Cavalier County farmers press. (Langdon, N.D.) 1920-1921, 1921-07-28
MANY VESSELS
STILL ARE idle
Recent Visitor to Important
Ports Found That Only
Tanker Are in Demand.
RIGID ECONOMY IS NECESSARY
Prospects Of Revival in Trade Are
Reasonably FavorabIe-crews on
American Freighters and Oil
Tanks Are Well Fed.

IdhkS Are well Fed.
New Observation-Disclosures 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 a rest. Business as usual' has
only appeared to be available to the
Oil tanks, and at Tampico quite re-
Gently I have known a vessel to wait
much over a week before being able
to take oil aboard.
1t is quite clear that those who di-
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 a symptom Of worldwide
necessity.
When war broke out $40 a month
for an able seaman and SIT a 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 ELL
per month from the shipping compa-
MES and f3 as a bonus from the Brit
ish government, roughly $50 per
month, while in the United States
messmen obtained $40 per month, add
ed to which they were paid $3.50 a
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 requisition, and barges were
more valuable than battleships. l
have. known ships held up for days
because they could not obtain barges.
for their cargoes. IL 1915 Great Brit
ain owned S,675 vessels of 19,235,7 05
tons, and had in 1920 so far recovered
from her stupendous war losses to
possess vessels of 1911, 600 tons In
1914 she employed 295,653 seamen of,
various grades, thousands Of them be-
ing Lascars and various Asiatics, Ger
mans, Swedes, N~orwegians and Rus.
slams. What they total today none
can compute.
In addition to the actua. monetary
reward general conditions have i'm
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. Soma
years ago 1 Travelled to South Africa
on a boat belonging to the Union
Company of Britain, and during the
greater part >of the trip we were
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
Introduction of refrigerating plants
has altered that, and, sympathizing
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
shipowners generally have been ex-
tremely liberal in their treatment of
their sailors, and i have seen, on an
Oil tank of the United States, petty
officers, seamen, fremen and wipers
sit down to dishes of as good quality.
and as well cooked (if not so well
served as could be obtained in a first
class hotel in New York.
Subordinate hands on American
freighters and oil tanks are better
fed, in the main, than those on liners
crossing the Atlantic and going from
Britain to distant ports. while in most
cases accommodation is much supe-
rior on the former classes of vessels.
1t is satisfactory to know that pros
poets of a revival are reasonably ia
vorable. But whatever the outlook.
it is clearly recognized that to be
p~rofitabiy engineered the shipping Of
the world must be run IN Il basis OF
rigid economy and superLative eff
ciency.-George Laval Chestcrron In
New York Herald.