Dresden enterprise and Sharon tribune. (Dresden, Tenn.) 1907-1997, 1921-07-29
MANY VESSELS
STILL ARE IDLE.
Recent Visitor to important
Ports Found That Only
TankerS Are in Demand.
RIGID ECONOMY IS NECESSARY
Prospects Of Revival in Trade Ars
Reasonably FaVorabIe-creWs on
American FreiGhters and Oil
Tanks Are Well Fed.

New York.-Worldwide retrench-
ment has affected no class Of the In
dustrial community more than the
men (and women) who go down to
the sea in ships" Ships have been
laid up In every important port I have
visited, from United States Of Amer
lea to Britain, Holland, Belgium,
Egypt, New Zealand, Australia and
even South Africa, where the Durham
whalers seemed to be compelled to
take rest. Business as usual" has
only appeared to be available to the
oil tanks, and at Tamplco quite re.
Gently have known a vessel to wait
much over week before being able
to take oil aboard.
It Is quite clear that those who d.
rect the destinies of the worlds ex-
change Of commodities have realized
the pressing need for "peace, retrench-
ment and REFORM" and the curtailment
Of the wages of seamen, masters-at-
arms, Quartermasters, engineers, oil
ers, water tenders, wipers, trimmers,
stewards, cooks, and assistant stew
ards is only symptom of worldwide
necessity.
When war broke out $40 a month
for an able seaman and SIT month
for an assistant steward would be
considered acceptable. Before the
war terminated, with the signing of
the armistice, stewards had in Britain
a most active leader In Joe Cotter,
and his efforts on their behalf led to
the assistant stewards receiving FL
per month from the shipping compa-
MES and e. as bonus from the Brit.
ish government, roughly $56 per
month, while In the United States
messmen obtained $40 per month, add
ed to which they were paid $1.50
day while in port, in the shape Of
overtime-that is, on days other than
those associated with arrival and de-
parture.
Held UP for Days.
AT that time every available vessel
was In requlsition, and barges were
more valuable than battleships.
have known ships held up for days
because they could not obtain barges
for their cargoes. In 1915 Great Brit
din n,unod Q R7E 1,aceaI, 10 10 0o6 YnS
tons, and had in 1920 so far recovered
from her Stupendous war losses to
possess vessels of 18,111,000 tons. In |
1914 she employed 295,653 seamen Of |
various grades, thousands of them be- !
ing Lascars and various Asiatics, Ger
mans, Swedes, Norwegians and Rus
SLAMS. What they total today none
can compute.
In addition to the actual monetary |
reward general conditions have Inn
proved to a surprising degree, in con-
fOrmity with recognition Of the BRAY
cry displayed by all seamen working on
allied vessels during the war. Some
years ago travelled to South Africa
on boat belonging to the Onion
Company Of Britain, and during the
greater part Of the trip we we're
compelled to drink condensed sea
water, while fresh bread twice per
week was regarded as a luxury. Sail
ors Jared as best they could on salt
beef or pork and hard biscuit. The
Of refrigeratlng plants
has altered that, and, sympathlzing
with the seamen, the British board
Of trade evolved a compulsory sched-
ule of foods. This was In operation
for some time after war had been de-
clared.
Americans Liberal.
The shipping board and American
generally have been ex-
tremely liberal in their treatment Of
their sailors, and / have seen, on an
oil tank Of the United States, petty
officers, seamen, tiremen and wiDSrs
sit down to dishes Of as good quality
and as well cooked liz not 80 well
served) as could be obtained In q first-
class hotel in New York.
Subordinate hands on American
and oil tanks are better
fed, in the main. than those on liners
the Atlantic and going from
Britain to distant ports, while in most
GASES accommodation is much supe-
rior on the former classes Of vessels.
1t is satisfactory to know that pros
poets Of revival are reasonably ia
vorable. But whatever the outlook,
It is clearly recognized that to be
profitably engineered the shipping Of
the world must be run on a basis of
rigid economy and superlatlye eff
Laval Chesterton in
New York Herald.