The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1922-04-15

'lAin8 TOT the carrier by water.
Controlled By Keen Owners
It's headquarters are in London.
Members OF its Executiye Board
were located In every, i'm portant sea-
faring country outside Of the United
States up to- the war: It is made up
OF and advised by the keenest ship
owners and their lawyers and It.
operates in every country through
the shipowners Of that country, sucI,
shipowners always claiming to be
super-patriots.S :*.sz s -. ,.. $50 3
f the. shipowners Of the United
States had not taken their advice
from London and imposed it upon
the Shipping Board it would be q,
denial of the. doctrine that effect
|, follows cause. The American ship
owners opposed the Seanen's Act to.
the last. and when it was enacted
they set in motion Spropaganda
against it, that but for the disaster
In Chicago might shave caused its
repeal. ,kEs&,:t "s5sss .s2 :.2 .>e. .ss. ,ts US
During the war the advice. OF the
shlpowners was not taken very seri-
:ously when it dealt with the person.
mel. Temporarily, the advice of tf.S
seamen themselves was taken, and
the enactment OF the Searnen.s Act
following, by the policy adopted, in-
creased the native Americans SAID
ing before the mast on American
vessels from about S per cent in
1918 to a little more than 81 per, !,
cent on December 1,z11920. There
was no. definite numhersDf .natural-
lied iseamen but on an estimate
made from such sources as were
available, it would be somewhat be-
tween Z and 8 per cent. The wages
began equalizing themselves imme.
diately. upon the seanen's Act con1-
ing into force and by 1919. in the
-sprinE, WagesIl were tlh4s 50 III es In !,
America; In EhEland, IN NorwGy. in
Denmark and in Sweden. and sub-
stantially the same in France ana
Italy. Some of it was IN the shape
OF 2 bonus paid by the Governnerit,
in addition to the wages paid by the
shipowners, but the fact was that. it
was rapidly equalizing itself with
American wages. ,. IL :
Americans DISCOURAGED
In 1920. in the Spring, tthe2seanen
asked for q meeting for the purpose
OF regulating working hours in such
way that the vessel could get its
work done while the men got suf-
ficient rest and very little overtime
would have to be paid. The ship
owners refused and in lieu Of doing
that they Offered q SIS Increase in
the average rate. There was strike
that lasted about three weeks and
resulted in the men accepting the
increase and obtaining the three-
watch system, that is to say, an
.eisht-houF work-day At. sea. #
In 1921 one-half Of the worlds
tonnage having been laid up, the
shipowners insisted upon a very n,s-
terial reduction in wages and the
abolitionaof all pay for overtime and
the abolition Of the eight-hour sys-
tenn at sea. upon no recognition
whatsoever from members OF the
Union. When they. were asked. to
rive Union men preference they said,
I'VE cannot do that because it would
be discriminating against American
citizens" Whefeupon, the seamen
Offered Ito disregard unionism en-
.tirely, provided they would give the
first chance OF emp l8yment to the
American citizen, subject to him
having the skill requisite ITO do the
work, the second chance to the man
with intention papers, subject to the
same qualiffca tioi1s, such intention
papers to be treated according to
their seniority This was flatly res
.jected. r. 5:ssz
Compromise Refused
81: The seamen then offered to sub
init the whole matter to the Preai-