The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-22
Phila. Seannen
Demand They
Control Relief
Seamen's Delegation III
Washington Cites
Baltimore
BY MARGUERITE YOUNG
Daily Worker Washington Bureau

A6aAN III W bulA A3uA CesAj
WASHINGTON, May 21.-Phila-
delphia seanen, citing the efficiency
Of worker control of federal relief
to marine workers in Baltimore, to-
day presented to the Federal EIner-
gency Relief Administration de
mands for "a seamen's project in
Philadelphia, controlled by an
elected committee of seamen under
the supervision of federal admin
istrator."
j. r. Gardiner, secretary to the
Director of the Administration re-
piled that correspondence regard
ing the setting up of a project in
Philadelphia is now going on be-
tween officials here and in Phila-
delphia, He said, however, that he
was not in position to outline the
policy and that those who could
were out of town. He advised the
delegation to return next Monday
to see W. J. Plunkert, Relief Direc-
tor. The searnen said they will.
Exposing the Seamen's Church
Institutes racketeering administrs-
ton of federal relief, as Baltimore
seamen exposed the Y. M. G. A.
Anchorage grating, John Quinn, J.
j, Smith and f. JRedden, the sea-
mems committee, explained to Gar
diner:
Approximately 200 seamen are
totally unemployed in the port of
Philadelphia. Scores, who have pro-
tested against unbearable starva-
ton rations and treatment, espe-
cially in the Seamen's Church In
stitute, are blacklisted from relief
The Seamen's Church Institute
has very unsanitary conditions;
linen is not changed sometimes for
three weeks; many sleep in the
same bed without change of linen.
The food consists of a very poor
grade of cereal, old and served with
diluted, skinned milk, bowl of
soup containing left-overs from the
Institutes public restaurant, more
soup same as dinner, with the excep-
ton of spaghetti and ground meat
once a week instead of soup.
Sunday, same thing except one
meat sandwich weighing one eighth
to one-twelfth of an ounce.
Those attending church service
are served first whether or not they
are on federal relief. Fresh fruit
and coffee are served to those at
tending church, those not attending
are refused fruit. Any protest on
the part Of the seamen is met with
assault by armed thugs"
The federal government allows 40
cents per day to the Institute per
man on relief.
Seamen, led by the Marine Work
ers' Industrial Union and the
Waterfront Unemployment Council,
have organized and have been pro-
testing for weeks. Friday they
marched to federal relief headouar-
ters in Philadelphia and sent a
committee of ave in to place de-
mands before Marie Steward, direc-
tor. For weeks they had been de-
manding seamen's project other
than the Institute. Miss Steward
asked them how much it would cost.
They proposed a South Second st.
building that would cost 500 a
month.
Today the delegates, elected at
q mass meeting Of the seamen, de-
manded seamen be placed in charge
of registration and care of q sea-
mems project; that all care of the
project be done by seamen on re-
lief, through rotary system; that
no seamen on relief be compelled to
work outside: that there be no dis
elimination because of race. ma
tionality, color, creed. organizational
or political affiliation; that no sea-
men on relief be compelled to do
strikebreaking; that clothing be
supplied at the direction of the sea-
mems elected committee and that
all outgoing jobs be filled by sea-
men on relief.