Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-31
PLAN TO HARMONIZE
CONDITIONS ABOARD SHIP
Commerce Chamber Sends Dele
gates to Conference in Wash
ington Tomorrow

Three members of the Philadelphia Cham
Der of Commerce leave for Washington to-
night 10 Join meeting tomorrow of some
400 delegates from organizations along the
Atlantic seaboard and on the Great Lakes,
called by Secretaries Redfeld and Wilson,
of the Departments of Commerce and Of
Labor, respectively, in an effort to establish
an equabe basis for a thorough working
understa ndlnR between shipowners and sea-
men that will entirely preclude any possi-
biity of strikes or disobedience by the lat
ter during the course of the war on present
ships or on the future Government mari
time fleet.
Walter p. Miller, of the Miller Paper Box
Manufacturing Company, director of the
chamber, will head the party, which in
cludes also o, H.. Hagerman, in charge Of
all the barges consigned to the Reading
Railway at Port Richmond. and q, u. Van
Solver, division superintendent of the
Merchants and Miners Transportation Com
pany, operating coastwse vessels between
this port and Boston, Jacksonville and
Savannah.
The labor interests likewise will be we'll
represented and 1t Is believed that har-
monious relations will be brought out of
the present situation, which is becoming
more complex every day, there being about
35 per cer1 of the seamen alien enemies.
The secretaries. in their joint aletter, say
that the war conditions have created an
ing the supply of seamen and the proper
manning of vessels.
The Chamber of Commerce is authority
for the statement that the supply OF sea-
men, inclusive Of deck fire room and
stewards departments, is fairly adequate
at present; the shortage being in the Of
ficers for deck and fire room. The ma
jority OF vessels carry union" crews and
il is impossible to find employment on
these ships for native youths desiring to
enter the merchant marine service, even
though they have had some sea experience.
The only positions available on these
union" boats for non-union or green
candidates is in the stewards department
as mess-men or cabin bors.
AS wages, quarters and food on Ameri-
can vessels today are at high standard,
according to the authoritative information
OF the chamber, there is no reason why a
spirit of cooperation should not character
ize the relations between master and crew,
II seems that an altitude of hostility by the
delegates of the various unions encourages
disobedience and disputes on the part Of the
seamen as 10 what constitutes necessary"
work. 3,
The seamen of these unions. however, It is
pointed out regard Andrew Furuseth, au-
thor of the recent La Toilette seamen's act.
as a leader and would be influenced by his
advice that their attitude Is uncalled for and
especially regrettabls at this momentous
period.
Furthermore. the chambers informant
says that It is possible that the require
nerts of the various navigation and engi-
neering emergency schools established un-
der the Jurisdiction of the United States
Shipping Board--that candidates possess a
considerable period Of sea experiments
too onerous. Many candidates, he con-
tinues have had experience as machine
shop men and mach.nists and a short Pc
Rod of sea service. and this would suffice
In establishing a force Of engineers in the
lower grades whose efficiency would be
greater than those without ship experience.
but longer sea service.