The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1915-05-14
REMOVING THE
BONDAGE YOKE
New Law Relieves Seamen
From Compulsory Service.
n the last few days of its exist
ence the Sixty-third congress pass
ed the so ca Led AlaYandar-Y n

| ed the so called Alexander "A
Toilette seamans bill and Presi-
dent Wilson signed it. Andrew Furu-
seth, president Of the Seamen's union,
/ has declared the bill the most impor-
tant of any enacted by the recent leg
islative body, and this opinion is shared
by many others. The law, when ii
takes effect In 1916, viii Danish invol-
untary seryitude from the high seas,
can register are concerned. 1t also ap-
plies to foreign vessels coming into
American ports, which will require re-
adjustment OF treaties with twenty or
more foreign nations.
The bill as passed bears the stamp
of vacillating congress is the opinion
| Of the Public. magazine which Is par
ticularly able in analyzing economic
| questions. 1t grants to the seamen
what they asked for themselves.
though very grudgingly but 1t with
holds from the public what the seamen
claimed for it. To raise the standard
Of seamanship 40 per cent Of the crew
LulS
percentage will be raised during pc
| riod of five years until 65 per cent will
| be able seamen. To prevent the man
ming of ships wholly by lascars or Chi
! nese 70 per cent OF the crew in each
department must be able to under
| stand the language OF the officers of
| the ship
Firemen. the hardest worked men of
the crew. have three watches, which
mean an eight hour day. The sea
men stand two watches, or watch and
watch. But the advantage most priced
by the seamen and the one that will be
most farreaching in restoring the flag
and American seamen to the high seas
Is the right to quit the ship when she
Is in port. The medieval idea of bind
ing the workman TO his work for a
term Of years has been abolished In
country after country until even Rus
sia wiped out serfdom and Mexico
' apologized for peonage Yet during 1t
all, and down to this very day. the
seaman has remained bound to his
! ship, and if he quits his Job when the
vessel is safe in port, as all other work
men are privileged to do. the authori-
ties seize him like a criminal and put
him aboard the ship.
1t was this power Of compulsory sery-
ice, the Public goes on to say, that en-
abled Shipmasters to keep down wages
and to render the seamans life so hard
that all but the lowest waged and most
miserable men left the sea The crews
were shipped In low waged markets,
and the men were compelled by the
terms of their shipping papers to re-
turn to the point Of shipping But the
| new law relieves them of this handi-
cap. A man can demand half his
wages when the ship Is in port, and
he can quit, by sacrificing the rest OF
the money due him, without fear OF
with his ship.
This will enable seamen coming from
low wage countries to this country to
quit the vessel when she reaches an
American port and refuse to go back
until their wages have been raised to
Tie ALeAICdh SIduudEu. Inc Idcl lndL
the men can quit in this manner will
compel shipmasters to pay their crews
decent wages, and when they do pay
such wages they will select the best
men in the labor market. which means
raising the standard Of seamanship.
Treaties with foreign nations are to
be amended in conformity with these
provisions as rapidly as possible. This
will put the American shipmasters and
foreign shipmasters entering American
ports upon the same footing as TO
wages.