The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1911-08-12
XV HE recent strike OF seamen was
a result of the general dissat-
isfaction among men In all
Il naCfa of the world over nav


~ parts of the world over pay.
hours, accommodations aboard
ship and food. which, they say. has
been steadily growing worse for the
last ten years. While the cost OF liv-
Ing and the necessities of life have
ashore have risen. the big steamship
companies have done nothing to bet
ter the conditions Of their crews, it is
asserted.
Officers, engineers and firemen at
sea have four hours on duty and eight
hours off. while the men who have TO
stand the brunt of the elements on
deck have four hours on deck and four
below throughout the voyage. except
In port, when they work from a. m.
till 6 p. M, with half an hour Tor
breakfast and an hour for dinner.
The food served, the men say. is
cooked generally by an assistant soul
leryman. who does not know enough
to boil salt water, and the biggest At
lantic liners are little better in this
respect than the 1000 ton tramps. &C
cording to the statements of the
crews
Eight years ago the British board Of
trade investigated the system of pre-
that when man was unfit to do any
thins else he was shipped as ''cook"
for the seamen.
Cook for the Sailors.
AS result of this investigation the
boa d of trade passed a law conpeIi-
Ing all vessels sailing under the Brit
lsh flag to carry cook who had
passed an examination before an tn
spector appointed by the board and re-
ceived It's certificate The wages OF
a ships cook. $40 to $40 month. did
not attract rush of promising appIi
cants for examination. and conse.
1uently there were not enough to go
round, those possessing certificates
demanding higher pay
To get around this law the steam
ship lines signed a certificate cook on
zach vessel and then transferred him
10 the incoming ship Just before sail
ing time. replacing him on the out
wardbound vessel with man selected
by the chief cook as the most useless
assistant in the potato peeling, dish
securing department
With the advent Of the big liners.
whose decks are kept wet by spray
throughout the winter months. the
mortality and sickness among seamen
has increased greatly, the chief all
ments being rheumatism. pneumonia,
lumbago and pulmonary diseases.
which have filled the warehouses; of
Liverpool. London. Hull. SHE DIS. New,
castle. Bristol Southampton and 9th.
or European ports with brokendown
seamen. Many of these men get sick
/ through lying in, damp hunks under
eaky decks.
How Great Charity 10 Dispensed.
1t is asserted and with apparently
! good grounds that the thousands OF
dollars collected on the big ocean
liners to aid the orphans and aged
seamen benefit only very small per-
centage vi those in need. The sal.
aries of some officials of these chart.
ties In Liverpool are $4,000 year. II
Is said To get an orphan taken In re-
quires the backing of the local clergy
man or magistrate to testify as to the
responsibility of the parents, and only
sailors who have led pious lives afioa,
and ashore can hope for pecuniary
aid There are few pious sailors. &C
cording to custom house officials. and
the majority. who love their rum and
tobacco. are left high and dry on q
lee shore In their declining days
The wages paid to sailors. even on
mail boats like the Mauretania, do moi
allow OF much room for saving They
only amount to $3.50 a month, out OF
which SO must be paid for uni
form, cap, jumper and trousers when
they need renewing. which Is often a,
sea- Firemen do not have to buy 9
uniform and get $3.50 a month. Lin
ers not In the mail service pay only
$40 month, with an extra $l.25 tc
/ uuartermasters and lookout men. This
applies to Liverpool. Southampton and
London, but In some British ports
| Cardiff is one-the wages for able sea
men are only s13 month The day q
ship arrives in the home port wages
cease and the seamen are of pay unit
they sign on another ship. To keer
the firemen satisfied limited number
are kept working on the ship all the
time she Is at home, unless the vesse