Iditarod pioneer., 1915-08-21
THE ALARMIsT AND THE sEAMENS ACT

b inc nted S conress that has not called forth from the alarm M predictions o dire disaster from the effects ot Its opefaHo In some instances 893 these predictions have been followed by flment even though the pac of that particular staby acrbed the operation o the Democratic tarf act winch had been but recently into effect The passage o revolutionary legislation of whatever naturally dsturos for tune the bur ness of the country and until business adjusts itself to conditions
 expected that inconvenience will result Such probably will be the when the act passed by the last congress goes effect November. not expected that measure ot
 such eeachng scope will De enforced without somewhat of dS
 bance in shipping circles But why should result dsastousy American shipping American labor rot altogether clear must always be borne mnd that the American workman be ne land ubber sailor seeking destroy the industry winch provides hm with livelihood when he asks fer remedial Ieg5'on lie acuated by precisely similar motives to those Of the shoneT under similar seeking his bettermen and
 unlike the shipping n1agnate he influenced entirely by selfish ves-he seeks the betteren of the condition of s fellows
 For many years the shipping laws of the United States have been
 repoach the To such extent has this been true that American sailors consistently have refused ship aboard Aecan sailing vessels peferrng sail under the British flag where strict regulations enforced for the protection of the man before the At every of recent effort has been made have enacted legislation that would the sailor rights winch were accorded every other line of business except that o the mariner and the last this effort successful No longer will the be treated hate bought and sold by the cmps the different seapor abused and robbed and mded but he will like hs brother shore be entitled to o the consideration ordinarily shown to human beings
 Much has been written about the disastrous effects the law will have American shipping and among other things that the Dol
 lar Steamship Company Pacific n would transfer its vessels foreign flag Imay be said however, that the stock of this pany already largely held foreign countries. The Pacific Mail Company likewise has occupied the public prints with long and loud walls and excerpts from different newspapers will interest ing this tme this connection 1t disappointing Alaska newspaper the Fairbanks Nesner quoting with apparent approval the mouhngs of Harrison Gray Otis of the Los Angeles Times the batter and enemy everything proposed for the better the condition of those who produce the wealth of the nation Otis quoted saying that the act the offspring of the cokney and bor-unon leader and welche-Sam GompersWo, conjunction with Secretary of Labor Wilson and President Wilson begued and drove congress passing Giving the law local application which probably the NesNner for publishing the article Otis Suppose of coal from the Alaska fields ready for shipment from Seward San Pedro There would be American ship carry for under the shipping law either the sailors all speak English the officers be able give orders many tongues the Tower of Babe Surely de porae condition that would require ship officer to be able make his orders to his sailors understood!
 The Pacific Mail Company announced April l6 that all sang after November 2 195 had been cancelled because of the mems law, and that would be made beyond July 3 95 The president of the company stated that the operation of the law would make the fleet unprohab The ships would be brought port and The law provides wage scales ay food and working regulations which the company representative said would add greatly the of operation The company oper in the ranpac6c trade. The latter manned largely by Chinese cew Which shows where the shoe pinches Under the law these would compelled speak English the officers would be peled to speak Chinese.
 Now dispatch of July g from San Francisco which says
 Philip Mason rqud of President Woodrow Wilson the the La Toilette seamen law that the Pacific Mail s" he said find