New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-27

which we can best use the best type OF
self-respecting American labor nahius
the conditions such as 10 attract lh''
class Of steady, sober men.
Many Men Being Trained
7. does not appear TO be difficult 10
man the emergency feet, including we
German and Austrian ships taken over
and the ships under construction "nISh
the government has communicated: ne
least difficulty, it now appears, is louh'
in obtaining the officers. Inc organ
ization which Henry Howard, OF bos-
ION. well known in this country as
manufacturer and abroad as an I'M
porter and exporter, is building up mas
enough prospective officers Tor tne
ships TO be manned in nearby coming
months, and the expansion Oh some
phases of this work has been tempo,
rarily held back so that there wouLa
not be more men found than there VIII
be places TO NIL. ,.
MIR. Howard is working as volun-
teer for the government, as recruiting
officer for the Shipping Commission
He has already established on both
coasts of the United States and along
the Great Lakes twenty-seven iree
schools of instruction that are turning
on, officers for merchant ships.
Mr.. Towards organization takes only
mon who are eligible through having
seen the service required by the goF-
eminent for such positions, either from
tho ton ranks of able seamen or from
The lower ranks of officers, and puts
them through regular courses OIL tram
inc under competent instructors, SO
that they are able, in q months time,
"a qualify for higher place. BY TINS
etenninp-up process of active seamen
,Lone. a large addition to the available
ronLs NJ officers is effected. In add
tior 70 the men active on lake, coast
visa or oceans going vessels who are
qualified for bigger esponsibilitiess,
recruits are coming from among ellgi-
HES who have been holding positions
on land but who have secured, by ser
vice and examiu alton, the governments
certificates with ratings OF different
degrees. Tho United States bureau OF
Nayipation has Just taken census OF
men holding licenses as engineers or
ossis,ants Of the different ranks, OBJ
tanning figures FROM the local offices
~ the bureau in the sea-and lake
norts of the country, these records
never having been consolidated at
Washington. The aggregate Obtained
gives ample assurance OF q complete
supply of these indispensable men. IL
has not been mere count or ellglDIes,
the number of volunteers who nave
presented themselves makes the assur-
ance of willing service certain. Many
of these men are now engineers IN IN
dustrial establishments, or great utility
plants. Their capabilities are beyond
question, and the current results OF
tho intensive training that early vol
unteers are obtaining are very salts
factory.
School for Apprentices Also
The method of raising the numbers
of men necessary for the crews of the
emergency ships has not yet been en-
tirely disclosed. An important confer
ence was held in Washington early in
the month at which the Secretary OF
Commerce. the Secretary Of Labor and
representatives Of the Shipping Com
mission met the leaders of the or
yanized seamen's unions and represen-
tatives of shipping interests. The pur-
pose of the conference was to bring
about a cooperative plan for getting
the labor" of the ships. The or
eanized seamen promised cooperation
and assured the government Of sup
ply Of seamen. There was a decided
opposition, however, on the part of
the unions to any modification of the
present seamens act, which many OF
the representatives of the shipping in
terests believe must be altered, in this