New-York tribune., 1921-05-15
Sea !
DespiteCrlt,Fa ar
Above Britain :
Winthrop l.. Marvin Shows
American Ship Wages
Will Still BE Highest of
Any Nation in the World
Strike Aids Competitors
More Than Half of All u. $.
Ocean-Going Tonnage Is
Now Owned by the People

Reduction OF wages on American
ships has been the last step taken in a
campaign of economy instituted by the
Shipping Board and private American
ship owners, it is pointed out in re-
view made by Winthrop L. Marvin,
vice president and general manager of
the American Steamship Owners Asso~
ciation. of the conditions leading up to
the strike of marine workers.
Between 1914 and 1920 the wages Of
officers and men on American merchant
ships had more than doubled" says Mr.
Marvin. "Pay Of sailors. for example,
which was $50 month in the former
year, was SS5 month six years later.
Salaries of mates and engineers had
risen in almost like proportion. This
increase had occurred in foreign as
we'll as in American merchant services,
largely because of the great war and
its consequences, but the wage scale of
American ships remained, as 1t had
always been, by far the highest in the
world.
U. S. Vessels Handicapped
Toward the end of the calendar year
1920 there began an extraordinary re-
cession in the shipping industry on all
fell in q spectacular way A vast new
shipping tonnage had been constructed
and became available just as the COM
merce of the world, after period of
feverish after-thewar activity, was
rapidly shrinking to less than before
the war proportions. 1t developed that
there were many more ships than car
goes, and foreignfiag vessels with their
low wage costs of operations, and in
many cases their subsidies and boun-
ties also, were enabled to drive Amer
lean vessels largely out of the carrying
of even American commerce.
Face to face with this emergency
American shipping companies and the
United States Shipping Board vigor-
ously cleared the decks for action.
They initiated policy of sharp re-
trenchment, cutting off all possible ex-
penditures for extra pier and Office
space, reducing the pay and the num-
ber OF shore employees, and generally
placing their organizations on a thor
ough basis of peace-time economy.
Last of all, the shipping companies
proposed step in retrenchment to
their seafaring officers and men.
This proposal was fatty rejected by
all of the seagoing unions without ex-
ception when it was first presented in
January last. Alone of the shipping
employees of the United States, these
refused even to consider any lowering
of their salaries and wages. They had
at that time wage and working agree
ments running several months, and
they absolutely refused to relinquish
or amend them, though they were
thoroughly Informed as to the extraor-
dinary character of the trade depres-
sion which had gripped the commerce
OF the world. and of the difficulties of
American ships in holding their own
against the lower wage and living
standards of their foreign competitors.
Men Refuse Cooperation
under these circumstances there
was nothing for the Shipping Board
aud the shipping companies to do but
to defer the plan until the agreements
expired, as they did on May / last for
the engineers, fremen, sailors and
stewards. Early in April these sea-
going unions were asked to cooperate
voluntarily in an attempt to help ta
keep American ships in service, from
which they were being forced by the
cheaper crews of foreign flags. Again
the Shipping Board and the shipping
companies met with refusal, either
outright and absolute or by insistence
on certain conditions to which every
body knew that the government and
the companies could not possibly ac-
cede.
tThe shipping companies had first
suggested wage reduction of 25 per
cent. Later the Shipping Board sig
nified that it would prefer Is per
cent reduction, which the ship owners
promptly and unanimously accepted.
This was presented to the unions, with
revised set of working rules and an
opportunity to renew agreements with
a clause providing for a thirty-day no
tlce of withdrawal for either side The
rejection of this proposition by the
engineers, fremen's, sailors and stew
ards unions is what occasioned the
present strike. There has been no
lockout or anything approaching it,
Men who have left their employment
have left it because they objected to
what has been accepted at the same
time by other men. Who have Loyalty
carried on and kept considerable
number of American ships in active
service.
Terms Unions Rejected
Proposals rejected by the four sea-
going unions on May j call for a re-
duetion of Is per cent in ship wages
as compared with 221a per cent in the
mills of New England and New York
and 20 per cent announced by the steel
manufacturersl, all possible elimination
OF overtime, which had been gravely
abused; an eight-hour working day in
port, and compensation for all required
10 work over hours in the form Of time
OF with pay wherever that is possible
This reduction will leave the off,
GERS and men of American ships the
best paid and best considered men of
their calling in existence, as they ira
ditionally have been and as their en-
pioyers desire that they should remain.
Il leaves these officers and men in the
receipt OF incomes nearly or more than
twice as high as before the war, as
these comparisons demonstrate:
Comparative Wage Rate. 1014-I9ei
CLASS G STEAMERS
Monthly Pay-Engine Department
1914 1929 1921
ysnt- New Rate