The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1914-08-01

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and supervision is as necessary today
as in the eighteenth century when
the first steamer crossed the At
lantic.
Recent catastrophes have proven
that safety at sea depends largely
upon efficient and sufficient crews.
The La Toilette Seamen's Bill Is,
1867 which passed the Senate last
October provides for both. Today,
however. that bill has met a stone
wall of opposition. Shipowning in
terests have persistently opposed this
bill and have succeeded in prevent
ing action upon it in the House of
Representatives, while nearly each
day brings tidings of collision or
a steamship on the rocks or ashore.
Why at such time should any
American be content with anything
less than the most perfect provision
for safety at sea that ingenuity has
devised? Why should any vessel
be allowed to clear from our ports
whose standard falls below this?
Why do countless Americans place
their lives in the unskilled hands of
a few seamen. Would not common
sense or the selfish love of self-pre-
servation if not more altruistic mo-
tive prompt you to demand the pas
sage of every safety-at-sea bill in
congress before you set sail?
The Strike Question.
The Railroad Enginemen in antici-
patton of huge strike, present their
grievances to the public. A strike of
this character is of vital importance
to the third party called the general
public. and therefore it should be as
interested as either party. In brief
the facts. according to a lengthy
statement issued by the officiates Of
the Brotherhood of Locomotive Fire
men and Enginemen, are as follows:
CD In October of 1913, commit
tees representing all Locomotive En-
gineers. Firemen and Hostlers on
Western Railroads presented a re-
quest to their respective manage
ments for an increase in wages and
improved working conditions, accom-
panying such request with the usu-
al notice, required by existing sched-
ule, that within thirty days the
schedules would be opened for these
revisions.
(2) Immediately the railroad man.
agements served notice on the en-
ginemen's committee that all exist
ing schedules would be terminated
within thirty days, thus, for the
first time in the history of railway
negotiations, taking from railway
employees schedules that had re-
quired more than thirty years, in
many instances. to build up.
90 The railroads then proposed
that service period" be substi-
tuted for the mileage of pay. basis
long in effect on practically all rail-
roads. Negotiations between COM
mittees representing the railroads
and the enginemen eliminated in
both of these committees submitting
revised propositions, the railroads
insisting upon modified form of
their service period" and the en-
ginemen insisting upon retaining the
mileage basis of pay and allowance
for extra work as in the past.
CD Upon submitting the matter
to the engineers, firemen and bost-
lers employed on western railroads
it was learned that by an almost
unanimous vote the proposition of
the managers was rejected and q
strike approved.
| (5) Upon the superstition that the
Federal Board of Mediation and Con-
ciliation will propose arbitration, as
directed in the present federal law,
the enginemen will necessarily re-
ject any proposition to arbitrate. be-
cause in all recent arbitrations rail-
roads have repudiated arbitration
awards and have not been bound
thereby.
Catholic Trade UniOnists.
| Catholic members of tie different
crafts should meet and arrange
program for the proper observance
of Labor Day. In many of the small
er country cities and villages, labor
organizations are not in position
to arouse sufficient sentiment, while
Catholics can do so. In the cities,
a large church should be selected
and a priest invited to speak, who
is acquainted with industrial condi-
lions. Invitations bearing the union
label should be sent to non-Cath-
olics as we'll as Catholics. The spe-
cial Mass and sermon should be held
before the customary parade on the
morning of Labor Day.
OLDEST CHURCH IN AMERICA.
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