South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-03-11
International
Wage Scale Must
FoHow World War

peace is being negotiated. 10 cham
pion the cause OF labor while as
surfing the future of merchant
marine" says j. G. Johnson. marine
superintendent OF the sinclair Gulf
corporation. "Thisc can be done, "
he says, "by insisting upon some
treaty which would, in effect. estab-
lish an international scale OF wages
for marine labor and approximate
uniformity of working conditions
on ships, if not also in shipyards,
throughout the world"
Mr.. Johnson, who is an expe-
rienced shipbuilder and engineer,
makes this suggestion:
The commercial agreements
which will be reviewed by the
arbiters Of peace will exert a pro-
found influence upon the future
prosperity of all nations. In those
negotiations" he believes. no ma
ton will have more authority than
the United States, and it will be
our own fault if we do not insist
upon ample protection of eur world
wide interests.
Among the many vital questions
which will then be considered, those
relating TO the mercantile marine
will stand out prominently. There
was a time when American mer-
chant vessels carried the American
flag into every country. The sup
eriority Of our fleets was recognized
and they were speedily winning a
lions share of international COM
merce. Our national importance in
this respect increased up to about
the time of the civil war, but from
then until the outbreak Of HOSTILE
ties in Europe in 1914, the trend
was distinctly downward. There
were, of course, many contributing
causes. but the chief of these may
be summarized in the statement
that. as we improved and attempt
ed to improve the status Of Amer
lean labor in the shipping and ship
building industries, the relative i'm
portance of our merchant marine
decreased!
For several years American
ship owners have asserted that they
could not operate profitably under
the American flag in competition
with foreign ship owners, because
their costs were about forty per
cent greater. Examination of the
various items of cost Will reveal the
fact that this big handicap was
due primarily to the requirements.
legal and economic, that more
labor be employed at higher wages
and under more favorable working
conditions. In the other countries
there was no such consistent effort
as in American TO improve the
status Of labor. AS a result an
ever increasing percentage Of inter
national was carried un-
der foreign flags, and while Amer
lean ship owners lost business,
American labor lost employment.
with the beginning of the Euro
pean war new forces were brought
into play. Commerce ceased 10
follow normal courses and changes
were effected which would have
been impossible under peace condi-
tons. Had the war bee of short
duration, commerce and industry
might have resumed their accus-
toned ways, but the changes have
been so radical and prolonged that
we can never expect to tur back
the hands Of time and take up the
business OF peace where it was
LETT off in 1914.
Many of the conditions of COM
merce will be arbitrarily fixed by
the International peace agreements.
| Why should not America advance
her own business interests and al
the same time champion the cause
of labor by insisting upon some
treaty which would in effect estab-
lish an international scale of wages
for marine labor and approximate
uniformity of working throughout
the world
IF this is not done. what aSsur-
ance can We have that the advant-
! ages we have gained because OF the
| war will not be lost? What assur-
ance can we have that the millions
of dollars tina are being invested
today in the shipbuilding industry
in this country will not eventually
prove improbable? What assur-
ance can We have that the rights
of American labor to participate in
shipping and shipbuilding the world
over. will not be p%erfOrce surrenr-
I cred? There are. Of course, other
important things hat must be con-
sidered at the same time, but this