Evening star., 1938-01-23
A. A.FURUSETHD|ES;;
UN|ON|ST WAS 83
Champion Of Sailors Fought
81 Years to Get Legislative .
Guarantee of Rights.

Andrew Furuseth. SO, the self-deny-
ing Viking" from Romedal, Norway,
who spent the last 81 years of his life
battling for the rights Of American
sailors to consideration as employees
instead of rough treatment as semi
serfs. died here without
money, wife. children or home" In
the words of Paul Scharrenberg, one
of his associates.
Andy" Furuseth, president of the
International Seamen's Union, grim
Tipped and gaunt. who never In his
life asked anything for himself, will
lie in state from noon to pm today
behind the massive pillars of the De-
partmental Auditorium on Constitu-
ton avenue NV
Senator La Toilette. Progressive, Of
Wisconsin. son of the first Senator
La Toilette. who was the author of
the La Toilette Act of 1915 which
represented Mr.. Furuseth's greatest
triumph in his fight for legislative pro-
lection of the sailor, will be the chief
speaker at funeral services tomorrow
They will be held in Lees undertaking
establishment. Fourth street and
Massachusetts, avenue NE.
Ashes to BE Scattered at Sea.
The ashes Of the doughty modern
Norseman will be scattered to the
waves in the Mid Atlantic, where once
he sailed on the ships of six nations.
in accordance with his last wish that
they be taken las far from shore as
possible"
Mr.. Furuseth's death moved Secre-
tary Of Labor Perkins to point to the
stern old sailor as an outstanding
labor leader who contributed 'invalu-
able service in improving the working
conditions of the men who go TO sea-"
Until last year, when old age pre-
vented him. Mr.. Furuseth had attend-
ed every convention of the American
Federation of Labor since Grover
Cleveland's second administration.
The Seamens Union joined the A.
F. of L. in 1892. He is the only Amer
ican labor leader whose bust is dis
played in the Labor Department.
Recent Years Trying Ones.
The recent years have been trying
for Mr.. Furuseth, who rose to promi-
nence first as secretary of the Pacific
Coast Seamen's Union in 1887. because
of the activities of oppositionist mari
time unionists condemned by Mr..
Scharrenberg as the Communist ele-
ment that has recently captured GER
tain branches of the International
Seamen's Union"
Instead Of paying respect and hom.
age to man who had given life
long devoted service to the men who
earn their livelihood at sea, the dis
ciples of Stain showed only contempt
for the grand old man." Mr.. Schar-
renberg complained
Mr.. Furuseth was born March II,
1854, into family of eight so poor
that when he was years old he was
"foetered away" To Washington he
came 40 years later to speed the pas
sage of what became the Mcguire Act
Of 1895, granting sailors the right to
strike after signing shipping articles.
Rule for independence.
Next came the White Act of 1898,
and the La Toilette Act, passed after
20 years of ceaseless agitation by Mr..
Furuseth, made a free man Of the
sailor with completeness no other
nation has granted its maritime work.
ers. Mr.. Furuseth was responsible
also for that portion Of the Jones
Act of 1920, which gave added benefits
to seamen.
Mr.. Furuseth went to sea when he
was 10. and during years Of plying
the oceans on the ships of Norway,
Sweden. England. France. Germany
and the United States, he read con-
stantly between watches to improve
his shortcut formal education. All
through his experience as union off,
cial-he became president of the
Sailors Union in 1892-he studied
law and economics.
Friends said Mr.. Furuseth never
accepted more than the pay of an
able seaman for his services as a
union executive. He had told them
that 1.-THE only person who can be
really independent is one who has
nothing and wants nothing for him.
self"