Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-08-28
WILSON FAVORED
BY SEAMEN'S HEAD
Andrew Furuseth Declares Re-
Election Is Necessary to Best
Interests of Wage Farmers.
GIVES REASONS FOR OPINION
Would Regard Defeat as Calam-
ity to Industrial and CONNER
cial Welfare of America.
BY DANTE BARTON.
Nfcc-ChnirmHn of the Federal Conn
NIL l..AI 1A=la l.IE

BY DANTE BARTON.
Vice Chairman of the Federal Conn
mittce on Industrial Relations.
Tho American seaman is going back
to the sea. He is going back at wages
SO per cent higher than they were up
free man."
Those arc tho chief reasons given by
Andrew Furuseth. president of the In
ternational Seamen's Union OF Amsri-
ca, and for twenty years fighter for
the scamen's bill, which is now law.
why he Is an ardent supporter OF
President Wilson and is giving all tho
time and energy ne can TO the Prcsi-
dents reelection.
The continuance of the Wilson ad-
minstration is necessary to the best
interests OF ali wage earners OF
America" said Mr.. Furuseth In an
interview given TO me in Washington.
1T is essential TO the interests OF
American seamen and the upbuilding
OF the American merchant marine.
would regard MIR. Wilson's defeat in
this election, and particularly by those
who are now opposing him. as a ca
lamity to the industrial and CONNER
cial welfare OF America. AS the child
labor bill OF the President has freed
the little children from servitude, so
the seamen's law. also approved and
pushed through by tho President. has
freed the Americans who go down to
the sea in ships"
Andrew Furuseth is himself an able
seaman who looks like an old Viking
His face is weather-worn from storms
at sea and from twenty years Of legis-
lative hardships in Washington. Tho
pent-up gales within him fairly blew
the words from him as he said to the
interviewer:
FOREIGN VESSELS PAY SAME
WAGES AS AMERICAN
Less than one year OF the operation
of the seaman's act has raised the
wages OF American seanen to stand
ard Of from s45 to $50 a month. At all
principal ports on the Atlantic and
Pacific the foreign vessels are paying
the same wages as the American ves-
sels -.
Right along with that. American
owned ships are going back on the
high seas with American cargoes. the
ships manned by American sailors
vessels
the reorganized Pacific Mail Steam
ship Company sails for the Orient. To
oppose this bill. the falsehood was
told and believed by many persons. that
the ships OF that company had been
driven from the Pacific by this sea-
mems act. The truth was that the
Pacific Mail Steamship Company was
forbidden to use the Panama Canal be-
Pacific Railroad Company and for that
reason it had to quit business and be
rcorCanized.'
specifically" / asked Mr.. Furuseth,
what has the seamen's act done for
American scamen and American ship
ping. and how has IT done it?''
specifically. II has made ships safe
for passengers and crew by it's pro-
vision that 15 per cent of all the crew
shall be able 10 understand the Ian
guage OF the ships officers, for orders
I'm emergencies. such as storms, col
ls!ons and 6rcs, as we'll as for or
ders in ordinary times.
Specifically, II has brought greater
safety through provisions for lifeboats
and better ship construction.
SAME RIGHT TO QUIT JOB
THAT OTHER WORKERS HAVE;
specifically. it has given the sea
men the same right to quit his job that
other workers have. and it has pro-
tected him in that right by providing
him in any port OF call with the right
to demand money nc has earned. It
has raised wages by improving the
standard of scamen. 1t has equalized
the wages on American and foreign yes
sells, because in order TO keep their own
seamen in American ports foreign
shipowners have had to give their
sailors as attractive wages and condi-
tions rs our own vessels The law ap-
plies TO all ships. foreign. as well rs
American, that touch American ports.
Specifically, the bill has driven or
driving the Asiatic from the sea and
cstorinG the mastery Of tho sea 10 the
'hite race
All this was roarcd in one Of the
Furuseth gales; and then in a calm. or
going along under n smooth breeze,
Seaman Furuseth explained:
1.-THE American seaman was serr
until this bill was passed and approved
by President Wilson on March 4, 1915.
Following an old decree of the Bour-
hons OF France in the seventeenth cen-
turE, American sailors could not get
any wages until they returned to tho
port from which they sailed. They
were in uncontrolled competition with
the Tascar and Chinese and Malay la
Dor OF the Orient. The ships officers
would speak ono language and the
ships crews another.
BEGINNING or LONG FIGHT
FoR FREEDOM OF SI'ANlES
when the thirteenth amendment to
the United states Constitution was
nearby, and viii not return unit, to-
morrow. There wcro no conferences
nor meetings OF the committees Of
eight.
Among the presidents ard managers
here. the opinion prevailed that tho
proposal Of the men would not be ac-
ccptahle to them. and thcr" was no
concealment Of the feeling that if the
President has no other suggestion to
make, strike is coming rhe pro-
posal may be taken under conaidera-
tion II tho President asks It. hut little