The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-05-02
MARINE ENGINEERS STRIKE

American marine engineers have
gone on strike because they were
asked by the ship operators to take a
| wage cut of Is per cent. Such a wage
cut has already been taken in practi-
cally every other industry and trade.
| The strike means that American
| ships will not move. In the meantime
| British ships-and ships Of other flags
will gain a firmer hold on the carry
ing business of the world.
Admiral Benson's statement to the
engineers is SO fair and thorough it
should be read by every citizen in or
der that all may obtain a fair and I'M
biased understanding of the cause Of
the strike. He said:
"On the present occasion we find
| ourselves endeavoring to meet the
rapidly changing economic conditions
| resulting from the world war. 1t has
| affected the merchant marine in many
ways. The movement of ocean freight
has declined to a tremendous extent
and this has resulted in the tying up
| of many ships and in the unemploy-
| ment OF many men. Competition for
such cargoes as are available has be-
| come extremely keen.
I'm land industry too the pressure
| OF reconstruction has brought about
wide price revision in most of the
items making up the family budget. A
general liquidation is taking place in
all directions. All of us, whatever
our status or connections, must do our
| parts in assisting in this general liqui-
dation without which we cannot ex-
Dect 70
So far as the liquidation of labor is
| concerned, one can hardly pick up
| daily paper without finding reports of
| substantial reductions in wage scales
in various industries.
80 far no change in this direction
, has taken place in the marine indus
try. How this labor liquidation might
| be best accomplished has been the sub
ject Of discussion between the COM
| mittees representing the organizations
of various marine departments and
committee representing the steamship
interests.
1T may help us all to get clear
| picture of the situation if we review
some Of the conditions of the last few
years. During the war the drop in
the purchasing value Of the dollar be-
ii
cal reimbursement of wages to meet the
increasing cost of living. This condi-
ton is being overcome and the value
of the dollar is definitely returning to-
ward normal
"The new economic conditions and
the changes in living costs call for re-
auctions in wages at least as great
as the recent drop in the cost of living
| which reflects the return of the dollar
toward it's normal value Since 1914
| wages aboard American ships have
more than kept pace with increases
in other industries. When the govern
ment became the largest American
| owner of'ships it participated in these
| wage increases and it is now a party
, to the present working agreements
which will expire on May l and August
l respectively.
You will recall that in February
last the shipping board with other ship
owners invited representatives of the
seafarers into conference to discuss
voluntary revision of wage scales in
order to meet new economic conditions,
The men made no concessions. On the
other hand the shipping board has in
sisted that under these circumstances
the terms of the existing agreements
be strictly observed. AS result no
changes in wages have been made.
Anticipating the expiration of the
present marine agreements on May l
the shipping board has throughout the
present negotiations sought an orderly
readJustment OF wages and working
rules In line with present conditions,
1t believed, and still believes, that ALI
concerned would meet in a spirit of
simple fairness and realize the abso-
lutte necessity of establishments for
the common good. The shipping board
does not desire arbitrary wage reduc-
tons based solely on the present in
dustrial depression, which might ex-
cept the seafarers from the preserved
higher American standard of living. In
making establishments 1t proposes to
stress the same factor which was so
largely considered in making increases
the return of the purchasing value Of
the dollar toward its normal value as