The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1922-04-07

tive branch of the American govern
ment will shortly be called upon to
consider the advisability of subsidiz-
ing American merchant ships.
Our offshore shipping business is
in a bad way. There is too much
idle tonnage the world over and nat
urally competition is exceptionally
keen. Those German submarines d
not sink nearly as much tonnage as
had been anticipated. At any rate,
the worlds merchant vessel tonnage
of today totals about fourteen mil
lion more than in 1914. In 1914
there were only 48,000,000 gross tons
on record. Now this poor suffering
world is trying to find work for up
ward of 62,000,000 gross tons. And
it simply can't be done. There is not
enough business to keep two-thirds
of this tonnage profitably employed.
Will an American ship subsidy
create more foreign trade? Will it
enable the starving masses abroad to
place more orders in America? Or
are we going to send our ships
around the world loaded with ballast
and charge the bill to the American
taxpayers These are just few of
the many questions that will have to
be answered before the Congress of
the United States begins to subsidize
a single special interest.
American shipowners are not the
only ones who have suffered on ac-
count of the world wide slump in
trade. In fact American business
men are not suffering greater hard
ship because of the general depres~
sion than American workingmen. So
if we, nation, are going to bolster
up the shipowners' business why in
the name of fair play should not
every struggling merchant and man
ufacturer mot to mention the mil
lions of unemployed workers) receive
similar aid from the national treas
ury?
Shipowners have ready-made an
swers to be sure, the gentlemen with
money invested in ships have
ready-made answer to the latter in
quiry. They say the pernicious La
Toilette Seamen's Act compels them
to employ high priced American sea-
men; they claim this law requires
them to carry more men than needed;
and finally, it forces them to feed
all ndnuS OH IIle ldI VI IiiS i'ii"'
etc., etc. All of which, they say
makes an American vessels operat-
ing cost abnormally high.
Truly, the American shipownerss'
bill of complaint must seem formld-
able to the novice.
But what are the facts?
The La Toilette Seamen's Act does
not REQUIRE American shipowners to
carry a single American citizen. That
very much abused statute does not
even compel them to carry white
men.
1t does require that 65 per cent
of the deck crew must be experienced
men, and that rs per cent of the
crew must be able to understand the
language of the officers. These stipu-
lations were made to assure, at least
small degree of safety of life at
sea. But neither of these reasonable
safety requirements have prevented
the employment of Asiatics on Am
erican ships. In fact, so-called Am
erican" shipowners who shout the
loudest for a subsidy do not employ
anv Americans at all except for tie
few licensed officers who are re-
CURED to be citizens under the terms
of another statute.
Those who think this assertion
slightly exaggerated are respectfully
referred to the printed hearings
(January % and %. 1921 of the
Senate Committee on Commerce: In
those hearings Mr.. A. F. Haines,
first presidents of the Pacific
American Steamship Association
| made this unqualified statement:
1--WE can and do employ Chinese
whenever we can get away with 1t
with the unions. That is the only
| law that we have that prevents it,
Since May /. of last year. the same
Mr.. Haines in cooperation with
other cheap labor advocates. has
made desperate efforts to disrupt
the American Seamen's Union. The
| success of Mr.. Haines would mean
the total elimination of American
even in the coastwise trade. Mr.,
Haines admits it!
Aside from the wages of the crew,
the costs of operating a vessel are
fuel, lubricating oils, and provisions
All of this the American shipowner
buys where it is cheapest. There is
no law compelling him to buy 1t IN
| America. If it be sailing vessel 1t
consists in spars, canvas. ropes and
blocks. and these things we furnish
to other nations to very large eX-
tent.
Shipowners Relieved of Many
| Burdens.
Speaking generally, it can be said
without fear of contradiction that no
industry since the organization of
our government has been as well
cared for through absolute author
ity over the men employed therein,
through immunities granted and spe-
cial privileges conferred, as has been
the merchant marine.
| For instance, the shipowners have
been relieved of:
Risks arising from acts of God or
dangers of the sea through a sys-
tenn of insurance; risks arising from
piracy through the present perfect
| policing of the seas; risks arising
| from popular local disturbances
through damages paid by such To-
calities or states; they have been
relieved of liabilities to the shipper
passenger or seaman through Inn
| tied liability laws and judicial deci-
sions: of taxes on floating property
by several states; of navigation laws
except in SOME unimportant in
stances; of care and cure of sick
seamen, cost of which is now borne
by the public treasury, and the burial
of dead seamen who are handed over
to the coroner and then buried by the
community; if the duty to carry 9
certain number of citizens in the
crew of the vessel; of the duty OF
training men for the sea service now
| Ionn hnr fnrninnarS or in training