Southwest Washington labor press. [volume] (Hoquiam, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1924-11-21
SEAMEN URGE
FIVE YEARS OF PEACE
Continued from Page one)

a kindly manner and that they can
obtain an extension of the so days
which the law allows them to remain
in this country when they wish to
change ships.
"Men are signed as sailors in Euro
pean ports whose only aim is to enter
America as immigrants. No matter
how alert your consular officers may
be, large numbers of this class escape
detection on the other side of the
ocean and succeed in passing muster
before the immigration inspectors on
this side. l know a 'crimp' in Genoa,
Italy, who has become wealthy in
this traffic.
Message of Industrial Peace
'The message l would like to have
you to convey to American union men
and women is five years Of industrial
peace. This is the doctrine am adj
vocating on both sides of the water.
Both Great Britain and America are
about to enter a period of great pros
perity. This should be taken advan-
tage of by both employers and en-
ployes. There is only one way in
which this can be done, and that is
by gathering about the council table
and reaching an understanding.
This is a significant statement, COM
ing from a man who is the head of
the strongest labor union, from
financial standpoint, in the British
Empire. The National Sailors, Fire
men, Cooks and Stewards Union of
Great Britain and Ireland, of which
Mr.. Wilson is the founder and presi-
dent, and which is a constituent part
of the international Seafarers' Fed
Grafton, has, according to Chris
Damn, for "a years secretary of the
National Union and now general sec
rotary of the federation, half mil
lion pounds sterling approximately
$2,500,O00l in the treasury.
Cancellation Aids Workers
Glow did you accumulate such an
enormous sum of money!" l asked
both of these gentlemen.
"By Cancellation" both agreed.
Mr.. Damn put it this way previous
to introducing me to Mr.. Wilson:
1--WE have done it through hard
work and the adoption of our negotia-
ton policy. England has a maritime
board composed of ship owners and
seamen, who meet from time to time
to decide working hours, wages and
conditions"
Both Mr.. Wilson and Mr.. Damn
went into the long explanation of a
future which we in America describe
as the CLOSED shop" To make it
plain to US, both said that they have
an agreement with British ship own
ers that a seamen must have union
card before he is signed to assist in
navigating a ship.
Eve had bitterly fought strike Is
years ago." said Mr.. Wilson, land we
won substantial victory. said to
our fellows that we should not be
arbitrary on account of our winning
the fight and try to rub it in.'
Represent Seamen Of Five Nations
It should be said, too, that these
gentlemen are not altogether interest
ed in the welfare Of British seamen.
Through their national" organiza-
ton they represented seamen of Ger
many, Holland, Belgium, France, the
Island Of Malta and a branch in New
York Harbor, and through the feder-
alton are affiliated with the Interna-
tional Seamen's Union of America, of
which Andrew Furuseth is the presi-
dent and K. B. Nolan of Chicago the
secretary They made calls
on Mr.. Nolan and Victor A. Olander,
second vice president Of international
Seamen's Union of America, who IL
also secretary-treasurer Of the Hli-
nois State Federation of Labor.