The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1911-08-12

is out OF commission. The pay oi sea
men on ships belonging to other ma
tons, except the United States, 10
lower than the British ships.
Cause of Recent Strike.
To remedy these conditions seamen
struck for minimum rate OF wages
at all ports and board of arbitration
to which they can appeal against the
Ship Owners federation, which is
the trust the humble mariner now has
to fight singlehanded. Owing to the
poor pay and generally uncomfortable
surroundings. II is said. the class OF
seamen has deteriorated, officers as
well as men, Modern education has
caused even sailors to think and per
ceive that there Is no future in sea
faring career except TO rise to the
rank of bo'sun, which pays $50 to SAC
per month. and their number is linn
tied
mercantile marine was that by the
officers of the British India company,
in the East Indian coastal service. who
struck is years ago and tied up every
steamship from the Persian gull
round to Shanghai. The vessels re-
NAMED in port for days. costing the
company thousands of dollars, until
the officers pay was increased 30 per
cent and their demands we're granted.
During that time the strikers were en-
tertained and assisted by wealthy res
idents at various ports and by pas
sengers who had to wait III hotels to
go on the ships.
Officers of Atlantic liners are dis
,satfsffed also with their pay. and be-
cause of lack of recognition by officers
of the company until they attain
commanders rank. II is said that di.
rectors of the biggest steamship lines
out of Liverpool will ignore the chief
off GERS standing at the gangway and
shake hands with the chief steward
standing beside him. Old fashioned
shippers have II In their power. ow-
ing to the confidential report system
In vogue. to mar the career of any
junior officer. who may never know
what mas Kept MIN BACK.
Pay Of Steamship Officers.
The pay of the officers on the big
liners ranges from $35 for juniors TO
500 for chief officers on the biggest
mail steamers. Out of this their uni.
form, gold lace and badges must be
paid, and. with washing added. the
junior officers has little left at the
end of three weeks voyage When
officers are unattached, which hap.
pens not infrequently, they are put
on half pay.
| In the last five years many officers.
some of whom have attained the rank
Of first officer have left the Atlantic
liners to take positions ashore in the
United States. and others now in
service are on the alert to get start
in any business that holds out some
hope for the future to avoid spending
the rest of their lives at sea.
The average pay for captains of the
fastest and largest mail steamships in
the Atlantic trade ranges from $4,000
| to $4,000 a year, An exception is
Commodore e C. Smith of the White
Star liner Olympic. whose pay has
been increased to $4,000, 1t is said. TO
mark the advent OF the biggest liner
of the mercantile marine into the
| service. These men have In Their
charge vessels valued. with freight
at $800O.00o to 100000. in addition
| to & 600 lives on hoard
Risks the Captains Run.
Although captain may be In com
mand for 20 years without an acct
dent. an error In judgment. even when
not entirely his own fault. may cost
him his position and end his career
at sea. Most of the big lines have a
hard and fast rule that commanders
who meet with accidents must resign
The underwriters also keep the record
cf captains and even when the com
aany might feel inclined to give an
oil and tried employee another chance
the underwriters will decline to take
the risk of the ship, except at very
high rates.
The employment Of Chinese and
Japanese crews on British vessels has
increased very rapidly in the last ter
4 years because 1t has become more
diffic cult each year to get European
sailors of the standard that went te
sea quarter Of century ago. The
opinion of experienced captains OF TO
day is that the scarcity of officers ano
men will continue to increase unless
some Improvement is made in the pa,
and conditions afloat in the mercantile
marine.