The New York herald., 1921-04-27
MARINE FACTIONS
FIRM AS THEY GO
TO MEET BENSON
Chairman of the Shipping
Board Will Urge Labor
to Take Wage Cut.
CONFER THIS MORNING
Charged That Mariners Are
Resolved American Ships
Shall Not Succeed.
AID FOREIGN COMMERCE
Workers Assert High Wages
Attract Z. s. Citizens to
Merchant Marine.

Admiral William s. Benson, chair
man of the United States Shipping
ington this morning between all fac
tions in the marine wage controversy,
and according to dispatches from the
capital last night he will strongly urge
the labor union leaders to accept a re-
duction In wages. He will ask the
union men to aid in putting the ship
industry on the same basis of read
justment as has been reached by the
other Industries of the United States.
The reduction favored by the Shipping
Board goes as low as IS per cent,
while the steamship owners want re-
duction of at least 25 per cent
Thirty steamship owners left for
Washington at midnight. At their
head was William A. Thompson, presi-
dent of the Texas Steamship Company.
At meeting of the owners, held yes
terday afternoon at the Whitehall
Club, II Battery place, Mr.. Thompson
was chosen to head the delegation and
to act as their spokesman at the con-
ference with Admiral Benson. The
attitude of the owners was unchanged
They declare that a radical reduction
in wages and sweeping revision OF
working conditions is necessary be-
fore American shipping. of which four
sevenths is owned by the Shipping
Board, can compete with foreigners.
Fl. III. Raymond, president of the
Clyde-Mallory lines and of the American
Steamship Owners Association. said
that the attitude of the engineers, fire
men and sailors. which is emphatically
| against even considering a wage reduc-
tion, Shows that they are cynically re-
solved that American ships shall have
no chance with foreign competition"
High Wages Attract Americans.
Representatives Of the unions are just
as insistent that the maintenance of the
present wage schedules is necessary to
the prosperity OF the American mer-
chant marine. Explaining this argu-
ment. Andrew Furuseth. international
president of the sailors, says that the
present relatively high wages attract
Americans to the sea. and that the pros
perity OF a nations merchant marine
depends upon the number of It's own
| people who are IN the service. There
fore, he says, wages must be high for
the merchant marine to prosper. He
also says that living costs have not gone
down enough TO warrant cut.
Union officials left for Washington
early yesterday. Thomas b. Healy.
head OF the local organization OF
marine engineers. said before he left
that his mind was made UP. whatever
takes place at the Washington confer
ence. to stand firm against any cut In
wages. The attitude OF the engineers.
firemen and sailors from the first has
been that there could not even be a
discussion OF wage cut. They are
willing to make compromises only In the
matter of working conditions
1t was announced after the conference
Of shipowners that the delegation Sc
lected TO go to Washington would not
have the power TO make a final decision.
Instead. they will report back at a meet
ing tomorrow afternoon OF all the mem
bers OF the American Steamship Owners
Association.
strike More Imminent.
At the present stage OF negotiations
strike appears more imminent than
at any time since the reduction In wages
was proposed. While both owners and
workers said that they hoped to avert
a strike. they pointed out that since
negotiations began more than two weeks
ago little progress has been made to-
ward an agreement. In fact, with the
exception of the cooks and stewards.
who virtually have agreed to COM
promise wage scale, no progress what
ever has been made.
The position OF the private steamship
owners was summed UP by Mr.. Raymond
as follows:
"we have no quarrel with the unions
as such. Engineers and men have n
right TO organize II they 10 win. but
they must not forget that their highest
obligation. after all. is not to their
unions but 10 their country and their
Government.
I'm good faith the Shipping Board
and the shlpowners have aaked them to
join In a reduction OF wage costs that,
with the other economies already
achieved. will help us TO keep American
ships AT sea. Everywhere else labor is
frankly accepting the situation. Ship
yard workmcn have taken a cut OF 10
" ~ yer NtlN*s III hHoWAthk' hlah
another Will quickly follow. a 22h
per cent. reduction has gone into ef-
feet In mills of New England, New
York. New Jersey and Pennsylvania
Engineers. firemen and sailors alone
refuse outright. or block the case by
irrelevant conditions. We have issued
no ultimatum. We have not declined TO
treat with labor. We have invited en-
gineers and seamen to sit down with
VS. and work out a wage scale and
working rules that could be heartily
agreed 20 by both parties.
This the engineers, flresnen and sailors
will not do. They have declared. in cf-
feet, we have nothing TO negotiate
Let II not be forgotten that OF our
total soaEoinx tonnage NJ the present
time 7.Tac 736 tons are owned by the
American people through the Shipping
Board and 5,t25. .273 by the stockholders
of our steamship companies. a strike. II
one occurs. will therefore be directed
chiefly az the investment or $4,000, ,000,-
900 In ocean shipping which Liberty
bonds made possible.