New-York tribune., 1921-01-14
Move Towards
Cutting Wages
On Ships Begun
Thousands of Sailors Idle
as Result of Depression in
Shipping; Operators on
Pacific Coast Take Step
No Reduction Since War
Steamship Owners Here Are
in Favor of Eliminating
All Payment for Overtime

Rapidly increasing unemployment
,nonr seamen as result of the re-
lueed volume Of ocean carrying trade
{ expected to accelerate reduction
the operating costs of vessels. Steps
ave already been taken on the Pacific
,oast toward q lowering OF wages.
sreights have fallen to third and in
;ome cases quarter Of what they were
the last year, but practically the
,nly cut in the cost of running the
,essels has been in the somewhat love-
orices Of coal and oil fuel.
How greatly the supply Of officers
md crews is in excess Of the demand
5 indicated by reports that in New
York alone there are several thousand
.aemploved Conditions at other Amer
can ports may be judged by advices
rom Halifax, which state that numer-
Gus seamen from Portland, Me, Bos-
eon, Great Lakes ports and Montreal
are arriving at Halifax with view to
securing employment on ships there.
The Halifax marine authorities, how
ever, state that that port is over
crowded with idle sailors and that
newcomers will find few opportunities
awaiting them.
More Vessels Laid Up
The Shipping Board announced yes
erday that orders had been issued
'ithdrawing from service thirteen more
government ships. These Will be tied
lp at Hampton Roads, Philadelphia, in
ne Gulf OF Mexico and on the Pacific
coast. OF the vessels affected by these
rders, the largest are the Nes. Cadron
nd the West CaIera, both $500 tons
ieadweight, which viii be tied up on
he Pacific Coast. The total of Ship
ing Board boats now tied Up is not
ar from 500. That depressed condi-
ions are not limited TO American ship
ping, however, is shown by q statement
hat the Osaka Shosen Kaisha Line,
ne Of the leading Japanese companies,
AS about l25 vessels tied up in the
orts OF Japan.
A meeting OF the American Steam
ship Owners Association committee
n wages and working conditions is to
De held here to-day in conjunction with
representatives OF the Shipping Board
steps 10 abo ish the payment Of all
1vertime on American ships will prob
2bly be discussed. As the ship owners
md the Shipping Board have a wage
agreement with the unions Of the Of
icers and men il is understood that
aotaing will be done in regard to ad-
iusting the regular wege schedule until
tie termination OF. the agreement
elimination OF overtime, however.
you'd be a factor in the reduction Of
'perating costs.
To Cut Wages On Pacific
Conditions are somewhat different on
he Pacific Coast. where independent
american steamship companies have
served thirty days notice on the sail
ors, hremen, oilers and stewards of
.aelr Intention to reduce wages. Sailors
and hremen on American ships operat-
ng from the Pacific Coast have been
paid s. q month more than on the At
antic Coast. 1t is stated that the
sgreement between the employers and
Unions on the Pacific Coast contains
provision for the termination OF the
.greemenV on thirty days notice
Wages cn Japanese ships are stated 10
oe about a quarter of those paid by
american ship owners.
1t is 10, expected that strikes will
ollow the action to be taken by steam
nip operators, as the gravity of the
Unemployment situation is becoming
nore pronounced daily. Hundreds Of
sea,nen and marine engineers are out
Il work on the Pacific Coast.
Similar conditions prevail in Euro
oean ports. At Glasgow, for instance
I mas been stated that because Of the
ack Of berths shipmasters have beer
'eekng employment az first and second
mates. and fr't mates have been .lad
o secure bertas as third mates.
A contrast is furnished by the ship
'abor situation IN Australia. Because
,. the demands of the men the com
'anles operating out OF Melbourne and
l.her Australian ports have announced
,aa' tney viii tie Up their steamers in
strikers