The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-01-16
WHITE men FOR
RIVER STEAMERS
Question Of Supplantine the coIored
Deck Hand is Again Discussed
During the Winter
Season.
NEW TYPE STEAMBOAT
Eauippins With Freight Handling De.
vices is Expected to Bring
About Revo-
luton.

the Mississippi river ara III winter
quarters and being reraired for the
opening of navigation, the subject Of
supplanting the colored deck hand
with the white man is again being
discussed by river men and in the
newspapers.
The coming season will see new
type Of tow boat on the big river.
These boats will be equipped with
freight handing devices and the labor
of the stevedoers and deck hands will
be greatly lessened. 1t is this type of
boat that is expected to bring about
the revolution. The question was agi-
tated last spring, but the low stage of
water made steamboating almost inn
possible for the larger craft and moth
ing came of it.
Commenting on the plan to put the
whitc men on the steamers a st. Lou
is paper says:
If plans now under way develop
it appears but a question of time be-
fore the place the negro roustabout
has held for years on the steamers of
the Mississippi will be usurped by
white men, who heretofore have de-
clined to have anything to DO with
steamboating on the Father of Waters
as stevedoers.
The packet companies operating
boats on the Mississippi and its tribu-
taries have experienced no end of
trouble with negroes, particularly in
winter, when traffic is unusually
heavy on the lower Mississippi. At
times the negro roustabouts have
held out until the last minute for
wages that were exorbitant. Many
boats have backed out from the
wharves at st. Louis, Memphis, New
Orleans, Cairo and other places, car
rying crew of roustabouts who had
been engaged at prices averaging
more than 500 per month and board.
On many occasions steamboats, have
left their landings hours, and even
days late, due to inability to get to-
gether a crew to handle the cargo.
This happened several times at st.
Louis last fall. The packet companies
have been working on this one prob
lem for many years and a way of
solving it appears to be in sight.
White men from the east, north
and west were imported to the south,
placed aboard these steamers, but,
being wholly unaccustomed to such
heavy work at all hours and forced to
sleep on top of all sorts of freight,
eating when and where they could,
and being served with food that was
anything but wholesome, but which
the negro trousters' thrived on. it
soon dawned on the packet companies
that return to negro help would have
to be made.
In statement made recently by
John L. Mathews, secretary of the
Mississippi Valley Transportation Co.
he said that it was the purpose of
that company to employ white men in
regular positions and care for them
in such manner as will be satisfac-
tory to them. The idea is to employ
union men, members of the Steve
dores' union, International Seamen's
Union and such organizations. A con
ference was held between Secretary
Mathews and Andrew Fuseseth. Vic
tory Lander and Frank Murray. all
representing seamens' unions, during
the convention of the American Fed.
Grafton of Labor in ST. Louis.
According to the statement made
by these three men, if the proper ac-
commodations are provided, as near
regular hours as can be offered, with
wholesome food, they will take it up-
on themselves to furnish all the white
labor necessary. The Mississippi Val
ley Transportation Co., will soon have
in service its new steel steamers and
barges. Much of the companv's
freight will be handled by the ma
chinery. lifting out large units in
steel crates.
To operate such machinery as this.
the negro roustabouts would he in.
competent, and the result is strong
effort to persuade white men from
the great lakes, who are skilled in
such work, especially in slowing and
handling of freight, to come to the riy
er.
Quarters aboard the steamers for
these men will be comfortable and
shower baths will be provided. Union
wages will be paid and steady EN-.
ployment is promised.