The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-10-26

ployees did very well and kept their
agreements, or accepted arbitration,
except in one instance. The present
strike began after the death of the
analyst He comments on the excel
lence Of such a programme as far as
some classes of marine workers are
concerned, in view of the great insta-
bility of the men who so down to the
| sea in ships as class.
Lake seamen.
Labor turnover" he asserts,
| mounts at times to 1900 per cent.
and normally remains about 300 per
cent. level. Most seamen live a kind
| of carefree and rowing life and FREE
quent changes of employment have
been considered to be n part of the
| seaman's calling So extensive has
been the shifting of the workers on
| the great lakes that the Lake Carriers
sociation-composed of vessel own
ers and managers operating vessels
| upon the great lakes, principally such
as carry iron ore. coal and grain,
| articles which make up the bulk of
the tonnage on the lakes-has en-
deavored to recruit their crews from
the ranks of the southern Europeans,
most Of whom are frugal in their
| habits of living, anxious to earn and
anxious to save and for the most part
unacquainted with unionism or col
| lective action of any sort. Charts
show that the association gave the
significant increases in wages to sea-
men as distinguished from licensed
officers and engineers.
THE comparatively recent growth
and the increasing expansion of our
merchant marine during the period
covered by this study is further con-
s!deraton to make the Shipping
Boards record remarkable The chart
shows the rise IN real wages, since the
rates are rates per month and hence
iare earnings. The one exception is
the longshoremen. The Shipping
Board issued between May IS and July
10, 1918, a number of wage scales COW
ering the complete field of employment
on coastwise vessels, and made these
awards retroactive to May 4, 1918. The
1919 COLUMN of the chart shows the
substantial increases which resulted
from these decisions, and from the
scales OF the Lake Carriers Associa-
ton. We have seen that the associs-
ton raised the wages of seamen over
the advance in cost of living. The rea
son for this is found in the low scales
paid this class of labor in 1914. The
Shipping Board for it's part raised the
scales slightly above the cost of LIVING
increase in very few Instances. In
most cases the seamen and the officers
wages were, as We found with the
traction company employees, slightly
; below the level Of real wages In 1914
The longshoremen Jared better thar
, did the seamen. It is very apparent
that the lake and harbor workers
along with the railroad train crews
ana the platform men, have carried
their share OF the burden of the war
Conditions on the Coast.
"On the coasts the seamen volun.
, tarily accepted the conditions OF worl
established by the shipping Board
, These were less favorable TO unlor
labor than those prevailing before
!, the war. Especially was this true OF
the Pacific Coast, where at the outse
OF the war the seamen we're about 81
per cent organized
"On the great lakes marine labo,
issues centre very largely around tn
policy of the Lake Carriers Associa
ton. The most important and vir
tually the dominating member Of tn,
association Is the Pittsbbrg STEAMSHIP
Company, subsidiary of the United
, States Steel Corporation. As Gov. Bas
points out the task before the Shippinl
. Board was to try to maintain uninter
, rupted traffic in a district where tn
. labor policy followed by the associate,
= and the principles believed in by or
!, sanized seamen of the lakes have beef
, so Numerically opposed that n peace
, able adjustment OF labor issues had q
many times seemed out OF the cues
ton. For many years the basic polio,
OF the association was adherence L
D tho open shop The association, 1
5 would seem. will learn from the wa
J experience the advantage for the fu
4 ture OF more liberal policy in dealing
0 with its employees.
J. This survey shows that tho wa
( has not benefited unduly all transpor
: tation workera The organized trade
\ the railroad brotherhoods, the Off
I GERS and engineers on the vessels an,
the Western seamen. with tho singl
D exception OF the railway telegrapher
a have carried the burden OF the wa
: through a declining real wage. Tn
v unskilled workers and those trade
: unorganized in 1914, on the other hand
S are enjoying to-day new standard o
y living made possible by the rise II
g real wages. OF this change they ar
n conscious and the organization ha
h gone forward rapidly. These worker
a propose TO hold the advantage the!
= have gained through the war, To
K survey of a second group OF industrie
r those producing consumable goods
y we now turn
b Taking up such industries as refe
- articles which enter into dirsc