New-York tribune., 1921-02-26
Ship Owners
Reject plan
Of Sea Unions
Objection Made to a General
Conferences Representing
AllTypes of AlarineL. Labor;
For Individual Meetings
Talk of a Strike on Nav /
Agreements to Expire Then;
Unemployment Increase
MAY Act as a Deterrent

Tie American Steamship. Owners
Association, representing the large
American shipping interests, has sroti-
fed Admiral Benson, chairman of the
Shipping Board, ttras IL. sis averse to
entering into a. general conference
with the marine unions at this time.''
Admiral Benson, thesship ewaers have
been advised, has been requested. by
the unions to calf s1ch' & conference
to consider worbing aefee nae n sss TO- re-
place those which will, eggirse shpitly.
Existing agreements with the marine
engineers and st41e sailors, ffiirtsfnsen and
stewards viii end en- May and those
with the deck officers on August l.
That the ship owners will refuse to
continue the agreements on the present
basis Of wages has already been shown
IN conferences with Representatives Of
the workers at which it was sought to
have the men voluntarily accept re-
duction in pay pending the expiration
Of the agreements.
Possibility of Strike
This, the men have declined to do,
and there is the possibility that a
strike may occur in May. With the
present depression in the shipping situ-
alton, however, thousands Of officers
and seamen are unemployed, and unless
conditions improve materially, within
the next two months this will lie a
deterrent factor. an.
Ship wages are still at,the highalevels
Of the war period ana the disposition
Of the ship owners is to reduce. pperat-
ing expenses where possible, ii order
TO enable american Vessels to compete
with foreign shipping. Marine wage
agreements or the Pacific Coast con-
tain & thirty days notice clause, and
ship owners there have already notified
the men that a reduction would be put
into effect.
A special committee appointed by
the American Steamship Owners As
sociation to prepare new working rules
for the various trades in which Ameri-
can ocean-going ships are plying held
it's first meeting yesterday afternoon.
A. J. Mccarthy, manager of the Amer
lcsI flag steamers of the international
Mercantile Marine. Company, presided
over this meeting.
To Have New Working Rules
1t was explained that the new work
Ing rules for the various trades would
have to be in readiness by May-f --sa<t s
and there was general discussion of
the principles that should be followed
h the preparation of these rules. The
PREPARATION will be undertaken by the
subcommittee representing the vari-
Gus trades, which will make final
report to the full committee in the
month Of April.
Following yesterdays meeting Mr..
Mccarthy said that the objection of
the ship owners was to a general con-
ference With representatives. of all
classes Of snip labor. There was no
objection, however, he added, to con-
ferences with the representatives of
the various classes of trade separately.
as had been the custom in the past and
which the ship owners considered
would operate much more effectively
than one conference representing di-
verse interests. go
At the annual freetiHg Of ehe AfaeEie
can Steam ship Owners Association on
February it was decided that instead
Of general working rules. covering all
working rules constructed for each i'm
portant trade on ythe basis OF the pc
eulisr conditions of that trade.
Shipping Committee Named
The committee appointed for this
work Is as follows:
Fer Transatlantic, mediterranean, Atri-
can and Far East TraGes--J. D To-nltn-
son, operating manager, United American
gafns rnanager Internafional t. ta Meroantiie Mere
Marine Company; Commander Il. T. Ney-
lI. Second, vice president Oriental Naytga
Company; Captain Charles Yates, presi-
Captain James W. Hartley. murine supey-
intendenf SteanlahiD C..
Saptein NJ. Miller, port captain, France
tain r. Eckert, '-ssi, General superintendent,
Aoere & Mccormack Company, Inc.
TradesR Use g raaekars aae vice.president
lackenbaeh steamship Company. Inc,
,,aa! sas!Fr2an Captain John g. Crowley. presi-
gsptaln VI. II. Tracy, NJ H, Tracy & Co.
he; a. s. Hebble, sugerintsnding engi-
William Park, general superintendent
Clyde and Mallory Steamship conapaniesi
United American Liaes Inc L. Collins
ss ssespefintendent, Ocean Sseamsiiip sl'oI1f-
For wsst '.i5 fndies and South .Ansrieen
a1saesF G. OSBORN. mana GER 2wn ershir
Line; captain Ase F. pasasep, general
manager. marine department.. United Fruit
sPsa sssa65 poTs Gssg5a eapssa paS Se@ SE a
sort s stfsshiP 6 GoRTpTnyi T3D sp 55a cam
2anyi ], Forsyth, guperintendinE etginees
New York and Porto Rico steamship Com
pany; T. Mcintosh, superintenf1ng enSi-
Eeer, w. II. Graee 6 Co.
For TapHar Tonnage Trades7=-Robert f
Hand, assistant manager, marine depart
5aent Standard OIL Company OF New Jer-
ssy. chairman; j. z. Ropey, general super
intendcnt marine department., the Texas
company; Bruce Gibaon marine depart
Neat Standard Oh Company OF New Jsr'
ssyi Captain i. y. Tucker, port captain
standard OIL Company OF New York cap
p Jan John Wright, marine super inte ndent
n,Arneriean Petroleum and TransporI
company; F. I. Frazier, superintsndlne
hginser. New York and Cuba Mali steam
salp Company; James Kennedy, slpefin'
SSsadent marine department, Galf Refining
company.
In addition there is q committee or
working rules for radio operators, OF
which George S. Davis, general man,
ager OF the radio telegraph department
the United Fruit Company. is chair
man.
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