
WELWARE PLAN BROUGHT
DISASTER IN PAST YEAR
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.f,hsG3 y H&Et" = q y. @,E:<."s III
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all on board is concerned, the engi-
neer ranks with the master in the re-
sponsibility of his functions
Sought Salt Water Engineers.
Exactly the same tactics were used
in filling the places of the union en-
gineers. The coast cities were scour-
ed for what are called deep sea or
saltwater men, but who in many in
stances, were. men Of little experience
under their license and who were out
of employment because of their char
acter and regulations.
The fact that a. man holds a United
States license as an engineer does not
always prove that he is qualified to
perform his duties on modern big
IL Ike steamer, either as a chief or an
assistant engineer. These men, after
being brought to the lakes were kept
men. otherwise known as private de-
tectives. in the employ of the Lake
Carriers Association and were placed
on board Of the steamers.
It may be safely said that the
licenses of these men did not, in many
instances. cover the character of YES
sells they were shipped on. But the
Lake Carriers policy of concealment
made it impossible, under existing
laws, for the government inspectors
to ascertain whether or not these men
were fit to take charge Of the engine
rooms, but the Lake Carriers in their
ioh 3ro hi
willing to take chances of violating
the law and risking their vessels as
we'll.
Government Inspectors Handicapped.
In many cases the inspectors, after
the men had shipped, discovered that
the licenses of the engineers did not
cover the class of vessels they were
handling and the representatives Of
the Lake Carriers actually went to
the government inspectors and tried
to induce them. to raise the grade of
the engineers without examination.
Some of the boards of steamboat
inspectors acquiesced in this arrange
ment and others refused. In case of
refusals, appeal was usually made to
supervising inspectors on the Great
Lakes and in some cases these ap-
reals met with success.
Along this line continuous and
persistent effort was made by the
AXE Carriers Association to make
the government aid them in manning
their boats by issuing certificates of
competency to men who had no right
to such certificates.
to ascertain whether the various ves-
sells of the Lake Carriers Association
were properly manned because of the
law-defying tactics of the Association.
Prevented Inspectors Coming Aboard.
Government steamboat inspectors
have the right to board any vessel in
American waters, but the Lake Car
riers' men have even gone so far as
to attempt to prevent this. And when
the inspectors have gone aboard they
found that it was next to impossible
to obtain the Information desired. It
VAS the common practice for the mas
ters to instruct their men to give out
no information. They were not al
lowed to go ashore often and when
they were ashore they were constant
~ under guard by Pinkerton or Watts
detectives.
A. case in point was that of the
steamer D: r. Hanna, one of the Lake
Carriers Association boats. 1t was
reported to the immigration inspector
at Toledo that the ship had an alien
on board as an employee in violation
Of law.
When the immigration inspector at
tempted to board the Hanna he was
at first refused admittance by the
master of the vessel, Samuel D. Mas
sey. When the inspector, finally In
sisted on boarding the vessel Massey
at first concealed the man, pointing
out another man as the one, who was
sought. And then, when the inspec-
tor found the alien he was after, the
master of the ship attempted to bride
the immigration officer.
AS a result Massey was tried at
Toledo and his: license was suspended
for 80 days for misconduct
Say Inspectors Helped Trust.
Many other instances can be enum-
Grated of violations of the statutes by
both the association and the men
they brought from the coast .
Certificates good for one class OF
boats were in some instances changed
to permit the holder serving on boats
OF another class. One man was con-
vlcted and sent to the federal prison
for the crime.
Perhaps the worst feature in all
the list of malefactions is the state
ment made on good authority that
the supervising inspectors in several
instances raised the embargo on many
1ncompetents whose licenses they had