Seafarers Log: Vol. 1 No. 5 (1939-03-10)

'-•i tth.

• J,- -

The Seafarers' Log
Official Organ of the Atlantic and Gulf Seamen
Seafarers* Intemational Union of North America

'A:.

BROTHERHOOD

OF THE

SEA

VOL. I. NEW YORK, N. Y., FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 1939 200 No. 5

!,!

ISSUANCE OF PHONEY PAMPHLETS
REPUDIATED OY JOE CURRAN

Denies Knowledge of Authorship of
Scurrilous Literature. Informa­

tion Indicates the Contrary.

Well, well,—of all things! "No-Coffee-Time" Joe'Curran,
in a statement in the March 3 Pilot, has the brass to declare, or
rather, to infer, that he knows nothing about the origin of the
scurrilous pamphlets anent the alleged past activities of certain
NMU officials, which were distributed along the waterfront a
week or so ago. ^^

we'd like to make a little bet that
Joe knows a whole lot more about'
them than he is willing to publicly
admit! As we get the story, Joe
didn't want them distributed at Just
that time, but wished to delay it a
little longer. However, apparently
the comrats got out of hand, or
fumbled the signals, and the filthy
sheets were put out. And when we
say "fiUhy," we mean "FILTHY."
Of all the dirty stuff that has ever
been put out by the "Moscow Press,"
this latest was by far the lo.uslest.

Hell Breaks Loose
After about forty or fifty of the

pamphlets had been circulated
around, the word went out to cease
distribution, and try to pick up as
many as possible. However the
damage had already been done, and
Hell broke loose along the West
Side.

Curran declares that "Leaflets
containing Information of impor­
tance to the membership will be is­
sued to the membership directly
from the Union Hall." Well, it is
a foregone conclusion that these
leaflets were not issued from the
NMU Hall, but -we'd like to make a
little bet that Curran has a pretty
good idea where they came from,
and who authored them. Inciden­
tally, we wouldn't be a bit surprised
if Jack Lawrenson had something
t<j do with it.

Joe Covering Up
Anyhow,—Joe is now desperately

trj'ing to do the cover up act, and
Is denying all knowledge of the is­
suance of the pamphlets. The

comrats went ahead a bit too fast
for him this time, and it will take
a lot of explaining on his part to
smooth things out.

The leaflet itself is about as
venomous an attack on certain in­
dividuals as we have ever read.
Some of the statements contained
therein, whether true or not, should
most certainly have been left un-
printed. This questionable method
of character assassination is typical
of the tisual CP procedure, as there
is never any effort made to check
up on facts, or to have supporting
proof.

Party Still Active
Perhaps it may be true that Cur­

ran knows nothing of the origin of
tliese pamphlets,—but we have
heard differently I He knows, as
well as everyone else knows, that
the Party has definite intentions
regarding the running of NMU af­
fairs, and he also knows why they
wish to rid the organization of cer­
tain officials and members. The
well known purge is far from being
dead, and has merely been lying
dormant, in order to give the com­
missars and their stooges an oppor­
tunity to re-orient themselves!

There is lots. more behind the
whole affair than meets the eye, and
when the wb.dle set-up finally ex­
poses itself, it will stink to high
heaven, and then the conirais,
stooges, and the stooges for the
stooges will have to run to cover,
back under the slimy rocks and
stones from under which they orig-
inaUy emerged!

Standard Officers
- Vote Own Union

New Organization Has All
Earmarks of Company

Union

WASHINGTON, D. C.—The Na­
tional Labor Relations Board early
last week certified the Jersey Stand­
ard Tanker Officers' Association as
the sole collective bargaining rep­
resentative of the engineers and
licensed deck officers, including
masters, employed on vessels oper­
ated by the Standard Oil Company
of New Jersey.

The board's order was based on
an election at which, among the
engineers, 267 votes were cast for
the association, and only^Gl for the
MEBA, and among the deck officers
299 votes were cast in favor of the
association against thirteen votes
cast for the M.M. «S5 P.

The Jersey Standard Tanker Of­
ficers' Associatioa is declared to be
an independent organization, but if
It isn't actually what is known as
a "company union," then, we miss
our guess. Seems to us, if we re­
member correctly, that the Nation­
al Labor Relations Act is supposed
to have done away with these "com-

LaborsFriend
Dies in P.Rico
SAN JUAN, P. R.—Rafael Alonso

Torres, Secretary of the Puerto Rico
State Federation of Labor, and a
Representative to the State Con­
gress, passed away on February 18.
at, the age of fifty-seven years.

J^rother Torres was elected to the
State Congress as a labor man, and
handled the financial budget of the
Government of Puerto Rico for a
quarter of a century. He died a
pauper. His history is well known
in Puerto Rico, and he sponsored
considerable legislation favorable to
labor during his term of office. He
was, for many years, a strong sup­
porter of the American Federation
ol Labor, and was also very friend-
IV towards the Seafarers' Intema­
tional Union. He was admired and
loved by all who knew him, and
win his passing, labor has lost a
isrHimch supporter and friend.

Ttic E*uerto Branch of the Sea­
farer:^' International Union sent a
telegram of condolences, and also
a floral wreath.

pany unions," — but, of course,
there's more than one way of skin­
ning a oat!

NMU Plans
Drive on
Seatrains

Standard Files Charges
With NLRB;NMU Hopes
To Organize, Win Vote

In the Pilot of March 3), is a lit­
tle article stating that "the NMU
will have another opportunily to
organize the crews of the Seatrain
Lines, Inc., and possibly be certified
as the collective bargaining agency
for the' unlicensed seamen." They
base their supposition on the fact
that their, very expensive "mouth­
piece," Williaim L. Standard, has
filed charges, and is prosecuting
appeals with the NLRB.

To say the very least,—they cer­
tainly are highly optimistic, and it
would not be out of line if we aU
pause here for a good long guffaw,
and a healthy Bronx cheer!

SIU Direct Action
The NMU was unablC] to pull a

successful strike on the Seatrains,
but the SIU, several weeks ago, gave
an outstanding example of what
can be accomplished through the
use of a little direct action. We
seriously doubt that the member­
ship on the Seatrains has any rea­
son to be dissatisfied with the Sea­
farers' Intemational Union, and
they most certainly have no reason
to want any help from the NMU.

As has been said before, regard­
ing projected organizational drives
of the NMU,—IT'S NOT THE MEN
THEY WANT, BUT THE SHIPS.
By their own admission, the NMU
has a good sixty percent of their
membership at present on the
beach. If that is true,—which it is
undoubtedly,—then there is abso­
lutely no doubt that they are des­
perately in need of jobs.

NMU Shows Hand
Witness what happened to the

NMU organizational drive on the
Waterman Line ships:—They anr
nounced to all and sundry that their
drive was going over 100 percent
strong, and then all of a sudden,
with a whole lot less fanfare, it
folded up. What happened to it?
Simply this: After Alexander and
his goons had succeeded In making
a little headway on one or two
Waterman ships, some of the al­
leged "rugged individualists" in the
NMU decided that they would ter­
rorize the Waterman seamen, scare
them off the ships, and put NMU
crews on them. They did a little
dumping here and there, and it
eventually dawned on a few of the
Waterman seamen, who had thought
that the NMU really wanted to help
them, that all the comrats wanted
was the ships and the jobs,—and to
Hell with the Waterman men!

Will Try Again
Now they think that they can

try the same stunt on the Seatrains,
but we predict that they will dis­
cover that the crews of these ships
are all militant, loyal members of
the SIU, and are not in deed of
the very dubious assistance of the
NMU. Conditions on the Seatrains
have never been what they should
be. but since the advent of the SIU
they have improved considerably,
and before we are through they will
be completely straightened out.

As the Pilot claims, it is true that
the ballots taken by the NLRB were
never counted, but there certainly
is no doubt as to the Union afiUia-
tion of the unlicensed personnel
aboard those vessels:—THEY ARE
ALL LOYAL SIU MEMBERS!

AFL-CIO YD COHSIDER PROPOSALS
FOR PEACE AT FORTHER MEETINOS

Plan For Forming '^American Congress
Of Labor" To Be Reconsidered By

AFL Peace Emissaries

At the first rheeting of the AFL-CIO peace emissaries early.
this week, the GIG proposed solving the problem by forming
a new m'ganization,—the American Congress of Labor.

According to the plan, the new organization would "super-^
cede and embrace" the AFL and the CIO, and' would--also _
—^ $> embrace ;he independent Bife- Four

Ship From the Union Hall.
Defeat The Fink Halls.

BOTH SHIPS FOUND
AT FAUmN CRASH

U. S. Bureau Holds Wie-
gand and Lillian Moved

Too Speedily in Fog.

An investigation into the crash
between the SS Lillian of the Bull
Line, and the German ship Wei-
gand, off Barnegat Light on Feb­
ruary 26. revealed that both vessels
were traveling at excessive speed
through the dense fog, at the time
of the accident. This was ruled
last Friday by the United States
Bureau of Inspection and Naviga­
tion.

The Lillian sank some eighteen
hours after being abandoned, and
the Wiegand, with her starboard
bow badly smashed, returned to
port for repairs estimated at $50,000.

Charges were filed by the investi­
gating board against Captain Frank
G. Boyer, master of the Lillian. No
charge could be filed against Cap­
tain Leopold Ranitz, in command of
the Wiegand, as the 0. S. Bureau
has no jurisdiction over foreign
vessels.

Excessive Speed Charged
The charge against the Captain

of the Lillian specified that, under
dense fog conditions, he "neglected
to navigate the Lillian at moderate
speed and did operate the Lillian at
an engine speed of 60 revolutions
per minute, or 8.2 knots, with the
exception of an interval from 6.42
P.M. to 6:45 P.M., when the engines
were stopped."

At previous sessions, the masters
of the two 'Ships had charged each
other with negligence and excessive
speed. Captain Boyer and his men
claiming that the Lillian was travel­
ing at 6.5 knots, but that the Ger­
man vessel had been moving con­
siderably faster. Each declared that
the other had failed to somid fog
signals, although the men on the
Lillian admitted that they had
heard a faint signal at- 6:42, and
that the engines were stopped for
three minutes. This was eleven min­
utes before the two ships collided.

The Lillian was valued at about
$200,000 and her cargo of raw su­
gar was said to have been worth in
the neighborhood of $300,000.

Crew Reimbursed
The crew of the Lillian were last

week paid fifty dollars apiece by the
Bull Line, in payment for their lost
gear. The carpenter and the chief
cook were given extra recompense
for tlieir lost tools.

It is quite possible that some of
the crew lost gear valued in excess
of fifty dollars, but,—c;s was pointed
out to them,—they are not legally
entitled to any remuneration. Until
such time ^ the maritime laws are
amended to take care of such em­
ergencies these conditions will con­
tinue to obtain.

railway brotherhoods.
Shortly after the White House

ses^on, the AFL spokesmen reject­
ed the proposal, declaring that it
offered no possibilities for peace,
and "was not even designed for
serious consideration."

The six-man .-ommittee, along!
with Secretary Perkins, spent al­
most an hour with President Roose­
velt during the afternoon. The Pres­
ident did most of the talking, and
at the end of the period Mr. Lewis
handed the AFL spokesmen, Presi­
dent Roosevelt and Miss Perkins
copies of the CIO proposal.

Six-Point ProRTam
The President folded his copy, and

the others read a six-point peaca
program calling for the convening
of the AFL, CIO and rail brother­
hoods, in Washington, not later
than Jime 1, 1939, to organize th«
American Congress of Labor, which
would adopt a constitution and elect
officers for one year. During tha
year, the constituent unions would
work out a permanent settlement,
with the services of the Department
of Labor, for the purpose of "co­
operative luediation" on jurisdic­
tional and other matters.

Lewis and Green Inelegible
For Office

Point three of the proposal states
that "John L. Lewis and WlHiain
Green shall not be eligible for elec­
tion to any office in this convention.
The ACL will grant Mr. WiUiam
Green a life tenure of his present
salary for services rendered. Tha
same arrangement will include Mr.
Frank Morrison."

According to the proposal, tha
governing body of the ACL would
consist of an equal number of rep­
resentatives of the AFL and the
CIO, with proportionate represen­
tation from the brotherhoods.

The president of the ACL would
be selected from the brotherhoods.

Roosevelt Pleased
President Roosevelt, in a press

conference following the meeting,
said that his remarks were an ex­
tension of a statement released by
the White House secretariat after
the meeting. The statement was
follows:

"I accept the premise that both
sides want peace, that means, of
course, that both sides will go into
conference with the idea of giving
as well as getting.

"I am advised on the basis of re­
ports coming from the rank and
file that at least 90 percent of the
actual membership of both factioiis
desire peace.

"This is your negotiation. Direct
iiegoliation without outside inter­
position is always best if possible.
I believe no other method-' of set­
tlement will ever become necessary
in this case because I believe that
you are today beginning a proper
step for a permanent, stable and
acceptable solution.

"I am coimting on you to succeed
{Continued on Page 4)

Mi

I



THE S E A F ARE R S ' LOU Friday, Mwdi IR, 1939

Published Weekly by

^AFARERS' INTERNATIONAL UNION
OF NORTH AMERICA

Affiliated with the American Federation of Labor
0

HARRY LUNDEBERG, Acting President
11 Steuart Street, San Francisco, Calil.

0

New Tork

Boston

Atlantic district
REAVQHARTERS

_2 Stone Stre»Jt
RANCHES

.1 Rowes Wharf
Providence _
Philadelphia
Baltimore
Norfolk
San Juan, Puerto Rico

465 So. Main Street
6 North 6th Street

._212 East Pratt Street

.307 East Main Street
9 Comercio Street

New Orleans

Savannah

Guli Dislfitet
HEADQUARTERr

..309 Chartres Street
BRANCHES

Jacksonville
Miami
Tampa
Mobile
Houston

_218 East Bay Street
.111 Bay Street

..809 N. E. First Avenue
«r.206 Franklin Street

Detroit

Great Lakes District
HEADQUARTERS

-55 So, Conception Street
1407—75th Street

.1038 Third Street

ADDRESS ALL CORRESFORDENCE CORCERRIRG THIS
PUBLiCATIOR TO-.

«THE SEAFARERS' LOG"
P. O, Box S22 -Cliurck S4t«et Aiiuex

New York, New Yodk

SUP Sends Clear Cut
Reply to NMU Officials

The following self-explanatory letter, reprinted from "The
West Coast Sailor," was written in reply to Joe Curran's recent
letter for what he terms "unity" among the maritime unions.

Mr. Joseph Cuiran, President,
Nation."il Maritime Ujiion (CIO),

San FfkncisGO, Calif.
F^uary 2S, 1S39

I ® /_

imr-

Dear Sir:
The Sailors' Union of the Pacific membership at Head-

qaarters tocJc into consideration at their regular meeting last night
a communication sent by you recently^ wherein you requested
a meeting with SUP representatives for the purpose of achieving
"unity" for some program which you stated you had in mind.

The action of the SUP membership last night was as fol­
lows:

1. That both yourself and associates, before ap­
pealing to the Sailors' Union of the Pacific for 'hmity"
shall declare yourself as uniquivocally opposed to the
rcgimentaiicm of the Aniericari seamen, as has been
done heretofore in Italy, Germany and Russia, under
a program similar in purpose to that which yourself
and associates are now sponsoring together with a gov­
ernment bureau termed the Maritime Commission,
he.

You have publicly sponsored the training of .seamen by the
vgovemmcnt.

The Sailors' Union of the Pacific frankly call this a program
of training what, we call finks aboard Government sponsored train­
ing-shij®, to ensure a supply of regimented seamen to aid in
breaking any strikes which the American seamen may feel neces-
Mry -in order to insure decent working-conditions and wages com­
patible with the American standard of living.

2. You have advocated, and are in the pvoeese of
advocaitmg that American seamen w^l seek fhen: em­
ployment from what we frankly call ^government fink
halls."

As an organization that has been in the seamen's field for
many long years, and with much hitter experience with the old
United States Shipping Board tactics when it broke the maritime
and seafaring unions in 1921 with its Sea Service Bureaus, the
Sailors' Union of the Pacific considers that the e.nahlishment of
such government fink halls to he the greatest menace facing the
freedom of the American Seamen today, and we cannot consider
any conferences looking towards "unity" with an organization
or a group of men who are publicly endorsing such a program.

When yourself and associates, and the organizsa-
-lion which yon represent, have etated in cles!- ^.md un-
mistokahle that you have cleared yenrsi^ of

BOSTON
...News Bits

BOSTON, kforch 7.—A laeeting
last night between representatives
of the AFL and CIO in this Stote,
and the State Labor Commissioner,
end^ a jurisdictional dispute
which had threatened to involve
the whole New England labor
movement. The CIO agreed to
withdraw their pickets from the
markets wherein AFL clerks are
employed, and the AFL, in turn,
called off the boycott against ail
CIO firms. The tremendou? power
shown by the AFL, particularly in
the transport industries, forced the
CIO to comply with the AFL de­
mands. This trouble showed to the
public how little power the CIO
really has in the New England dis­
trict.

The threatened ffshermen's strike
did not materialize, and a victory
has been won by the Fisheimen'B
Union. They received Union recog­
nition, closed shop, and a number
of better conditioiui. Also, a plan
was reached whereby conservation
is to be started in the fish indug,-
try. This plan Involves shorter trips,
and limited catches. This shows
that AFL Unions take an interest
in the industries whferein ihey
operate, and are willing to work for
things which are to the advantage
of both the industry fis a whole, and
to the public.

There have been no new develop­
ments regarding tiie pending hear­
ing before the NLRB in the Sea­
board Navigation Company case.
There are still a large number of
cases to be heard before ours comes
up

The Boston Branch Is receiving a
number of complaints and sugges­
tions regarding the pending new
agreement with the Eastern Steam­
ship { ompany. They concern most­
ly working conditions and improved
quarters.

Shipping and business is begin­
ning to improve here, as is usual
about this time of the year. A num­
ber of additional men have been
sent tack to the "White Boats" of
the ESSCO, and there will be orders
for still more, shortly.

A good season is expected here
with the excursion boats. Ebctensive
alterations and repairs are being
made already on the boats tied up
here, and there are rumors of addi­
tional ones being put into commis­
sion this summer.

The SS Panama, one of the three
new ships recently built for the
Panama Railroad, at Fore River,
made her trial run last week. All
ttie boys spent the afternoon watch­
ing her in the harbor, from the back
windows of the Hall. She Is a beau­
tiful ship, and we hope that we may
soon be able to make use of her.

H. HEITZMAN,
Boston Correspondent.

summer, as the oompany is trying
to get the AH.'s to woik im hours
with a single crew, which Is con­
trary to the agreement which calls
for an eight-hom* day.

Found evOTyiHW, except two mess-
tuen on the Quantico of the MAM
with Seafarers' Books. All hands
taking a good Interest In the Union.
Have notified M & M crews run­
ning here to see that all hands
have a bo^,—or else.

The Sea Thrush of the Shepard
Lines was in Providence during the
week, and some of the gang paid us
a visit. Brother Blackie Di Am-
brosio explained to the brothers
from the Coast how the new Inter­
national was working towards pro­
gress, and not retardation. During
the Agent's absence on Nantucket
Island, Brother Di AmbroSio re­
lieved him.

Found the coal boat Olga badly
in need of fumigation. She has
COCKROACHES as big as MICE on
board. The Carter Coal Co. expect
to lay her up about April I, for a
general overhaul of crew's quarters,
and. needed repairs. She is the
former SS Ida Hay Atwater.

The steamer Meteor olE the Co­
lonial Line is relieving the Arrow
while the latter is undergoing an­
nual inspection and overhauling in
New York. This Meteor is notori­
ously hard steaming, and ooalbum-
ing firemen avoid her. We believe
fhat a change of watches on her
would do a lot of good. Under the
present system the last watch takes
a lot of punishment.

Many Spanish born fii'emen and
sailors are asking for copies cf the
Seafarers' Log in Spanish. All
hands in this vicinity read the pa­
per with Interest.

but a bona fide labor organizaMon
that is not interested in politics,—
only in the interests of labor. It
seems that, in the past, these men
have been taxed without the benefit
of repre.sentation. NOW, IF THSiR
OFFICIALS DONT GO DOWN
THE LINE TO BETTER CONDI­
TIONS ABOARD SHIPS, THEY
CAN THROW THE OFFICIALS
OUT, AND ELECT A NEW SET
OF OFFICIALS WHO WILL! This
is sure a long jump from the old
set-up, when an official had to
prove him.sclf phoney before he
could be appointed to office, and
continue to stay phoney in order to
stay in offioel

It has been the practice of the
Calmar Line, in the past, to pay off
and sign on in the port of Balti-
tnore. and Unless the men were hos­
pitalized, they could not pay off in
any other port. Contacted the com-
pajiy, and told them that replace­
ments can be had here for any un­
licensed position, and if they would
agree to pay the men off here, it
would better for the company, as
that w;ald be an inducement for
the men to stay in the port of
Phlladelp^, so In case of emerg­
ency we would always have suf­
ficient replacements available. We
believe that this is going to find
favor with the company, so that in
the future, I believe that the men
wlU be allowed to pay off here if
ther desire to do so.

R. A. RKDDQ;, NO. 2024 SUP.
H. J. COLLINS, No. 496 SIU.

On March 1, at the regular
monthly business meeting of the
Conanicut Inland Boatmen's Union,
the membership voted to apply far
a "Charter from the Seafarers' In­
ternational Union, oovering the
waters of Conanicut. island and
vicinity.

The stand-by gongs are getting
the Hew Rnglsnd boats in shape,
and the Maitha^ Vineyard is sched­
uled to start on the run March 10.
Some difficulty has arisen over the
manning of the spare boats this

Some of the tanker men running
in here tell us they may strike the
tankers on April 1, for better wages
and conditions. They claim that
the oil companies hove all the best
Cif the agreement. They all read the
SEAFARERS' LOG.

Philadelphia
News Items

PHILADELPHIA, March 6.—Tliere
is a rumor here that Bill Welsh,
MFOW Sc W Agent in New York,
issued a statement that no MFOW
& W members were to pay off in
any port except New York. A cou­
ple of weeks ago, Welsh brought re­
placements from New York for the
SS Ogontz, laying in Camden, N. J.
The MFOW & W men registci-ed in
this Hall T,'ere plenty burnt up in
regards to this. They wanted to
know what was the use of register­
ing here if they were not going to
get preference for the jobs In this
area. In the future, if New York is
going to ship replacements all up
mu down the coast, pretty soon we
will have no IdPOW & W men reg­
istered in any place but New York.
11 Welsh continues to bandle all re­
placements in New York for the
entire Atlantic seaboard, our advice
to iiim is that he buy himself a
tran^jort plane, so that he can fly
the men to the various ^ips in
rlifferent ports when the emagency
arises;

The American Range Lines seem
to be giving us the wdl known
lun-asonnd in regards to signing an
agreement. IF THIS CONTINUES,
•ms WILL HAVE TO HANG THE
HOOK A PEW^WffiS, AN© SNAP
OCHEM OUT OF THEfB H&Fl

Well, here we are at last I Our
good old tasrothers on the °M & M
ships have finaDy seen the light.
They are beginning to realize now
that there Is a Union in the field
that is not a dues-grabbing agency.

Baltimore
HIGHLIGHTS

the sponsorship of government training of finks and
shipping of seamen ihrou^ government fink halis, and
have taken the necessary action to put your words into
effect, tlieu the Sailors' Union of the Paeifie will be in
a better position to discuss *^'u!itty."

SAILORS' UNION OF THE PACIFIC,
By HARRY LUNDEBERG, Secretary-Treasurer

WHAT COULD BE PLAINER THAN THIS?

BALTIMORE.—All quiet along
the Pratt Street waterfront these
days, with shipphrg picking up on
tnt return of the Peniunar and the
Vetmar to the Caimar Line sched­
ule. The entire Calmar Line fleet
is now in' operation, with a ship
out of this jxjrt every week. These
ships are manned exclusively by SIU
members.

There was a time, not so long ago,
wnen the question of overtime, even
on SIU agreement lines, was some­
thing oniy to be mentioned in
whispers, because if it got to the
ears of the company concei-ned, the
officials would be very, very angry,
and take steps. "BUT, SOMEHOW
OR OTHER, THE SIU BOYS SEEM
TO HAVE LOST THEIR FEAR OF
THE COMPANY'S "STEPS" NOW,
AND THE OVERTIME SHEETS
COME PILING INTO THIS OF­
FICE! The SIU members KNOW
iiOw that the OVERTIME IS GO­
ING TO BE PAID ON THE LINE,
WITH HIS PATROLMEN AND
AGENTS BACKING UP EVERY
OVERUME SHEET THAT COMES
IN, and the demand for these sheets
grows heavier every day. That's the
right idea,—we have plenty of them
on hand, so don't mn short.

The activities of the organization
in this port have been many and
varied, but cme of the finest things
accomplished has been the ELIM-
ENAHON OP THE ibNG STiWVD-
ING EVIL WHICH HAS ALWAYS
PLAGUED THE PORT OP BALTI­
MORE, NAMELY—Tt..-1 "CRIMP-
JOINT. Other Unions have tried it,
but it took the SIU to put it over,
AND THE FINK SHIPPER HAS
GONE THE WAY OP ALL THE
OTHER PHONEYS, who have been
stumbling blocks in the fight of the
•seamen for a decent living.

BALTIMORE, March 8.—All quiet
along the Baltimore waterfront in
general, these days. Shipping is
slow, with. 57 men, including 8 SUP
and 6 MFOW members going out
dm-ing the past week. With the af­
fairs of the branch in good order,
and most of the steamship lines out
of this port straightened out, the
patrolmen swung into concentrated
action on the Merchants end Min­
ers Line with a "get 111 or get off"
slogan which will have the line 100
percent SIU by the end of this
month,

Membxersfaip meetings in the port
are being well attended ,and the
awakened militancy of the East

(Continued-on Page 4)

•'r'i#;'

1 i

1||

-•i'
f I

X.

: M'

'-THf



-'T
I

mm

Friday, Marcfe 10, 1939 T H E SEA F A R E R S ' L u i.

HERE and THERE in the GULF

f.

TAMPA, PJa., March 1.—The SS
Antinous, Waterman I^ine, was In
fee fii-st of the week with several
beefs. The "Old Man" didn't want
to give the boys a draw, and didn't
until the screws were put on him.

The drinking water was lousy,—
noi even good enough for scrub
water. We had to refer this on to
Mobile because of the limited time
that the ship was here, and because

. of the way the artlcle.s were signed.
If the men had tried to take any
action on it, they would laid them­
selves liable to having their papers
revtiked, and that is exactly what
would have happened,—for the onlj'
cooperation we get from the Gov­
ernment officials in this port la
COMPULSORY COOPERATION!

The SS Cuba's crew have drawn
the company's attention to the con­
dition of the quarters. They were
fumigated this week, and the Juice
stays on the fan all the time now,
an.i new fans are promised for the
near future.

they have elected a committee to
ta^e up the question of having the
quarters renovated. This committee
will have some plan whereby the
present quarters will be enlarged,
and properly . ventilated and
equipped.

Tire Agent was in Miami all week
with "Scotty" Rose and the dele­
gation from the SS Cuba, opening
the way tor a new agreement with
the P dc O S.S. Co. The company
•aid they will negotiate as soon as
the NLRB designates us as the bar­
gaining agency. The situation
called for much thought on the
committee's part, as a strike would
have put the compaHy in the clear,
and left us striking against the
NLRB.

Much progress has been made
relative to bettering conditions of
the port and ships in general. There
Is a lot to be done yet, and one
thing should be made clear:—
THERE IS NO ROOM FOR SHIP­
OWNER'S STOOGES AND COM­
MIES IN TAMPA!

Received a report from the SS
Florida. She was held up by the
Engine Department and Deck Gang
loi the menu which was printed in
the WEST COAST SAILOR rela­
tive to the Dollar ships.

The Cuba's crew has also elected
a committee to investigate the shift­
ing and enlarging of quarters, and
to make provisiohs for a recreation
room.

The Bull Line Major Wheeler was
in this week, and when the Agent
inquired about beefs,—there were
none! They did ask for a few in­
terpretations, which were given ac­
cording to good Judgment, and not
according to the phoney Buii Line
agreement. This gang will get this,
as they stick together.

JOHN GUNNISON, Agent.

MOBILE

Dear Brothers:
I take this means of thanking the

Brothers who contributed to my de-
fo.isf in the trouble I was in.

It makes a fellow feel good way
down inside to realize the backing
anu cooperation from Union Bro­
thers. With this kind of support,
a fellow really feels like putting up
a fight against the phonies.

When Epps found that we had a
lawyer, he didnt show up in court,
and the case was thrown out.

Thanks a million,
JOHN GUNNISON, Agent.

S.S. Cuba,
March 2, 1939.

Brothers of the Sea:
Congratulations to the LOG and

to the seamen who make it possible
to publish such a paper for the sea­
men. Long may it sail into every
port with its cargo of news for the
seamen.

This old P & O Company is fin­
ally seeing the uselessness of fight­
ing unionism ,and is coming around
OK. But give tlie devil his due,—
they have put up a good fight, us­
ing everything they could put into
it, from cnmpany finks to steam-
inat Inspectors and commissioners.
Bur all they have to stand on now
is the NLRB, and they know that
wtien the crew is voted, they will
gc 100 percent SIU.

The crew of the SS Cuba held a
.special meeting Wednesday night,
and registered a number of beefs
to be settled before she sails Sun­
day P.M. Quite a number of beef.s
have already been settled on her.
and she has been held up only once

Most of the company stooges
have been pulled off her, and the
rest are on the spot. The SS Evan­
geline, and the Deck and Engine

Firemen,—fair for the rest.
JOHN GUNNISON, Agent.

4., r - A T>. .4 dopartmcnts on the SS Florida are
==<.per.tir.s 100 parent, and I think
that the Steward's department on
the SS Florida can be handled like
the crew of the Seatrain Havana,
if they don't come around.

Brother Gunnison, the Tampa
Agent, was exonerated for allegedly
shooting Robert Epps, self-styled
!'Labor King of ihe Gulf." I think
that will be the last of any at­
tempts to set up a fink kingdom to
control the labor of the P O
ships.

The NMU tried to unionize this
company, and failed. Although the
SIU, as yet, has no contract, we
are doing closed shop, through the
Hall shipping. The Union is set­
tling beefs with the -company to
the satisfaction of the members,
instead, of the company, and BE­
LIEVE IT OB NOT, JOE CURRAN.
WE GET COFFEE TIME!

Hold her on the course, and we
can't lose.

J. P. SCHULER, Gulf No. 101,
Stewards Dept.

TAMPA, Fla., March 6.—On Mon­
day, February 27, the crew of the
SS Florida walked off in protest
against the food they were being
served, and demanded the same
menu as was printed in the West

• Coast Sailor of February 17. When
the officials of the company saw
that the men meant business, thegr
gave In, and oked the menus.

This ptust week, the Cuba's crew
had a meeting, and requested the
Agent to get new springs, more
fans, fresh milk, and money due
four men In the steward's depart­
ment

The West Coast Sailor will now
be' ifiaced aboard all P ds O ships.
Fans, springs and mattresses to be
imt aboard as soon as they can be
procured. The only beef left was
tiie back wages. IThe Port Captain
threatened to put extra lines out
and keep her there for good. The
crew continued to work, but was
ready to pay off at a moment's no-

.4=tlce. The company's representatives
palavered atound,. but we had other
things to do, and informed them

®that we would be available when
they reached a decision. The Port

. Captain asked to be given until
Wednesday, as the main office was
closed, and would not be opened un­
til Monday morning. This was taken
dp with the ship's delegate,- who
agreed to it. .

Militant action such as these men
took will get us conditions on ships.

NOTICE!
New SIU Books for the follow­

ing named men are being held in
the New York office: -

Erasmo C. Vega, No. 4034
Ruperto Gautier, No. 4035
Luis Sierra, No. 3564

Will these men kindly get in
touch with the New York
Agent, and advise him where
they wish to have the books for­
warded to.

Suggests Design For Button

MOBILE, Feb. 28.—For the last
few weeks the members on the ships
have been asking ^or a Union but­
ton to wear for dress. This is one
thing we should all have, and 1
think that all will agree on this.
The design and the cost are the
next things to be decide' upon.

Regarding this, we would like to
suggest that button with like­
ness of the head of the best known
seamen's Union man,—the man who
accomplished the most f..r the sea­
men,—^would be the best rolutlon
Andrew Puruseth devoted his life
to the betterment of the seamen,
and as such is respected and hon­
ored by all seafarers. So what cculd
be more fitting that we show the
world that we appreciate what old
"Andy" did for us? Also, with
button like this, we could let the
world know that we are still fight­
ing for the same thing as he did
for so many years. In this way, a
twofold purpose would be accomp­
lished. First: we would have a but­
ton that ' 'ould always be an in­
spiration to the wearer. Second:
we would have an undying memo­
rial to that Grand Old Man.

The cost to V the membership of
such a button could be enough to
cover all expenses of production
and still be reasonable enough so
that every memb could ~ord
one. If, for convenience, the price
should be a few pennies more than
the cost, the surplus could be very
easily checked, and put into some­
thing like the burial fund.

If this article is published, and
the members ashore and on the
ships take an interest, and write
in expressing their views, then
maybe we can get a button which
will become a faniiliar sight whei'-
ever ships and sailors go,

The button should be, in my es­
timation, a small, neat button just
big enough to hold " likeness of the
head, and the letters S.I.U. of NJt.
A bronze head on a blue backfield
should make - badge that all sea­
men, regardless of former affilia­
tions, would be proud to wear.

So, what say Brothers, that we
get going on ide"- fir some sort of
a button. This is my idea,—what
is yours?

Steady as she goes,
A. W. ARMSTRONG

SUP No. 2983.

Crew of S.S. Jean Supports
Delegates

Port St. Joe, Fla.,
March 6, 1939

We, the crew of the SS Jean of
the Bull Line would like this letter
printed as we go on record as 100
percent members of the Seafarers'
International Union of North
America.

We had a small beef in the
Engine Department because of dis­
crimination against the Engine De­
partment delegate. The crew agreed
to quit if the beef was not settled.
Fortunately It was settled, and in
our favor.

The delegate asked the crew to
sign a pledge stating that they will
back the delegates in all Union ac­
tivities. This they did 100 percent.
The pledge reads as follows:

"We, the unlicensed personnel of
the SS Jean, and all members in
good standing of the SIU of NA,
pledge ourselves to support our
elected ship's delegates in all Union
activities, 100 percent."

Steady as she goes.
W. E. BINE, Gulf No. 152.

Deck Delegate.
O. D. REEVE, Gulf No. 113,

Engine Delegate.

NEW ORLEANS
New Orleans, March 6.—Straight­

ened out several beefs in the Water­
man ships this week to the satis­
faction of the crews. Some of the
men in these ships were skeptical
of the SIU at first, but they have
found out that the Union will back
.them up. Crews are now collecting
overtime that they never gcit be­
fore, plus improved conditions. The
NMU made a drive on Waterman
ships .some months ago, and had a
hundred or so pledge cards .signed.
Today, every man carries a paid-
up book in the SIU. The CIO could
not get five pledge cards signed
out of the entire fleet of twenty-
six ships!

RE: SEATRAIN: — 100 percent
solid SIU. The members sailing in
these sliips have demonstrated their

the cargo is received, the ILA will
not touch hot cargo.

We are driving for a Maritime
Trades Department, and until that
department is set np, the SIU will
participate in the local Councils.
The CIO does a lot of talking aboflt
a National Maritime Federation,
while the SIU is actively heiping
to build a Federation of Waterfront
Unions'. However, we will confine
onr activities to the waterfront;—
the berry-pickers, apple-knockers,
and sheep-shearers can build their
own Federation.

Steady as she goes!
RED DEAN.

NEW ORLEANS, La.. March 6—
covered the SS"Thermo at Narco
the other day. She is the flagship
of the SIU here in the Gulf, and is
still 100 percent, after all the
money the phoneys spent to turn
the ship NMU. My advice to the

power, and with the aid of the,was to tell them that it won't
other maritime Unions who work
the.se ships, can tie them up in­
definitely if necessary. We are af­
ter the best agreement on this coast
for these ships, and we will get it,
or else HANG THE HOOK!

RE; P & O:—100 percent solid
SIU. These men are out for a good
agreement, and are ready to FIGHT
for it. They have demonstrated
their power by tieing the ships up
on several occasions for better con­
ditions. Last week, the SS Florida
was tied up imtil the Port Steward
signed an agreement to use the
menu published in the West Coast
Sailor, for the President Lines. The
average member figures that we can
get the same conditions here as the
SUP gets on the West Coast. The
SIU has an agreement with the
P & O, which runs until the NLRB
holds an election. This phoney elec­
tion was ordered in 1937. The La­
bor Board is stalling us to give
the company a break. Once the SIU
is certified, the P & O will haVe
to pay the freighter scale of wages.
That would hurt the prestige of
the Labor Board's protege, the CIO!

RE: ISTHMIAN LINE:—Struck
the Atlanta City this week. The
company stopped the Patrolmen at
the gangway. The ILA stopped also.
Crew came on lire dock, and volun­
tarily joined the SIU. The company
shouldn't try this again When the
seamen see an efficiently organized
Maritime Transportation Council
move into action to tie up a ship,
they become curious. When they in­
vestigate and And that the SIU is
a Union run by Seaiueii for the
benefit of Seamen, they invariably
make an application for member­
ship.

RE: RANGE LINES:—Plow City
in this week. Minor beefs straight­
ened out. Hot water in the wash
bowls not hot enough. Need greater
variety of food; have fresh milk
but could use more. This company
might as well make up their minds
to give us a good, agreement, and
the best conditions,^r else! All
crews we have contacted in these
ships are 100 percent SIU, and
ready to go to bat for their de­
mands.

RE: INTERCOSTAL SHIPS:—
Watches are now maintained in all
Gulf ports on the Luckenbach
scows. Can get fresh milk and the
best grub on the market on any of
these ships that will go to bat for
it here.

be long now before all shipp«ing
will come through SIU Halls, and
NOT THE MARITIME COMMIS­
SION OR PINK HALLS!

The SS May of the Bull Line is
still down here at Todds Drydock.
Of course, she is 100 percent SIU.
She will be loading at Port Sulphur
about ten days from now.

The SS Delnorte of the Mississip­
pi Line arrived from South Ameri­
can ports with a few beefs. Settled
them all to the satisfaction of the
crew. The skipper on this wagon
tries in vain to enforce old time
(1888) sailing ship tactics, but
somehow or another they don't
seem to work out to his satisfaction.
My personal belief is that the only
sailing ship he was ever in was an
old British sloop-of-war. He ar­
rived with some severe charges
against the crew, which were prov­
en to be phoney, as he admitted
before the local inspectors that he
didn't know the laws covering
American ships!

The SS Del Plata, also of the
Mississippi Line, arrived today from
a coastwise trip. Evei-ything aboai'd
her OK, with no beefs about the
food.

Everj'thing in New Orleans Is
running .smoothly, and we are sure
making progress. Slow but sure!

FINN SCHEPSTAD, Agent.

NEW ORLEANS, La.. Marcli 6—
The SS Kenowis and the SS Pan
Atlantic arrived here last Friday.
We boarded them, and found every­
thing going along smoothly. The
crews aboard both these ship.s seem
to be very well satisfied with the
progress of the SIU. The Steward's
Department on the SS Kenowis is
A No. 1.

There are sixteen SIU member?
in the Marine Hospital here, all i.'
good standing, and they rece;"®
tlieh weekly benefits regularly.

L. E. WESSELS, Patrolman.

Consider Your Fellow Worker.
Hold Meetings on Ships.

Have Confidence in Your Union.

RE: MARITIME TRANSPORTA­
TION COUNCIL:—Efficiently or­
ganized, functioning smoothly, suc­
cessful in every move. A complete
survey of the teamsters field sliow
that the AFL will win these elec­
tions by a three and a half to one
majority. The Council has con­
ducted the entire organizational
program, and deserves the credit
for the successful drive. The pro­
cedure is very simple. Hie Clerks
and Checkers will not receive any
cargo from any but a Teamster with
a paid up Union book, and CIO
books are not considered as Union
books on these docks. If. by mistake,

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., March 6—
The SS Edith of the Bull Line came
in this morning, and believe me.

.there certainly needs to be a lot
of changing done aboard these
scows.

The mates on these ships are of
the opinion that they are the
Union, and it's about time that the
members aboard these ships realize
that they, themselves, are the
Union,—and no one else!

How long is this going to con­
tinue? If something isn't done im­
mediately. the things we have
fought for all these years will be
lost, and we will just have wasted
time. If the boys on the Helen can
do It, why can't the rest of them?

SO LET'S GET TOGETHER,
BROTHERS, AND ALL START
PULLING ONE WAY. OR THE
SHIPOWNERS WILL STTLL
THINK THAT WE ARE DIVIDED!

FRED LAURITANO.

•-1
'-M



Till!: S.EArAKKKS' L.UU Friday, jnarcn lu, ivc

MEMBERS CAUTIONED TKAT THEY
MUST PROTECT THEIR OWN RIGHTS

Possible Amalgamation Reminds That
Rank And File Must Have Voice

' In the midst of the nation-wide turmoil in the Labor move­
ment, which recently proved to be of sufficient importance to
warrant a plea by President Roosevelt himself, there remains a
great deal to be given serious consideration. The interest and
activity of many minority groups within the Union have either
been completely alienated during this period of unrest, or have
been woefully discouraged, to say the least.

At this time of possible amalgamation, it is ex­
tremely important that our membership fully realize
the necessity of standing together in order to insure
and promote the highest possible degree of democratic

. ideals and principles, and in so doing, preserve and
guarantee the interests of ALL THE MEMBERSHIP,
rather than those of any selected "CLIQUE." A truly
representative organization will have no need to, resort
to Communist doctrines, or any other form of odious

. radicalism.
EDUCATION NECESSARY

The great need for education in Union matters is apparent
on all fronts, not "education" in the form of subversive propa­
ganda designed for the benefit of any selfish minority, but per­
tinent, informative facts issued for all from an authoritative and

. reliable source. It should be borne iri mind that throughout the
long and bitter conflict between the two organizations, the prin­
cipal factor in our eventual success can be traced directly to our
superior fact-finding organization, and more democratic -practices.
The Union, present or future, must stress the importance of co­
operation, and the decent, proper handling of men by their
immediate superiors, inasmuch as no body of men can possibly
work in an atmosphere of fear or coercion. Further, we must be­
ware of the "Jekyll and Hyde" personality who is sufficiently
cunning to indoctrinate and impress many gullible or unsuspect­
ing seamen with whom they may come in contact.

SUGGESTS "IDEA BOX"
It is such practices as these that are indirectly responsible

for the destruction of confidence in our "late" seamen's unions.
Finally, we must advise a greater effort on the part of some of
our organizers, who profess infalibility in union matters, to create
a wider field for employment of our membership.

It seems to me that a great many valuable suggestions might
be obtained by an "Idea Box" aboard each vessel. Individuals
could anonymously submit their ideas to the Union by simply
dropping a note into a box placed within reach of all.

Hoping that these suggestions may prove beneficial in some
^ respect, I am.

Fraternally,
WILLIAM L. MASON No. fiO

S. S. Acadia

C. 1.0. Again Falsifies Facts
* Regarding Its Vaunted Membership

Arbitrary Refusal of Marine Engi-
eers High Command to Permit a
Ballot on Continued Affiliation Is
Reported as Unanimous Vote In
Favor of Lewis's Secessionists.

By A. F. of L. Weekly News Service
WASHINGTON, D. C. — The CIO

publicity bureau reported with great
eclat that the recent Washington,

-w-IX~C., convention of the National
Marine Engineers Beneficial Asso­
ciation had by unanimous vote de­
cided to retain its CIO affiliation.

Just how "unanimous" the sea­
going marine engineers are for the
CIO affiiiation is aptly explained by
the foilowing resolution introduced
on January 19,1939, the fourth day's

^ session of the convention:
Resoiution No. 39. Jan. 19, 1939.
To the officers and representatives

of the 63rd convention assembled:
WHEREAS, ME.B.A. No, 79 (San

Pedro, Calif.), by a secret referen­
dum ballot circulated to determine
the wishes of its membership on the
question of affiliation with the CIO
foimd the membership 96 per cent
opposed to such affiliation; and

WHEREAS, M.E,B.A. No. 41
(Portland, Ore.), also by a secret

<s>—
referendum ballot voted overwhelm­
ingly against affiliation with the
CIO; and

WHEREAS, MJ:.BA. NO. 97 (San
Francisco, Calif.), in a recent secret
referendum voted by majority
against affiliation with the CIO;
and

WHEREAS, I can truthfully say
we have found practically no mem­
ber of the MER.A. arriving at this
port during the past year, whether
from the East coast. Gulf, or other
Pacific coast ports, who has not
voiced opposition to our CIO affi­
iiation when the question was put
to him; and

WHEREAS, it is our beUef the
National M.E.BJ1. has lost prestige
due to its present affiliation with
the CIO: now therefore be it

RESOLVED, This 63rd Convention
of the National M.E.B.A. go on rec­
ord in favor of a national secret
referendum ballot on the question,
"Are you in favor of t.^ie National
M.E.BA. remaining affiliated with
the CIO"- and be it further

RESOLVED, The members of the
National ME,E.A. be mailed ballots
on this question within 30 days after
the (invention adjourns and the^

Marifal Woes
Beset Curron
Mrs. Curran Sues For Sup

port; Living With
Carney's Wife

Recording to stories in the New
York papers on March 8, "No-Cof­
fee-Time" Joe Curran's wife has in­
stituted suit in the Family Court,
charging him with non-support.

This is not, of course, real news
to most of us, as it has long been a
known fact that Curran and hLs
wife had separated.

Mrs. Curran, in filing her allega­
tions, explained that she married
the NMU leader in 1935, and de­
clares that he left her in Septem­
ber 1937. Since their separation,
Joe has made his home elsewhere,
and now resides at 138 West 100th
Street, .while his wife has been de­
pendent upon friends.

At present, Mrs. Curran< is resid-
ign with Mrs. Walter Carney at 204
Ninth Ave. Mrs, Carney's husband
was formerly Joe Curran's body­
guard, and Joe was the one who
brought about his arrest.

Carney was jailed for alleged
forgery of records while serving as
secretary-treasurer of the NMU. He
is now in the Tombs awaiting trial.

There have long been rumors
around the waterfront regarding
Curran's marital aSairs, and we
have had the pleasure of seeing an
affidavit, signed by Rose Curran
stating that Joe has sort of been
playing around out of school,—if
you know what we mean!

AFL-CIO Proposals
{Continued jrom Page 1)

and shall look forward to the final
report on your negotiations."

Brotherhood Leaders Prapo.sed
The CIO plan had gone to the

length of specifying Constitution
Hall of the DAR as the meeting
place for the organizing of the new
Congress. As president, they pro­
posed an executive of such type as
Alexander P. Whitney of the Train­
men, or David F. Robinson of the
Enginemen and Firemen.

The meeting reconvened at the
Department of Labor the following
day, and the AFL representatives
then agreed to consider the CIO
proposal to set up an American Con.
gress of Labor.

To Re-Convene In New York
This is ail that wa.s accomplished

at this session of the two commit­
tees, which decided to meet again
in New York on Friday of this week
at 8:00 PJVI.

A statement by Harry C. Bates,
chairman of the AFL committee,
said that not only would the Fri­
day meeting consider the CIO pro­
posal, but "any other suggestions
that may be placed before it."

Wednesday's meeting gave an­
other indication that President
Roosevelt is insistent upon peace,
when it was learned that he had
personally requested Daniel J. To-
bin, head of the AFL Teamster's
Union, to serve on the committee.

Tobin was one of the original ap­
pointees, but withdrew. It was only
because of Roosevelt's insistence
that he agreed to serve. He is con­
sidered one of the AFL's most ard­
ent advocates of peace with the
CIO,

How Log Is f inanced

Due to the fact that we have
been in receipt of many in­
quiries in regards to the financ­
ing of the LOO, we will take
this opportunity to explain the
set-up to the best of our ability.

To start off with, the Interna­
tional originally assumes the
cost of printing the LOG, and
then, in turn, they bill the At­
lantic and Gulf Districts sep­
arately for the number of copies
they receive. The International
then assumes the cost of the
number of copies sent to the
Great Lakes and toi the West
Coast.

The cost of printing 5,000
copies of the LOG Is $76.50, or
.0153 apiece. For Instance, for
Issue No. 4, March 3, the dis­
tribution was as follows;

Atlantic District—
2,655 copies f 40.63

Gulf District—
1,700 copies 26.01

International—
645 copies

Total
5,000 copies

9,86

..$ 76.50
Inasmuch as the LOG is sent

to all Branches via express col­
lect, each Branch pays their own
expressage.

BALTIMORE

balloting shall continue for a period
of four months.

Fraternally submitted.
DEAN CURTIS,

ME.B.A. No. 41, Portland, Oregon
On a point of order by Repre­

sentative Trainer in convention
procedure, the Chair ruled the reso­
lution out of order.

From the foregoing it would ap­
pear that the only reason the
M.E,B.A. is still in affiliation with
the CIO is because the expressed
desire of the seagoing engineers for
a referendum vote upon that ques­
tion was ruled "out of order."

{Continued from Page 2)
Coast men. discouraged and broken-
spirited tmder the regime of the
old ISU, et al, is a good thing to
sc.. and hear. The Port Council
movement, which, due to Agent
McKay's business with the affairs
of this branch, had begim to slip
back into the old, sluggish, lethargic
methods of feet-on-the-desk artists,
was shocked back into activity when
Mac got his other affairs straight­
ened out, and went after the Covm-
cil again. Another meeting of the
Coimcil will be held shortly, and we
are looking forward to action this
time.

Passing through the drydock we
noted that the flagship and pride
of the "Fink Navy," the SS Ameri­
can Seaman (ex Edgemoor), Is
about ready to slide into the waters
of the Fatapsco, with May 1 sched­
uled as the great day. Coast Guard
Commander Etzweilcr, who Is at
present supervising the million dol­
lar reconstruction job, will take her
out, and thereafter supervise the
tremenduous task of teaching the
(inks and phoneys of yesteryear how
to make a half-hitch. We don't
know who will get the job of teach­
ing non-union psychology to the
potential strike-breakers who take
the cruises on the American Sea­
man, but we're willing to bet it will
be someone in a fancy uniform,
wearing a little Charlie Chaplin
mustache, and who probably was
raised on the philosophy that any
seaman who dared to complain
about a bug-ridden bunk, or stink­
ing food, was just too, too naughty
for words! We note that in the
period of August 28, 1938 to Febru­
ary 4, 1939 the Maritime Service re­
ceived 3,931 applications, and has
a present enroUmen tof 696.

.STEADY AS SHE GOES, BOYS!
WE'VE GOT TO FIGHT THIS
THING HARD! WE CAN DO IT!
REMEMBER THE COPELAND
BOOK!

Flight From Vessel
Fails To Save His Life

CHARLESTON, S. C., Feb. 26.—
Prank L. Cobb of Baltimore, 39-
year-old chief officer of the freigh­
ter Cubore, died this afternoon in
Roper Hospital.

He was brought here February 9
b;r Coast Guardsmen from the air
base at Charleston Navy Yard, who
had flown-275 miles out to sea to
pick up the sick officer.

Mr Cobb had been a seaman foi
twenty-three years, and was a na­
tive of Gaston County, North Caro­
lina.

Be 100 Per Cent Union.
Be Progressive.

Headqiiarterf
BRIEFS

Last Monday night's New Yoi
Headquarters meeting, although n
an excessively lively one, was we
an enthusiastically attended. Boi
ther Nick Sipin presided in tb
Chair, and Sam Jennette was elect
ed as Recording Secretary.

A resolution in the Boston min
utes regarding employment of th
men on the vessels of the Eastcn
Steamship Company was concurre(
in. with the proviso that the reso
lution also be applied to the por
of New York, and that the shippint
on these vessels be divided on
fifty-fifty basis between Bostor
and New York. This was designee
as a measure to take care of the
men who were thrown out of em
ployment when these vessels • wen
tied up last November.

Progress Of Negotiations
Atlantic District Emergency Boan

Chairman reported on the progres
of the negotiati(ms with the Sea
train Line, and stated that he hope
to have some more definite InfornJ
ation for the members by the tinu
of the next meeting. He indicate
that only a few points afe 'tiolifinl
up the completion of the agreemen

Patrolman Scotto reported tha
he and Patrolman Serrano ha
covered the Seatrain New Orlean
upon her arrival here last weel
and had been successful in securin
considerable overtime due the en
gine department for work per
formed Saturday afternoon. Decern
ber 24, Sunday, December 25, and
Monday, December 26. They were
also successful in getting payment
of overtime which both the deck
and the steward's department had
coming to them. Scotto reported a
100 percent militant SIU crew
aboard this ship.

Both dispatchers McHenry and
Hart reported shipping very poor in
all departments, but were optimis­
tic about the future.

Question Dismissal
The question was brought up on

the floor regarding a wiper who had
been shipped out of New York on
the SS Margaret, and had later
been taken off in Baltimore. Agent
Weaver explained to. the member­
ship that he had received a letter
from Patrolman John Lui of Balti­
more, saying that. the wiper had
been removed because of his inabil*
ity to speak or understand English.
Because of circumstances surround­
ing the case at the time this man
was shipped in New York, the mem­
bership took the stand that ho
must have been removed for soma
other reason, and it was moved, sec­
onded and carried that the crew of
the SS Margaret be investigated
upon their return to New York, in
order to discover the real reason
for this man's dismissal from the
ship.

Under the heading of Good and
Welfare, Organizer Gulnier gave an
interesting talk, and warned tha
membership against taking any per­
sonal stand on the reports made by
any of the officials, and the meet­
ings adjourned at 9:30.

The crew of the Seatrain Havana,
upon her arrival in New York this
week, presented Patrolman Thomp­
son with $13.30 for the Hospital
Cigarette Fund. This money is used
to buy cigarettes and tobacco for
members in the marine hospitals in
bad standing.

We wish to take this opportunity
to thank these brothers one and ail,
and we assure them that the boys
in the hospitals will certainly be
grateful to them for their generos­
ity.

Donation Acknowledged

The SEAFARERS' LOG wishes
to thank Brother A. Harde for
his thoughtful donation to this
publication. Out of a clear sky,
the brother sent in a Money Or­
der durhig the past week, with
the request that the moaey be
used towards the support of the
SEAFARERS' LOG.

:i:l

14