Evening star., 1918-07-28

\ IN NVAAsV
/ fecting the personnel of the boats
and give careful consideration to the
labor turnover, or, rather, crew turn
over, as 1t might be more aptly
termed.
While both shipping and shore in
dustries in their operation arc at
fected by the labor turnover, the en-
ployment problems Of the shipping
Industry on the great lakes are, how.
ever. quite different from those of
shore Industries. The shipping In
dustry in the operation of vessels Is
subject to factors conditioned by the
elements Of nature beyond the con.
troll of man. Again. the status OF
shore industries is definitely fixed, and
the men employed in these industries
are enabled more easily to maintain
homes and follow a normal famlly
life. This the majority OF seamen'
| by virtue of the nature OF their work:
| are seldom enabled to DO. some OF
the principal causes OF the , sreat
turnover. It is said. in shore INDUS
tries are ascrfbed to lack of stand
ardization Of jobs and OF compehsA-
ton This is not the problem In the
| shipping industry Of the great lakes'
this respect are more or less stand-
mum standards Of skill for most OF
| the sailors and their aualfncations
are definitely established through tne
| ofiicial certificates issued 70 .nefh !.
practically one uniform wage scale
| for nearly all types OF boats piyins
| on the great lakes. covering tne cre~
| Of the deck and engine departments.
The hours Of labor at sea-watcnes-
Of employees in the deck ana engine
Separtments are definitely fxed by
| law. as we'll as the hours OF labor
| in port. .n.I
character of the shipping inaustry on
tss besrfns f5sa' upon raas' the he crew turnover
Vessels sailing continuously tor
periods of more than eight monIns
are very few, and at the end OF the
season the crews scatter; =, aiTsnens some sn Sec
tions of the country. others eoins
into ocean shipping. Between the
| time of laying up the boats IN tne
winter and the time aT OF nsting gnanths .nSm
eiapse. and, in view of the many
changes which no doubt take place
1 in the fortunes Of these men In tine
| interval, 1t should not be surprislns
II only q small number OF men re.uan ~
which they were sailing in the faii
of the preceding year. .r..-
In order to secure greater stapiiity
of tenure among the crews 01nSs SaSs
mite policies regarding the type OF
labor to be employed. During tne
season 1917 licensed Officers were
granted an extra full months pay II
they had served all season on a sins;S 3iS
vessel or in a single employ ana lalo
their vessels up at the END OF the
season.
Much effort has been expended In
recent years by the ONCE OF the
Judge advocate
Probation System gene, genera ~ ., oht.1n "a.
for the Navy. convincing
data as to the practical results be-
ing derived from the general court
martial probationary system. omciais
saw that these statistics are valuable
but not conclusive. for several rea-
sons. particularly il a measure ol
the success of the system 10 con-
sidered to depend on the number oi
men who not only pass through Q
period Of probation successfully. ou'
also eventually gain a discharge in
honorable status at the expiration OF
their enlistment, which undoubtedly
| it is the aim Of the order to encour-
age and develop.
It is now possible. however. the
oneials state, to obtain more instruc-
i five data than in the past by as
| certaining the number OF men sen.
| fenced by general court-martfai ano
placed on probation during the nscal
1 year 1s16-the first full year during
which the order was in operation
who passed successfully through theil
period of one years probation. :.
In a report about year ago II
was stated that 65.54 per cent OF the
number had successfully compietee
an average probationary period o,
six months, and that it was expected
that about as per cent Of them woult
Completely rehabilitate themselves
and be discharged in honorable
! status at the expiration OF their pro
baton. It is problematic how many
of this number may finally De dis
charged in an honorable status
this number Of IS per cent of al
originally placed on probation is tot
hieh. in the light of subsequent oe
yeiopments, and should probably b.
reduced, the officers now Think u
about rs per cent
I
court-martial probationers for the MS
cal year 1917 show that 71.67 Pei
! cent have successfully completed al
average probationary period OF si1
| month. as compared with the hgur'
! of 65.54 for the similar percentage II
1915. It would thus appear that tn
! probationary status was held II
slightly higher respect than in tn
previous year, though probably thu
outbreak Of war is sufficient to &C
count for at least the difference
. shown by the figures.
The officers in charge OF this wori
say that 1t is equally dimcult to OBJ
, tain convincing data as to the sum
. mary couft-martial probationary sys
, tenn. It is said that 66.3 per cent o
the total number placed on probation
during the fiscal year 1916 succeedet
in completing their prooationar.
with 81 per cent of the last MIN
months of the fiscal year 1915, TO
| which data are available.
The apparently greater success o
the probationary system as applied t
J summary court-martial cases tina,
, with general court-martfal cases i
probably due largely. the omcers say
to the shorter probationary per1o'
in the former.
As the general policy of extending
opportunity for rehabilitation Z
naval prisoners was adopted so re
Gently, no reliable figures are ye
available from which fair conclusion
! might be reached rs to its success
It lis held to be proper and righ
that some prisoners should have an
, other chance to gain and maintain ~
honorable status in the naval service
!. thus wiping out the eject OF earl
| l-a.oonSncf for vhich a suhsfa ntfa