The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-03-01


and seek protection against the conditt
Ever since the Seamen's strike of
1921, conditions on American ships
have been getting from bad to worse.
Wages which at that time were 800
month, with a three watch system,
were reduced to as low as S45
month. Overtime work, recognized as
such and paid for at the rate of 81
per hour, was at the end of the strike
regarded as necessary work for the
safety Of the ship for which no pay
ment could be demanded. The Sea-
mems Act, granting the right of dis
charge to any seaman in all Ameri-
can ports and to all American seamen
in any foreign port and the right to
demand one-half of his earned wages
at any time, is now grossly violated.
The American seaman as such has
been divorced from any of these
rights. He is held to twelve month
contract, encounters difficulty in
drawing his pay, is compelled to work
overtime without payment for the
same and has been subjected to a dis
cipline more appropriate for a con-
Wet than a free man.
One of the pet schemes TO punish
him is the nefarious logging" sys-
tenn, the penal code on ships. For
every one day absent the captain may
impose a two day fine. The am
biguity Of this law permits the mas
ter of the ship to make three or four
charges out of one. Thus for staying
on shore for one day the sailor may
find as many as six charges against
him such as leaving the ship with
out permission" "endangering the
safety Of the ship" "being drunk and
unfit for service" and attempting to
desert the ship" For each two-day
fine may be imposed. thus sometimes
leaving sailor indebted to the ship
after completion of the voyage.
Board Cuts Food Allowance.
Much as the disciplinary measures
have increased, yet his living condi-
tions have been reduced continuously.
Only recently the U. S. Shipping
Board reduced the food allowance for
its seamen from 60 to 81 cents per
day. If it is taken into consideration
that the Shipping Board has always,
and is now, maintaining the best con-
ditions of all American ships, little
imagination is needed to realize what
private ships may be like. Wage
which on Shipping Board boats run
from S62 to Ss5 per month for sea-
men are as low as S45 on private
liners.
Previously the American ship own
ers pleaded continuously that the high
rate of wages for American seamen
kept them from competing with for
eign ships. 1t is significant therefore
to note that at present the condition
is completely reversed, 50 that Mexi-
can wages are as high as 800 and
wages for Australian seamen are 500
and over per month.
The greatest danger at present
however is the re-introduction Of the
two watch, twelve hour a day sys-
TEN. According to waterfront infor-
melton, the Z. g. Shipping Board is
now going to follow the example Of
the Standard Oil Go. Of New Jersey
and will. so il is stated, beginning
April 10 enforce the two watch sys-
tern on all Of its vessels. With such
a strong lead it would only be a mat
ter Of short time until all American
vessels resort TO this former system,
and will thus completely abolish the
greatest gain ever made by seanien.
/ Mass meetings are being arranged
by the Marine Transport Workers and
the international Seamen's Club, to
formulate the necessary protection
against the two watch system, and
to defeat the Shipping Board and
American ship owners in their en-
deavor to reduce The American sailor