The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1913-11-29
MARINE INTER STS
HAVE STRONG LOBBY
Continued From Pare ]


set by law. This is made necessary
because one days seamen pay is not
sufficient to pay board and lodging
while on shore. -
Seamen are given the right to de-
;naand one-half the wages due him in
any port, Notwithstanding any con-
tract made to the contrary. This
provision also applies to foreign yes
sells while in American harbors. T.
The present law, under which the
seaman is permitted to contract away
the right, which this section otherwise
gives, to collect part wages, in ports of
call, has ben used to compel the men
drive seamen to desert and thus lose
their earnings. The exception ought
to be nulified by law and the seamen
protected in their wages In order that
their needs shall not hold them. to
the vessel against their will. Justice
demands this and the spirit bred by
modern education will tolerate moth
ing less: '>s.
Demand Survey OF Ship.
The present law is amended; SO as
to give a majority of the seamen, ex-
elusive of the officers. right to de-
mand survey of the vessel while in
a foreign port to determine its sea-
worthiness. This. is the existing law
relative to vessels engaged in the do
mestic trade:
An important section deals with the
quarters of the seamen: In this place
the men live when of Duty in this
place they sleep and keep their cloth
ing. and In most vessels it is also used
as mess room. The space allotted,
70 cubic feet for each man, is the
room needed to sling hammock, it
Is the space allotted for this purpose
on the old vessels Of the worlds ma
Vies, and while the space now given
on our warships is about double tho
old rules, the rule yet remains on
our merchant vessels. except in sailing
vessels built or rebuilt after 1898. The
section amends existing law by strik-
Ing out mot less than ~ cubic feet
and not less than - square feet and
inserting mot less than 100 cubic
feet and not less than 16 square feet"
as forecastle space allotted for each
member of the crew and by provid-
Ing for opportunity for cleanliness.
The laws Of England, France. Ger
many and Norway require 120 cubic
feet Of forecastle space for each men,
Der of the crew, part Of which, how
ever may be used for other purposes.
Freedom for Sailors.
The bill also gives the seaman the
same freedom as landsmen when his
vessel is in a safe harbor and to en-
force proper discipline while at sea-
The existing law relative to corpor-
al punishment is amended by enabling
the seaman, who has been thus pun
ished, to sue the vessel for damages
if the master permits the officer gull
ty OF violation to escape. The pres
ent law permits the master to be sued
In such cases: but experience has
shown this to be a barren right and
no remedy.
The bill prohibits advances or al
lotments of seamen's wages except to
near and dependent relatives. Perhaps
the most pernicious and effective
means through which the crimp has
kept the seaman under his power and
dedrauded him Of his earnings has
been and is the advance or allotment.
This amendment would destroy the
crinno's power.
It may be further stated that the
system or general custom, prevalent
everywhere except in our domestic
trade, Of paying seanen or others on
their behalf an advance upon the
money to be earned is one of the
causes of the low wages of the sea-
men and of sending inexperienced
men to sea to serve in positions which
require skill as first condition of safe
ty. The law should therefore apply
to all vessels leaving our ports It is
difficult to see any just reason why
laws enacted to protect seamen and
passengers on our vessels may not be
made applicable to vessels and sea-
men coming within the jurisdiction of
our laws.
Standard of Skill.
The bill further proposes a STAN
dard of skill in the able seaman of
three years. service on deck at sea or
ON the Great Lakes in 40 per cent of
the deck crew, exclusive of licensed
officers, in the first year after the
passage of this act and gradually in
creases the number of able seamen re-
quired until it reaches 65 per cent in
five years after the passage of the act.
1t also provides that no vessel shall
be permitted to leave any port of the
United States unless she has a crew
on board not less than IS per cent of
which in each department thereof, are
able to understand any order given by
the officer of such vessel.
Passenger vessels are not permitted
to depart unless they shall have a suf-
ficient crew to man each lifeboat with
not less than two men with the rating
Of able seamen or higher. The crew
Of a lifeboat Is from five to nine men;
with two actually skilled men as
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