The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1915-10-28
Seaman's Bill at Sea.
Even Labor Doubtful About Its Value.
Washington Cor. Boston Transcript


vigorous opposition by his union to any
attempt to repeal or modify the law.
Officials of the American Federation of
Labor ere not so sure that this Will be
the case. With the Pacific Ocean Clean
ed of ships in the foreign trade since the
enactment of the law, the American
sailor finds his job leaving him. The
labor unions on the Pacific Coast, there
fore, are doing some heavy thinking and
it is understood here that the American
Federation of Labor seriously considers
abandoning its propaganda IN tavor OF
the act The sailors are disturbed.
moreover, by the ten tests OF an able
seaman promulgated by the Department
of Commerce in view OF the obligatlon
under the law to define what an able sea-
mar is. The first is physical test. and
men familiar with the shipping business
are curious to learn whether one man In
a hundred can pass the prescribed ex-
animation for A. B. seaman. The de-
partment here perhaps has the same
chance TO wink It's eye as over the rules
governing safety appliances it has al
ready promulgated, for the intent OF
Secretary Redfeld appears to be not so
much to enforce rigid compliance with
the plain provisions of the law as to sof-
ten the rules as much as possible that
the full force of the act may not be WIS.,
tied upon unhappy ship owners.
Redi.ld Versus Schwerin.
This point is interesting when 1t IS re-
called that in his letter to Secretary Nc
Adoo, made public by Mr.. McAdoo today,
Mr.. Redfield sharply crticlses general
manager R. P. Schwerin of the Pacific
Mail Steamship Company for selling his
trans-Pacif ships at comfortable pro-
fit instead of waiting to see Row gentle
construction the Department OF Com
merce would place upon some OF the an
moving provisions of the seaman's law.
Mr.. Redfield is greatly shocked that the
Pacific Mail, which has made small pro-
fits until within the last year or two,
should seize an opportunity to sell out
at high rate instead of waiting to take
its chances under the new law. Secre-
tary Redfeld was caught also with the
suggestion that the Pacific Mail might
change over its ships from coal to oil
burners, thereby reducing the fire room
and bunker force by eighty or ninety
persons. 1t will be recalled that Mr..
Furuseth charged that the intended sale
of the Pacific Mail was all blvff and
that the company would seek to evade
the law making this shift. MIR. Schwerin
countered on this charge with the quiet
reply that the reduced force would cost
more than the larger one, as 1t must DE
composed under the law OF Americans.
The gallant Secretary Redfield here
came to the rescue with the suggestion
which.appears not to have impressed Mr..
SchWerin greatly-that he knew nothing
in the law that would require the en-
ployment of Americans in this force.
Union Overplayed Its Games.
The fourderng attempts of Secretary
Redfield to meet the criticisms OF the
seaman's law have not improved good
opinion of the law in quarters where the
strongest support of it was expected. 1t
has not set well with the members of the
Pacific Coast Unions to hear the Secretary
of Commerce first advise great steam
ship company to reduce its force, to COM
DIV with the requirements of a new law
intended to benefit labor, and then to
hold out the further bait that the depart
ment charged with administering the
law would make no objection to the en-
ployment of Japanese in place OF Amerl-
cans. Most of the responsible labor
leaders now recognize the plain fact that
the International Seaman's Union over
played it's game in forcing the passage of
so drastic law and actually restricted
the employment of American labor, while
intending to compel 1t.
Canal Act Not Responsible.
In their efforts to minimize the i'll eff
feet OF the new law upon the steamship
companies the labor unions first brought
the charge that the Panama canal act
j 81 IA.
for the sale of the Pacific Mail steam
ships. This act, it will be recalled for
babe the use of the waters of the
canal to steamships owned by rail-
road companies, thus aiming to strike
a blow at a class Of steamship de-
velopment that would have been i'm
possible except in conjunction with the
railroad lines. The wisdom of this pro-
hibition need not be discussed in connec-
ton with the sale by the Pacific Mail,
however, for Mr.. Schwerin has tried to
make it clear why the Panama act was
not a factor In the transaction. In the
letter to the tary Of the Lake Michi
gan Passenger Lines Association Mr..
Schwerin says:
1.-The Pacific Mail Steamship Com
pany operated two lines of steamers,
which are operated absolutely upon en-
tirely different policies and conditions.
One was line operating to San Fran
cisco and Central American ports, with
terminus at Balboa, and the other was a
transpacific line, operating from San.
Francisco via Honolulu and Japan and
Philippine ports, to Hongkong. Neither
line had any interchange of business;
their services were as distinct as though
they were entirely foreign corporations
and the methods of doing business on
both lines pertained absolutely to the
foreign countries which they served and
which, you know, under the law of those
countries would have absolutely nothing
in common. =. There is practical
" no nation that can operate freely in
the trade between the Pacific Coast of
the United States and the Orient, and
comply with the terms of the seamen's
act, without any Inconvenience whatso-
ever, except the japanese"
Captain Dollars Summary.
The criticism by Secretary Redfeld
that the Pacific Mail ships were sold
simply because of good chance offered
and not in fear of the seamen's law
would have more force if it were not
true also that all other American-owned
ships on the Pacific plying in the Orient
al trade are also lodging out from under
the American flag. The situation was
tersely summarized by Captain Robert
&c c., E.,,, oicoo in 1ottar Cd