Media
Issue Date
1943-10-01
Volume
5
Issue Number
27
Plaintext
Jo o
OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE ATLANTIC AND GULP DISTRICT,
SEAFARERS' INTERNATIONAL X7NI0N OF NORTH AMERICA
VOL. V. 217 NEW YpRK. N. Y„ FRIDAY. OCTOBER 1. 1943 No. 27
Two More Weeks Left To File
Nominations For Office
October 15 is the deadline for nomination for Atlantic and Gulf District
office for 1944. By that date each candidate must have in the office of the Sec
retary-Treasurer a written notice of intention to run. Any notifications post
marked after midnight of October 1S will be rejected and the candidate will not
be qualified to run on the official ballot. This rule is laid down by the union con
stitution and no exceptions can be made to it.
At branch meetings during the past two weeks many brothers have had their
names placed in nomination for various offices up and down the coast. These
nominations are- not final. Only written notification to the Secretary-Treasurer,
accompanied by the proof of qualification for office, is binding and official.
All candidates should send their notification by registered mail and should
include, not only formal notification of candidacy, but also discharges proving
the three years sea service as required by the constitution. Candidates for Agent,
or Joint Patrolman can have the thj-ee years in any department. Candidates
for departmental patrolmen must have three years in the indicated department.
Sea time is computed only on merchant ships.
And finally, remember that the constitution requires that all candidates be
in continuous good standing for six months prior to date of nomination. If you
have been in arrears during the past six months, save your and the union's time
and don't file for office.
U-BOATS BACK
IN ATLANTIC
Allied convoys in the North Atlantic are again being
attacked by submarine wolf packs. This was officially con
firmed this week by the Royal Canadian Air Force which
recently conducted a two-day running battle with the
raiders. The submarines engaged by the Canadian flyers
' were equipped with heavy anti-
AFL Plans Political Action;
Post War Problems Discussed
WASHINGTON, D, C. — AFL President William
Green issued a nation-wide call to all affiliated organiza
tions to get busy at once with plans for political action in
this year's and next year's elections.
Mr. Green c nphasized. that many members of Con
gress and State Legislatures who^
voted for anti-labor, measures
wiU be candidates for re-election
and should be defeated regard
less of their political affiliations.
"I am, therefore, addressing to
you this official communication
calling upon all officers and
members of the American Feder
ation of Labor to begin.prepara
tions for the political campaigns
oft this" year.^and next year as
well," Mr. Green wrote. "The
full political strength of labor
should be mobilized and united
in support of candidates regard
less of political affiliations who
are sympathetic and friendly to
labor and in opposition to those
who have shown themselves to
be our enemies and who are un^
sympathetic to labor's legislative
and economic policies. We posi
tively can defeat our enemies and
elect our friends if we mobilize
'and unite labor's full political
strength. We can do this if we
will. The responsibility lies with
us. Let us meet this responsibil
ity, discharge our duties and pro
tect our membership against in
justice by defeating our enemies
and electing our friends to public
office.
"In order to accomplish this
result, the Executive Council di
rected me to call upon all mem
bers of the American Federation
of Labor to qualify to vote in the
general election by meeting fully
the primary and election require-
BOSTON—As the representa
tives of six million American
workers gathered here in the
lobby of the Statler Hotel await
ing the convention opening, the
consensus of opinion was that the
American Federation of Labor
and its affiliated unions are now
at peak strength.
The chief issues disturbing the
labor leaders were the failure of
the Government to keep the cost
of living down to the levels at
which wages have been stabiliz
ed and the alarming effects of
various manpower controls put
{Continued on Pane 4)
Follow Up
Your Beefs
It is important that all crews
follow carefully the progress of
their overtime beefs after they
get in port and hand the beefs
over to the Agents and Patrol
men. Keep in touch with the
Agent and watch the- LOG so
that you can collect the minute
the beef is settled.
There have been a number of
cases where men give a beef
to a patrolman, then disap
pear into a gin mill for the pe
riod of their shore time and ship
out without ever checking on
what was being done to settle
the beef. Then, after a six or
eight month trip these guys blow
into port and demand to know
what happened and why didn't
they get their disputed overtime.
Agents, and Patrolmen in the
majority of SIU ports are greatly
overworked and it is physically
impossible to go around and lead
each crew member by the hand
to the paymaster. If the Agent
wins the beef and then posts the
notice for all to see, it is up to
the men to go and collect it . . .
and promptly! There are very
few cases where the overtime
isn't straightened out within the
period of shore time alloted to
the crew. Collect your overtime
before you ship out again.
Cooperate with your officials
and you'll receive better repre
sentation.
ments for voting. T.et all our
membership and its friends reg
ister where registration is requir
ed for participation in elections
and meet any other legal quali
fications provided for in our elec
tion laws in order to vote. I sug
gest that committees be appoint
ed by central bodies and local or
ganizations for the express pur
pose of seeing to it that every
member registers and qualifies
for voting and that all members
go to the polls and vote.
"In addition I respectfully sug-
{Continued on Page 4)
Bosses And Brass Hats
Push Compulsory Labor
The Austin-Wadsworth "Slave Labor Bill" continued
to be urged upon Congress this week, in spite of publica
tion in the Congressional Record of statistics disproving the
alleged need for such a bill. The employer and brass hat
sponsors of the bill reveal more openly with each passing
week that they view the measure^
as necessary to their union bust
ing plans.
Contradicting the phoney fig
ures on labor shortages which
had priviously been released by
Congressional stooges of big
business, the Congressional Rec
ord carried the hitherto suppress
ed testimony of Bernard Baruch
before the Senate Military Af
fairs Committee, as weU as tes
timony given by James S. Pat-
ton, President of the National
Farmers Union. Baruch testified
that the so-called manpower
shortage was, in reality, a crisis
of poor planning on the part of
management. Artificially created
production bottle necks, and poor
use of existing labor constitute
the real problems — problems
which will not be corrected by
enslaving labor.
Labor spokesmen have repeat
edly pointed out that what dis
location of labor supply exists
could be easily corrected if man
agement would pay decent wages
and provide housing and trans
portation.
aircraft armament and chose to
stay on the surface and fight it
out with the planes rather than
dive.
LARGE GUNS
When the subs disappeared
from the sea last spring the gen
eral opinion was that planes had
made it too hot for them and
that when they returned they
would be fitted with anti-aircraft
guns. This prediction seems now
to have been born out. It appears
from the RCAF report, however,
that the subs are fitted with
larger guns than was expected.
The RCAF admitted that planes
returned to their bases "fuU of
flak holes through wings, tail and
fuselage." No claims were made
of sinking any subs.
The Canadian planes were pro
tecting a convoy headed from
the United States to Europe and
containing SIU ships. No report
has yet been received concern
ing the fate of the merchant
ships. .
SUMMER RECORD
Thus ends the summer lull in
merchant ship sinkings, a lull
which lasted from May through
August, and during which 4,000
Allied ships were convoyed
across the Atlantic with a loss of
less than one-half of one percent.
The engagement between th*
Canadian planes and the sub^
does not necessarily mean that fi
full scale under-water offensivft
is about to be launched against
our ships, but it does show that
the summer absence of subs in
the Atlantic was not" due to any
liquidation of the Nazi fleet.
Rather, it was due to voluntary
withdrawal of the subs in. order
to prepare them for battle witk
the planes.
SACRIFICES AHEAD
Rear Admiral Francis S. Low,
director of the U. S. Navy's op
erations against the subs, said
over the radio this week that the
German navy was demoralized
and that the Nazis had been
forced to draft U-boat crews. The
low morale reported by the Ad
miral may be true, but it still
looks as if America's merchant
seamen are due for more bloody
struggles in getting their cargoes
through to the fighting fronts.
In Memoriam
BROTHER
Matthew B. McEttrick
(Cook)
Born April 22, 1889. Died
in Algiers, August, 1943.
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l»age Two THE SEAFARERS LOG Friday, Odiober 1, lt43
SEAFARERS LOG
Published by the
SEAFARERS' INTERNATIONAL UNION
OF NORTH AMERICA
Atlantic and Gulf District
Affiliated with tJje American Federation of Labor
HARRY LUNDEBERG ------ President
110 Market Street, San Francisco, Calif.
JOHN HAVK ------- Secy-Treas,
p. O. BOK 21, Station P., New York City
MATTHEW DUSHANE - - - Washington Rep.
424 Jth Street, N. W., "Washington, D. C.
• • w
Directory of Branches
BRANCH ADDRESS PHONE
NEW YORK (4) 2 Stone St BOwling Green 9-3437
BOSTON (10) 330 Atlantic Ave Liberty 4057
BALTIMORE (2) 14 North Cay St Calvert 4539
PHILADELPHIA 6 North 6th St ...Lombard 765 1
NORFOLK....Commercial PI Norfolk 4-1083
NEW ORLEANS (16) ..309 Chartres St Canal 3336
SAVANNAH 218 East Bay St Savannah 3-1728
TAMPA 423 East Piatt St Tampa MM-1323
MOBILE 55 So. Conception St Dial 2-1392
PUERTO RICO 45 Ponce de Leon Puerto de Tierra
GALVESTON 219 20th Street Galveston 2-8043
FT. LAUDERDALE 2021 S. Federal Highway... Ft. Lauderdale 1601
PUBLICATION OFFICE:
ROOM 213, 2 STONE STREET
New York City BOwling Green 9-8346
UNIONS VS. MILITARY
What with Coast Guard hearing officers, brass hat port
commanders, gun crew Ensigns and Washington swivil
chair generals, the seamen have come to think that mari
time labor is the sole object of the military's anti-union of
fensive. But it's not true. We may bear more than our
share of army and navy anti-labor attacks, but shoreside
workers are also receiving a dose of it.
Take the recent case of plant guards at the Johnsville,
Pa., plant of Brewster Aircraft. These guards were mem
bers of Local 365 of the United AutomoHle Workers, CIO.
The Coast Guard moved in and said that the guards would
have to join the Coast Guard Reserve for the duration of
the war. The Coast Guard gave assurances that the men
could resign from the Reserve when they wanted to, and
that t^eir rights as union men would not be compromised.
The Union gave the men permission to join the Reserve.
And then it started!
Once the guards were under the authority of the mil
itary, their received a kicking around. Their seniority
rights were violated and the company management joined
with the Coast Guard in provocations designed to under
mine the union contract. (Sounds like it happened at sea,
doesn't it?)
The upshot of the thing was that the union called
a strike, the strike was broken, and the plant guards who
believed in and practised unionism and democracy, were
jtbrown in prison.
And now comes the final chapter. On Sept. 27 Assist
ant Secretary of the Navy, Ralph A. Bard, announced that
henceforth all plant guards would receive "thorough in
doctrination into the laws" of the Navy so that there would
be no question as to where they owed their "allegiance and
responsibility."
In other words, the Navy will attempt to change the
guards from union men to finks who will club down their
brothers upon the order of a jerk Ensign. Their "allegiance
and responsibility" will not be to their fellow workers and
the economic and political democracy they are at
tempting to win, but to labor haters who cover their re
action with the uniform of their country.
Obviously the Navy has the authority and strength
to enforce its program. But it will take more than a show
of gold braid to make union men think as finks—^however
they may be forced to act. And there is a new day coming.
A (lay when the auto workers and the. seamen and all the
other workers who during the past few years have been
provoked and humiliated by their enemies, will settle the
«core and bring the finks and scab herders to heel.
Rail Workers Are
Double Crossed On
Pay Increase Issue
WASHINGTON, Sept. 28—The
White House announced today
that a railroad emergency board,
by a vote of 2 to 1, had recom
mended that 300,000 transporta
tion employes in train and en
gine service receive a wage in
crease of 4 cents an hour or 32
cents a day, instead of 30 per
cent or $3 a day as they had de
manded.
The recommendation precipit
ated an immediate crisis in the
railroad industry, as spokesmen
for the five unions affected at
tacked the award, declaring that
it would be rejected unanimous
ly.
Although the three members of
the board agreed that the em
ployes had made out a strong
case for a wage increase to cor
rect gross inequalities and to aid
in the effective prosecution of the
war, they split on the application
of this conclusion to the case.
The majority felt that , under
the limitations of the wage sta
bilization program they could
not grant more than permitted
under the "Little Steel" formula.
The dissenting member opposed
this as a narrow interpretation of
the board's authority, saying the
employes were entitled to a lA
per cent wage increase, but
should receive at least IVz per
cent for "gross inequity," or 6.75
cents an hour. .
UNITED PROTEST PLANNED
General chairmen of the five
operating unions on all the coun
try's railroads will be convened
within ten days to take action on
the recommendation, now pend
ing before Fred M. "Vinson, Eco
nomic Stabilization Director, for
final decision.
Since Mr. Vinson had previous
ly rejected an award of 8 cents
an hour made by .another emer
gency board to the 1,000,000 non-
operating employes, it was learn
ed today that these organizations
would make common cause and
present a united front in an ef
fort to upset the two rulings.
One of the outspoken pro
nouncements of the decision was
made by David B. Robertson,
grand chief of the Brotherhood
of Locomotive Firemen and En-
ginemen.
"Coming on the heels of the
oversubscription of the recent
war loan quota by railroad em
ployes, the report and reconi-
mendation of the femergency
board on the wage demands of
the transportation employes is
an insult to their intelligence,"
{Continued on Page 4)
Merchant Seamen Artists
To Show Work- In Exhibit
NEW YORK — Merchant sea
men have been invited to submit
original oil paintings, water-col
ors, pencil and charcoal sketches
to the second annual art exhib
ition of merchant mariners of the
"United Nations opening Novem
ber 28, 1943, at the Corcoran Gal
lery of Art, Washington, D.C.
<5ash awards, totalling $600,
will be made as follows: First
Prize, $250; Second Prize, $150;
Third Prize $100, and Five Hon
orable Mentions, $20 each.
Honorary sponsors include Mrs.
Franklin D. Roosevelt; Arthur
W. Page, vice-president of the
American Telephone and Tele
graph Company; Colonel David
Sai-noff, president of the Radio
Corporation of America, and
Consuls of the United Nations. It
is expected there will be many
entrants from foreign countries,
as well as from all parts of the
United States.
"Seamen, not generally re
garded as artists, to most people
represent the men who carry the
vital sinews of war to the fight
ing armies,", it was stated by
Mrs. Isabel Peterson, director of
recreation at the USS Andrew
Furuseth Club in New York,
who has charge of the- exhibit.
"But they also represent men
who have the same interests and
hobbies as people in other walks
of life. Last year's USS art ex
hibition for seamen proved the
extent of their range in the
painters' field, and provoked,
very favorable comment from
many high-ranking artists. Thia
new exhibition therefore becomes
the instrument of «xpressing one
of their interests apart from the
sea." '
All pictures, Mrs. Peterson
added, must have a label pasted
on the back, giving the artist's
name and address; his agent, if
any; his rank; his length of ser
vice at sea; how he became in
terested in art; what his training
was; his future painting plans;
the name of his picture; and itg
price if it is for sale.
A seaman may enter as many
pictures as he chooses.- All pic
tures must be submitted, how
ever, before October 30, 1943, and
sent to the Art Exhibition, USS
Andrew Furuseth Club, 30 East
37th Street, New York City.
The first exhibition of paint
ings by seamen was held by
United Seamen's Service last Feb^
ruary at the Hall of Art, New
York City; 110 works were hung
by 28 artists, 20 of whom were
at sea delivering war goods on
February 1, the day the exhibit
opened. Art critics had high
praise for many of the works,
some of which were sold by the
artist to visitors for substantial
sums. The first prize winner was
SlU Seaman Ben Rosen.
Out of the Focs^l
by
y. jc.
Honor Roll
ANTONIO MERCARDO ....$12,00
J. H. LINDSEY 8.00
BOSTON 6.00
C. SICKLER 5.00
E. ANDERS 4.00
S. S. DELRIO S... 3.00
JOHN MEDVISKY 2.00
V. MARANO 2.00
A. M. HANDS 2.00
H. KIRCHSTEIN 2.0C
D.LAWRENCE . 1.00
W. McCRERREY ... 1.00
W. HARDEMAN 1.00
J. KANE 1.00
K. C. PITCHER 1.00
H. C. ROCK 1.00
- TOTAL' $52.00
The brothers returning from a voyage in the Mediterranean!
claim that torpedo planes are a menace there. The papers are full
of reports about wolf packs being on the hunt for convoys. So the
boys won't get much sleep aboard those LIBERTYS from now on.
The slightest noise at night will awaken the boys from their sleep
without ringing an alarm. So fellows, keep a sharp lookout, an<i
hope you have a safe voyage.
AAA
Baldy gets married on October 5th to Kay Towers, a registered
nurse, and Tommy Thomson is going to be his best man. Baldy
met the girl through Tommy,, so he's going to make sure he let's
Tommy smell the cork, so he won't think he is the best man in
reality. "We hope Kay and Baldy have many happy days together,
AAA
Talking about marriages, Walter (Slug) Seikmann got married
recently when he was forced to stay ashore by the Coast Guard. He
spent his honeymoon in New Oileans. Many of our members are
sailing as licensed officers. Ancy Ackerman is sailing as a 2nd
Mate and Hofert is a 3rd Assistant. Mike Walsh made a trip as 3rd
Mate on the STEELORE, and he must like it as we haven't seen
hipti around the Hall since then. William Lally is in an Army Camp
on the "West Coast. Blackey Medford and Carl Rogers are around
New York quite often. Tony McMunn whose friends were worried
about him, paid off in Philadelphia Recently.
AAA
Elections will soon be here and we wonder how many of these
"militant" brothers will run for office this year. Each year yo'i.,
hear the brothers gpeak about how many new men are going to
run for office and what changes they're going to make when they
get into office. The elections come and go and you find out after
it's all over that the same group of men, with one or two excep- ''
tions, are the ones elected to office. Baltimore makes resolutions
why the officers should go to sea every six months. Here's a chance
for those brothers to get elected and thus force the present incum
bents to go to sea. Come on you beefers, get your credentials into
Headquarters and make a real fight for the various Agent and Pa
trolmen's jobs.
A A A
Oscar Grimes had a funny experience. He was in the Bush Ter
minal Building on 42nd Street, in the Reception Room, when two
men came in and mugged him out of $575. Fred Stover got hit by
a block while aboard a ship and had to have three stitches. "Hop
Along" Cassidy amuses the boys in the Alhambra when he tells
them that he has to report on the ship at midnight. .
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Friday, October 1, 1943
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THE SEAFARERSLOG Page Three '
LIBERTY SHIP ANNIVERSARY
In the two years Unce the first
Liberty Ship, the PATRICK
HENRY, was launched, the Uni
ted States has accomplished the
greatest shipbuilding feat in
tvorld history. It took 151 days
to coinplete the PATRICK
HENRY after her keel was laid,
and she was one of only three
ships completed that month.
IDuring this September 116 ships
will be delivered with an average
delivery time of 45 days from
the laying of iheir keels.
BUILDING RECORD
Two years ago some 200,000
workers were employed in about
100 ways and in the shops of
^bout 21 yards. Today approx
imately 750,000 workers are turn
ing out ships in more than 300
ways in approximately 70 ship
yards. The ways today are ac
tually the end stations of a mas
sive assembly line involving 1200
factories in 35 states.
The wartime shipbuilding pro
gram calls for the production of
50,000,000 deadweight tons of
ships by the end of 1944. This
means that from the time the
PATRICK HENRY was launched
until the end of 1944, American
shipyards will have delivered a
greater deadweight tonnage of
new ships than that of the com
bined pre-Pearl Harbor merchant
fleets of Great Britain, United
States, Germany, Japan, and Nor
way. There appears to be no
doubt that the fifty-million-goal
will be reached with time to
spare. Shipbuilders reached an
average of better than five de
livered ships a day in, April 1943
and have continued about that
average. Deliveries in 1943 alone
will total approximately 20,000,-
000 deadweight tons and that
tonnage can be equalled or sur
passed in 1944.
MONEY DUE
Following Brothers have money
coming from the Bull Line. Col
lect at New York office:
FRANK SWIFT
DEBERT SHIELDS
FRED LEV^"^
BET^ ^ ROLAND
OTTO PETERSEN
C. MOWITZ
WHArS DOING
Around the Ports
GALVESTON
Shipping has been good in
Texas ports for the past three
weeks. I have shipped aU the
members that I could get a hold
of. Had to issue 19 trip cards last
week for two new ships out of
the Houston yards. Have a ship
for the Bull Line the end of the
month, also one for the Range
Line the tenth of October. So, if
you want to ship in a hurry get
on down here to Galveston.
The hurricanes are all over.
We had one here again, last
Thursday and Friday, no damage
done. The USS is passing out
money to the wine heads, on the
strength of shipping out and pay
ing them back. In fact, some of
the characters hanging on the
curb outside of the USS, waiting
in line to get the dough, makes
you think of a Bowery Mission.
The - wiU have the formal open-
''9th of September, no
one will be there but the NMU
and Lykes Bros. S. S. Co. to rep
resent the poor seamen. Where
in the hell were these generous
dispencers of easy money when
the seamen really needed help?
We were the scum of the earth
then. No up-town society, or
charity outfit was even interest
ed in you. Your only friend in
need v/as the eating house, and
the gin mill on the waterfront,
also the flop house. The ship
owner did not help you or cared
a damn if you ate or had a place
to sleep.
Through union strength we
come into our own, we are mak
ing more money now than ever
before. The charity fakers, chis-
lers of easy jobs, welfare work
ers and the shipowner got to
gether—"We must do something
for the poor seamen, we can get
this easy money from the public
by the heroic deeds that the sea
man is performing. We will start
up hotels, paying big salaries to
you people who are put in charge
of them."
"After the war the RMO and
the shipowner will do their best
to break up the union, cut wages
so low that the seamen will have
to come to the USS to eat at
sleep. We wiU have to do our
utmost to get the men to work
on the ships. If he won't sail he
cannot come into the USS and
we will have to give the ship
owner all the help that he needs
to keep his ships rimning. Did he
not give us these easy jobs, big
pay? He donated to keep the
USS ruiming, but he charged it
up to expenses and Uncle Sam
paid for hk donation."
Be on your guard. After the
war the USS will be used by the
RMO and the shipowner for a
scab herding outfit. Keep on the
good side of the small eating
joint, gin mill and flop house on
the waterfront. You will need
them all after the war is over.
E. R. WALLACE. Agent
TAMPA
Shipping for this port is very-
slow although we do get a few
calls from Savannah and that
helps the situation some.
Quite a few of the Tampa boys
are coming in every week or so
after having made long trips and
from what they say things are
not as bad as they once were be
fore the submarine situation was
put under control. Blackberry
Evans has accepted a second as
sistant job on one of the Bull
Liners in the longhorn state. He
left by boxcar yesterday after
noon. Believe it or not Admiral
Blinkie Roberts has accepted a
position with the McCloskys Ship
yard. I am sure that he will stay
with them for the first payday
anyway.
Well, the time has come for
the nomination of the officials
for the coming year. I have
heard so damn many growls and
beefing about the officials that
are in office now, I am getting
grey headed. For the benefit of
those that do the most growling
and the least work for the union's
benefit, they will now have a
chance to nominate some one for
office that will suit them. And
furthermore, I would like to see
some of those birds run for of
fice in order that they may see
what an official has to contend
with .
They don't realize that an or
dinary seaman with no experi
ence of any kind will make more
money than even the Secretary-
Treasurer and we don't have a
chance for a raise in pay. When
the living conditions goes up we
have to pay just the same.- It is
damn hard to live ashore on
$60.00 per week and more so
when you have a family to take
care of. Oh well, things will ad
just themselves in the long run
I suppose.
You brothers who have made
a long trip and want a vacation,
come on down to Tampa where
the climate is nice and warm and
the gals hot and beer is cold.
The fishing is good, as Brother
Steely White can tell you. He
has been very successful with the
organizing of the fishermen so
far. Everything is going smooth
and they are all working again
with a better price for their
catches.
D. L. PARKER, Agen|
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Page Four THE SEAFA RE R S LOG Friday. October 1, 1943
Ife-
AFL Plans Political Action;
Post War Problems Discussed
DELEGATES ARE CONCERNED
WITH PEACE EMPLOYMENT
{Continufi from Page 1)
into effect by the Government.
A growing demand was openly
expressed for prompt and decis
ive action by the Government to
bring prices of the necessities of
life back into equitable relation
ship with the wage income of
workers. A tthe same time, op
position to any form of compul
sory labor draft was gathering
momentum.
These and many other vital
national issues of particular in
terest to labor will be presented
to the convention, debated, and
voted upon. The policies decided
upon by the convention will
guide the American Federation
of Labor during the coming year.
The fact that the Connally-
Smith Act has been thoroughly
discredited during its brief pe
riod of existence provided cheer
ing news for the convention,
which will unquestionably de
mand that Congress repeal this
vicious anti-labor law at once.
Strong disapproval was express
ed of the effects of anti-labor
laws adopted in several States,
which are now being challenged
in the courts.
For the first time since the war
began, interest was being dis
played by the delegates in post
war plans. Reflecting the assur
ance that eventual victory for
the United Nations is now cer
tain, the delegates voiced deep
ening concern over the effects of
peace upon industrial activity. ,
From their conversations, it
can be said that the union repre
sentatives believe the only way
to avert a major depression with
serious unemployment after the
war is to prepare now for a large-
scale peacetime production pro
gram which can be put into op
eration as soon as the fighting
ends.
Most of the delegates arrived
early in Boston to attend the de
partmental conventions- which
serve as a prelude for the AFL's
annual conclave. Unusually large
attendance was reported at the
meetings of the AFL Metal
Trades Building Trades and
Union Label Trades annual meet
ings.
AFL POLITICAL
ACTION PLANNED
{Continued from Page 1)
gest that the records of Members
of Congress and of State legisla
tures which show the way they
voted in favor of anti-labor legis
lation or against it, be examined
and studied. Candidates for elec
tion to Congress and state legis
latures should be called upon to
state in positive terms their at
titude toward labor, labor's leg
islative policies and labor legis
lation. Let us in this way pre
pare now for the great political
battles of 1943 and 1944. Through
such preparation we cannot fail
to win decisive victories for la
bor."
^Jtom. JhsL 3fab&i, (pAMA. —
Why Some Workers Are "Against" Unions
Many workers who think that opinion.
L. W. Beeby—No. 3167
E. J. Nooaan-™.TC 1232
James Reaves—^No. 22963
Joe H. Boyle
I. Rodriguez—^TC 149
RAIL WORKERS ARE
DOUBLE CROSSED
ON PAY INCREASE
{Continued from Page 2)
Mr. Robertson said. "I predict
that it is the straw that will
break the back of the unfair and
inequitable wages and prices
camel of the Government.
"We will arrange to convene
the general chairmen of our
brotherhood on all the railroads
of the country to refer this unfair
recommendation to thwn for
consideration."
T. C. Cashen, president of the
Switchmen's Union of North Am
erica, said the award was "an
insult" and would be rejected.
H. W. Fraser, president of the
Order of Railway Conductors,
Said that it was "unsatisfactory
fn every sense of the word."
Alvanley Johnston, president
of the Brotherhood of Locomo
tive Engineers, said:
"I am very much disappointed
In the recommendation. It did
not even come within, the 'Little
_ Steel' formula. The men will no
doubt be very dissatisfied."
A. F. Whitney, . president of
the Brotherhood o f Railway
Trainmen, declared that the em
ergency board "permitted itself
to exercise no judgment but
frankly arrived at a figure me
chanically," so that the efforts
and money expended by the
brotherhoods to present a com
prehensive view of the issue were
wasted.
"The board might just as well
have availed itself of easily ob
tainable statistics as to have
gone through the farce of hold
ing extensive public hearings,"
he said.
'J;>
Keep In Touch With
Your Local Draft Board,
The 13th Street Commandos
We're the 13th Street Commandos,
The blood lusts in our eyes;
For the sake of Dugashvilli
We shout, let's do and die. A ^
Our fierce yells for a 2nd front
Are heard on every side.
Wherever we find a soapbox _ „ '
Or with an inkpot bide. ' ,
We are the armchair Generals,
We are the Admirals too; "
No sacrifice is too great for us
And crimson is our hue.
In Union Halls which wie control >
Great is our hue and cry.
With expulsion facing all members
Who dare to question — WHY? '
Earl Browder, Foster, Minor—
These are our Chiefs of Staff,
Superiors of Allied Generals
And don't y< u dare to laugh. '
And Curran, Stein and Meyers,
These top the Navy too;
These are our Maritime braintrust
And don't you dare say—^phew.
From an easy chair they see it all,
We know our Soviet need, -
And the orders from Stalin's grapevine
Must see us act with speed.
a-,
But others shall do the fighting.
Shall do the sailing too;
We must remain at home, well paid
To tell you what to do.
When ships go down, it don't hurt us.
We just unroll our map , \ ^
And talk another rousing fight.
Or go to tea — mayhap.
Worn out by strenious labors
From shouting, word and pen.
We then take our vacations " ' ,
To make us fit again. ^
The workers pay for our efforts.
Their dues keep up in trim.
Some lose-their lives but we go on
And W increase our din.
We're the 13th Street Commandos ,
There's blood lust in our eye.
But don't suggest that we ship out
And don't dare wonder "WHY?" , f
—Top An' Lift
they are "against" unions believe
that they came to that conclusion
all by themselves. Very few
workers realize that among all
the weapons which employers
use against unions, one of the
strongest is a subtle manipula
tion of public opinion. If they
can persuade their workers to
fight the union for them, then
their battle is won.
WHO TOLD YOU SO?
If you recently joined the
union you perhaps can remember
back to the old days, before you
really knew about unions, when
you too were persuaded that
there was something "bad" about
them. If you try very hard you
ought to be able to figure out
just where you got the idea that
unions were altogether bad. Was
it an article in a local paper?
Was it a forelady who just show
ed by her attitude that she had
no use for anyone who belonged
to a union? Perhaps the boss
made a friendly-seeming speech
to you sometime in which he just
took it for granted that none of
the workers in his happy family
would ever think of getting mix
ed up with anything so horrid as
a union.
Propaganda? Of course — and
very often we are surrounded by
it and affected by it without ever
realizing that it exists. Later on,
when your eyes are really open
ed, it's possible to see how this
combination of little things—
words and phrases and sentences,
sometimes only half-said, ^ies
and haK-truths — warped, your
SOME ANTI-UNION TACTICS
The boss has many other effec
tive weapons with which to fight
the union.
Favoritism, for example — the
old, smooth formula of "divide
and conquer." It has worked just
as well for many an anti-union
boss as it has for Hitler. If all
the workers are competing
against each other for the boss'—
or the forelady's—good opinion,
then that boss and forelady have
no need to worry that there will
be any talk of union.
Intimidation—how subtle, how
undercover it can be. Sometimes
it consists of nothing more than
just a "hard look"—and yet the
worker knows very, very well,
what is meant by it. Intimida
tion doesn't have to be put into
words to be effective.
WHEN WORKERS WANT IT
—THEY GET IT!
Company union and lockout
are methods which are more out
in the open. These are so openly '
abusive in their intent that they
are pretty easily identified be
fore the National Labor Relations
Board.
Yet workers usually find that
their worst enemy in the shop is
themselves. The hard step is
finding out the facts and then
having the courage to go all out
for the union.
Once that happens, the boss
might as well throw all his tricks
out the window. When workers
really want union, then nothing
can stop them!
—The Advance
-^fXSCVtfiis
B. HAMALIAN
Your papers are in headquart
ers office.
PATRICK SULLIVAN
Your discharges are in head
quarters office.
JACOB DAGART, Jr.
Your receipts are in headquar
ters office.
LESLEY TAYLOR
Issac McCants has left money
for you in the office of the New
York Agent.
* » »
STANLEY R. YODRIS "
Get in touch with Richard M.
Cantor, 51 Chambers Street, New
York City;
• • •
ARIE L. PRONK
Your wallet and Coast Guard
pass is at the office of the Secre-
tciry-Treasurer in New York.
• * *
EARL GILMAN
You have a telegram in the of
fice of the Secretary-Treasurer in
New York City.
» » »
IRVING PAULSON
Communicate with Richard M.
Rollback Looks
Like "Goldbrick"
Workers who may have ta
ken at face value ah O.P.A.
promise to roll back the cost
of living by 2.3 per cent are
going to be ''sadly disappointed.
Chester Bowles, O.P.A. gen
eral manager, said the cutback
would be achieved by reduc
ing prices on apples, onions,
potatoes, oranges, lard, short
ening and peanut butter.
Labor research men analy
zed his figures and the result
was an eye-opener. Boris
Shishkin, A. F. of L. econo
mist, concluded the announced
reductions wouldn't roll back
living costs more than 1 per
cent.
The O.P.A. program rolls
back the cost of living index
faster than it rolls back the
cost of living.
VICENTE VILLACION
Your social security card and
union book have been found. Call
for them at Room 213, 2 Stone
Street, New York City.
» • » I
WILLIAM ASKSON
Your book and papofs are be-
Cantor, 51 Chambers Street, New ing held for you by the Philadel-
York City. Iphia Shipping Commissioner,
ATLANTIC AND GULF SHIPPING FOR
WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 13th TO 18th
DECK ENGINE STEWARD TOTAL
SHIPPED 334 271 286 891
REGISTERED 270 212 170 652
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OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE ATLANTIC AND GULP DISTRICT,
SEAFARERS' INTERNATIONAL X7NI0N OF NORTH AMERICA
VOL. V. 217 NEW YpRK. N. Y„ FRIDAY. OCTOBER 1. 1943 No. 27
Two More Weeks Left To File
Nominations For Office
October 15 is the deadline for nomination for Atlantic and Gulf District
office for 1944. By that date each candidate must have in the office of the Sec
retary-Treasurer a written notice of intention to run. Any notifications post
marked after midnight of October 1S will be rejected and the candidate will not
be qualified to run on the official ballot. This rule is laid down by the union con
stitution and no exceptions can be made to it.
At branch meetings during the past two weeks many brothers have had their
names placed in nomination for various offices up and down the coast. These
nominations are- not final. Only written notification to the Secretary-Treasurer,
accompanied by the proof of qualification for office, is binding and official.
All candidates should send their notification by registered mail and should
include, not only formal notification of candidacy, but also discharges proving
the three years sea service as required by the constitution. Candidates for Agent,
or Joint Patrolman can have the thj-ee years in any department. Candidates
for departmental patrolmen must have three years in the indicated department.
Sea time is computed only on merchant ships.
And finally, remember that the constitution requires that all candidates be
in continuous good standing for six months prior to date of nomination. If you
have been in arrears during the past six months, save your and the union's time
and don't file for office.
U-BOATS BACK
IN ATLANTIC
Allied convoys in the North Atlantic are again being
attacked by submarine wolf packs. This was officially con
firmed this week by the Royal Canadian Air Force which
recently conducted a two-day running battle with the
raiders. The submarines engaged by the Canadian flyers
' were equipped with heavy anti-
AFL Plans Political Action;
Post War Problems Discussed
WASHINGTON, D, C. — AFL President William
Green issued a nation-wide call to all affiliated organiza
tions to get busy at once with plans for political action in
this year's and next year's elections.
Mr. Green c nphasized. that many members of Con
gress and State Legislatures who^
voted for anti-labor, measures
wiU be candidates for re-election
and should be defeated regard
less of their political affiliations.
"I am, therefore, addressing to
you this official communication
calling upon all officers and
members of the American Feder
ation of Labor to begin.prepara
tions for the political campaigns
oft this" year.^and next year as
well," Mr. Green wrote. "The
full political strength of labor
should be mobilized and united
in support of candidates regard
less of political affiliations who
are sympathetic and friendly to
labor and in opposition to those
who have shown themselves to
be our enemies and who are un^
sympathetic to labor's legislative
and economic policies. We posi
tively can defeat our enemies and
elect our friends if we mobilize
'and unite labor's full political
strength. We can do this if we
will. The responsibility lies with
us. Let us meet this responsibil
ity, discharge our duties and pro
tect our membership against in
justice by defeating our enemies
and electing our friends to public
office.
"In order to accomplish this
result, the Executive Council di
rected me to call upon all mem
bers of the American Federation
of Labor to qualify to vote in the
general election by meeting fully
the primary and election require-
BOSTON—As the representa
tives of six million American
workers gathered here in the
lobby of the Statler Hotel await
ing the convention opening, the
consensus of opinion was that the
American Federation of Labor
and its affiliated unions are now
at peak strength.
The chief issues disturbing the
labor leaders were the failure of
the Government to keep the cost
of living down to the levels at
which wages have been stabiliz
ed and the alarming effects of
various manpower controls put
{Continued on Pane 4)
Follow Up
Your Beefs
It is important that all crews
follow carefully the progress of
their overtime beefs after they
get in port and hand the beefs
over to the Agents and Patrol
men. Keep in touch with the
Agent and watch the- LOG so
that you can collect the minute
the beef is settled.
There have been a number of
cases where men give a beef
to a patrolman, then disap
pear into a gin mill for the pe
riod of their shore time and ship
out without ever checking on
what was being done to settle
the beef. Then, after a six or
eight month trip these guys blow
into port and demand to know
what happened and why didn't
they get their disputed overtime.
Agents, and Patrolmen in the
majority of SIU ports are greatly
overworked and it is physically
impossible to go around and lead
each crew member by the hand
to the paymaster. If the Agent
wins the beef and then posts the
notice for all to see, it is up to
the men to go and collect it . . .
and promptly! There are very
few cases where the overtime
isn't straightened out within the
period of shore time alloted to
the crew. Collect your overtime
before you ship out again.
Cooperate with your officials
and you'll receive better repre
sentation.
ments for voting. T.et all our
membership and its friends reg
ister where registration is requir
ed for participation in elections
and meet any other legal quali
fications provided for in our elec
tion laws in order to vote. I sug
gest that committees be appoint
ed by central bodies and local or
ganizations for the express pur
pose of seeing to it that every
member registers and qualifies
for voting and that all members
go to the polls and vote.
"In addition I respectfully sug-
{Continued on Page 4)
Bosses And Brass Hats
Push Compulsory Labor
The Austin-Wadsworth "Slave Labor Bill" continued
to be urged upon Congress this week, in spite of publica
tion in the Congressional Record of statistics disproving the
alleged need for such a bill. The employer and brass hat
sponsors of the bill reveal more openly with each passing
week that they view the measure^
as necessary to their union bust
ing plans.
Contradicting the phoney fig
ures on labor shortages which
had priviously been released by
Congressional stooges of big
business, the Congressional Rec
ord carried the hitherto suppress
ed testimony of Bernard Baruch
before the Senate Military Af
fairs Committee, as weU as tes
timony given by James S. Pat-
ton, President of the National
Farmers Union. Baruch testified
that the so-called manpower
shortage was, in reality, a crisis
of poor planning on the part of
management. Artificially created
production bottle necks, and poor
use of existing labor constitute
the real problems — problems
which will not be corrected by
enslaving labor.
Labor spokesmen have repeat
edly pointed out that what dis
location of labor supply exists
could be easily corrected if man
agement would pay decent wages
and provide housing and trans
portation.
aircraft armament and chose to
stay on the surface and fight it
out with the planes rather than
dive.
LARGE GUNS
When the subs disappeared
from the sea last spring the gen
eral opinion was that planes had
made it too hot for them and
that when they returned they
would be fitted with anti-aircraft
guns. This prediction seems now
to have been born out. It appears
from the RCAF report, however,
that the subs are fitted with
larger guns than was expected.
The RCAF admitted that planes
returned to their bases "fuU of
flak holes through wings, tail and
fuselage." No claims were made
of sinking any subs.
The Canadian planes were pro
tecting a convoy headed from
the United States to Europe and
containing SIU ships. No report
has yet been received concern
ing the fate of the merchant
ships. .
SUMMER RECORD
Thus ends the summer lull in
merchant ship sinkings, a lull
which lasted from May through
August, and during which 4,000
Allied ships were convoyed
across the Atlantic with a loss of
less than one-half of one percent.
The engagement between th*
Canadian planes and the sub^
does not necessarily mean that fi
full scale under-water offensivft
is about to be launched against
our ships, but it does show that
the summer absence of subs in
the Atlantic was not" due to any
liquidation of the Nazi fleet.
Rather, it was due to voluntary
withdrawal of the subs in. order
to prepare them for battle witk
the planes.
SACRIFICES AHEAD
Rear Admiral Francis S. Low,
director of the U. S. Navy's op
erations against the subs, said
over the radio this week that the
German navy was demoralized
and that the Nazis had been
forced to draft U-boat crews. The
low morale reported by the Ad
miral may be true, but it still
looks as if America's merchant
seamen are due for more bloody
struggles in getting their cargoes
through to the fighting fronts.
In Memoriam
BROTHER
Matthew B. McEttrick
(Cook)
Born April 22, 1889. Died
in Algiers, August, 1943.
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l»age Two THE SEAFARERS LOG Friday, Odiober 1, lt43
SEAFARERS LOG
Published by the
SEAFARERS' INTERNATIONAL UNION
OF NORTH AMERICA
Atlantic and Gulf District
Affiliated with tJje American Federation of Labor
HARRY LUNDEBERG ------ President
110 Market Street, San Francisco, Calif.
JOHN HAVK ------- Secy-Treas,
p. O. BOK 21, Station P., New York City
MATTHEW DUSHANE - - - Washington Rep.
424 Jth Street, N. W., "Washington, D. C.
• • w
Directory of Branches
BRANCH ADDRESS PHONE
NEW YORK (4) 2 Stone St BOwling Green 9-3437
BOSTON (10) 330 Atlantic Ave Liberty 4057
BALTIMORE (2) 14 North Cay St Calvert 4539
PHILADELPHIA 6 North 6th St ...Lombard 765 1
NORFOLK....Commercial PI Norfolk 4-1083
NEW ORLEANS (16) ..309 Chartres St Canal 3336
SAVANNAH 218 East Bay St Savannah 3-1728
TAMPA 423 East Piatt St Tampa MM-1323
MOBILE 55 So. Conception St Dial 2-1392
PUERTO RICO 45 Ponce de Leon Puerto de Tierra
GALVESTON 219 20th Street Galveston 2-8043
FT. LAUDERDALE 2021 S. Federal Highway... Ft. Lauderdale 1601
PUBLICATION OFFICE:
ROOM 213, 2 STONE STREET
New York City BOwling Green 9-8346
UNIONS VS. MILITARY
What with Coast Guard hearing officers, brass hat port
commanders, gun crew Ensigns and Washington swivil
chair generals, the seamen have come to think that mari
time labor is the sole object of the military's anti-union of
fensive. But it's not true. We may bear more than our
share of army and navy anti-labor attacks, but shoreside
workers are also receiving a dose of it.
Take the recent case of plant guards at the Johnsville,
Pa., plant of Brewster Aircraft. These guards were mem
bers of Local 365 of the United AutomoHle Workers, CIO.
The Coast Guard moved in and said that the guards would
have to join the Coast Guard Reserve for the duration of
the war. The Coast Guard gave assurances that the men
could resign from the Reserve when they wanted to, and
that t^eir rights as union men would not be compromised.
The Union gave the men permission to join the Reserve.
And then it started!
Once the guards were under the authority of the mil
itary, their received a kicking around. Their seniority
rights were violated and the company management joined
with the Coast Guard in provocations designed to under
mine the union contract. (Sounds like it happened at sea,
doesn't it?)
The upshot of the thing was that the union called
a strike, the strike was broken, and the plant guards who
believed in and practised unionism and democracy, were
jtbrown in prison.
And now comes the final chapter. On Sept. 27 Assist
ant Secretary of the Navy, Ralph A. Bard, announced that
henceforth all plant guards would receive "thorough in
doctrination into the laws" of the Navy so that there would
be no question as to where they owed their "allegiance and
responsibility."
In other words, the Navy will attempt to change the
guards from union men to finks who will club down their
brothers upon the order of a jerk Ensign. Their "allegiance
and responsibility" will not be to their fellow workers and
the economic and political democracy they are at
tempting to win, but to labor haters who cover their re
action with the uniform of their country.
Obviously the Navy has the authority and strength
to enforce its program. But it will take more than a show
of gold braid to make union men think as finks—^however
they may be forced to act. And there is a new day coming.
A (lay when the auto workers and the. seamen and all the
other workers who during the past few years have been
provoked and humiliated by their enemies, will settle the
«core and bring the finks and scab herders to heel.
Rail Workers Are
Double Crossed On
Pay Increase Issue
WASHINGTON, Sept. 28—The
White House announced today
that a railroad emergency board,
by a vote of 2 to 1, had recom
mended that 300,000 transporta
tion employes in train and en
gine service receive a wage in
crease of 4 cents an hour or 32
cents a day, instead of 30 per
cent or $3 a day as they had de
manded.
The recommendation precipit
ated an immediate crisis in the
railroad industry, as spokesmen
for the five unions affected at
tacked the award, declaring that
it would be rejected unanimous
ly.
Although the three members of
the board agreed that the em
ployes had made out a strong
case for a wage increase to cor
rect gross inequalities and to aid
in the effective prosecution of the
war, they split on the application
of this conclusion to the case.
The majority felt that , under
the limitations of the wage sta
bilization program they could
not grant more than permitted
under the "Little Steel" formula.
The dissenting member opposed
this as a narrow interpretation of
the board's authority, saying the
employes were entitled to a lA
per cent wage increase, but
should receive at least IVz per
cent for "gross inequity," or 6.75
cents an hour. .
UNITED PROTEST PLANNED
General chairmen of the five
operating unions on all the coun
try's railroads will be convened
within ten days to take action on
the recommendation, now pend
ing before Fred M. "Vinson, Eco
nomic Stabilization Director, for
final decision.
Since Mr. Vinson had previous
ly rejected an award of 8 cents
an hour made by .another emer
gency board to the 1,000,000 non-
operating employes, it was learn
ed today that these organizations
would make common cause and
present a united front in an ef
fort to upset the two rulings.
One of the outspoken pro
nouncements of the decision was
made by David B. Robertson,
grand chief of the Brotherhood
of Locomotive Firemen and En-
ginemen.
"Coming on the heels of the
oversubscription of the recent
war loan quota by railroad em
ployes, the report and reconi-
mendation of the femergency
board on the wage demands of
the transportation employes is
an insult to their intelligence,"
{Continued on Page 4)
Merchant Seamen Artists
To Show Work- In Exhibit
NEW YORK — Merchant sea
men have been invited to submit
original oil paintings, water-col
ors, pencil and charcoal sketches
to the second annual art exhib
ition of merchant mariners of the
"United Nations opening Novem
ber 28, 1943, at the Corcoran Gal
lery of Art, Washington, D.C.
<5ash awards, totalling $600,
will be made as follows: First
Prize, $250; Second Prize, $150;
Third Prize $100, and Five Hon
orable Mentions, $20 each.
Honorary sponsors include Mrs.
Franklin D. Roosevelt; Arthur
W. Page, vice-president of the
American Telephone and Tele
graph Company; Colonel David
Sai-noff, president of the Radio
Corporation of America, and
Consuls of the United Nations. It
is expected there will be many
entrants from foreign countries,
as well as from all parts of the
United States.
"Seamen, not generally re
garded as artists, to most people
represent the men who carry the
vital sinews of war to the fight
ing armies,", it was stated by
Mrs. Isabel Peterson, director of
recreation at the USS Andrew
Furuseth Club in New York,
who has charge of the- exhibit.
"But they also represent men
who have the same interests and
hobbies as people in other walks
of life. Last year's USS art ex
hibition for seamen proved the
extent of their range in the
painters' field, and provoked,
very favorable comment from
many high-ranking artists. Thia
new exhibition therefore becomes
the instrument of «xpressing one
of their interests apart from the
sea." '
All pictures, Mrs. Peterson
added, must have a label pasted
on the back, giving the artist's
name and address; his agent, if
any; his rank; his length of ser
vice at sea; how he became in
terested in art; what his training
was; his future painting plans;
the name of his picture; and itg
price if it is for sale.
A seaman may enter as many
pictures as he chooses.- All pic
tures must be submitted, how
ever, before October 30, 1943, and
sent to the Art Exhibition, USS
Andrew Furuseth Club, 30 East
37th Street, New York City.
The first exhibition of paint
ings by seamen was held by
United Seamen's Service last Feb^
ruary at the Hall of Art, New
York City; 110 works were hung
by 28 artists, 20 of whom were
at sea delivering war goods on
February 1, the day the exhibit
opened. Art critics had high
praise for many of the works,
some of which were sold by the
artist to visitors for substantial
sums. The first prize winner was
SlU Seaman Ben Rosen.
Out of the Focs^l
by
y. jc.
Honor Roll
ANTONIO MERCARDO ....$12,00
J. H. LINDSEY 8.00
BOSTON 6.00
C. SICKLER 5.00
E. ANDERS 4.00
S. S. DELRIO S... 3.00
JOHN MEDVISKY 2.00
V. MARANO 2.00
A. M. HANDS 2.00
H. KIRCHSTEIN 2.0C
D.LAWRENCE . 1.00
W. McCRERREY ... 1.00
W. HARDEMAN 1.00
J. KANE 1.00
K. C. PITCHER 1.00
H. C. ROCK 1.00
- TOTAL' $52.00
The brothers returning from a voyage in the Mediterranean!
claim that torpedo planes are a menace there. The papers are full
of reports about wolf packs being on the hunt for convoys. So the
boys won't get much sleep aboard those LIBERTYS from now on.
The slightest noise at night will awaken the boys from their sleep
without ringing an alarm. So fellows, keep a sharp lookout, an<i
hope you have a safe voyage.
AAA
Baldy gets married on October 5th to Kay Towers, a registered
nurse, and Tommy Thomson is going to be his best man. Baldy
met the girl through Tommy,, so he's going to make sure he let's
Tommy smell the cork, so he won't think he is the best man in
reality. "We hope Kay and Baldy have many happy days together,
AAA
Talking about marriages, Walter (Slug) Seikmann got married
recently when he was forced to stay ashore by the Coast Guard. He
spent his honeymoon in New Oileans. Many of our members are
sailing as licensed officers. Ancy Ackerman is sailing as a 2nd
Mate and Hofert is a 3rd Assistant. Mike Walsh made a trip as 3rd
Mate on the STEELORE, and he must like it as we haven't seen
hipti around the Hall since then. William Lally is in an Army Camp
on the "West Coast. Blackey Medford and Carl Rogers are around
New York quite often. Tony McMunn whose friends were worried
about him, paid off in Philadelphia Recently.
AAA
Elections will soon be here and we wonder how many of these
"militant" brothers will run for office this year. Each year yo'i.,
hear the brothers gpeak about how many new men are going to
run for office and what changes they're going to make when they
get into office. The elections come and go and you find out after
it's all over that the same group of men, with one or two excep- ''
tions, are the ones elected to office. Baltimore makes resolutions
why the officers should go to sea every six months. Here's a chance
for those brothers to get elected and thus force the present incum
bents to go to sea. Come on you beefers, get your credentials into
Headquarters and make a real fight for the various Agent and Pa
trolmen's jobs.
A A A
Oscar Grimes had a funny experience. He was in the Bush Ter
minal Building on 42nd Street, in the Reception Room, when two
men came in and mugged him out of $575. Fred Stover got hit by
a block while aboard a ship and had to have three stitches. "Hop
Along" Cassidy amuses the boys in the Alhambra when he tells
them that he has to report on the ship at midnight. .
N,-'
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Friday, October 1, 1943
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THE SEAFARERSLOG Page Three '
LIBERTY SHIP ANNIVERSARY
In the two years Unce the first
Liberty Ship, the PATRICK
HENRY, was launched, the Uni
ted States has accomplished the
greatest shipbuilding feat in
tvorld history. It took 151 days
to coinplete the PATRICK
HENRY after her keel was laid,
and she was one of only three
ships completed that month.
IDuring this September 116 ships
will be delivered with an average
delivery time of 45 days from
the laying of iheir keels.
BUILDING RECORD
Two years ago some 200,000
workers were employed in about
100 ways and in the shops of
^bout 21 yards. Today approx
imately 750,000 workers are turn
ing out ships in more than 300
ways in approximately 70 ship
yards. The ways today are ac
tually the end stations of a mas
sive assembly line involving 1200
factories in 35 states.
The wartime shipbuilding pro
gram calls for the production of
50,000,000 deadweight tons of
ships by the end of 1944. This
means that from the time the
PATRICK HENRY was launched
until the end of 1944, American
shipyards will have delivered a
greater deadweight tonnage of
new ships than that of the com
bined pre-Pearl Harbor merchant
fleets of Great Britain, United
States, Germany, Japan, and Nor
way. There appears to be no
doubt that the fifty-million-goal
will be reached with time to
spare. Shipbuilders reached an
average of better than five de
livered ships a day in, April 1943
and have continued about that
average. Deliveries in 1943 alone
will total approximately 20,000,-
000 deadweight tons and that
tonnage can be equalled or sur
passed in 1944.
MONEY DUE
Following Brothers have money
coming from the Bull Line. Col
lect at New York office:
FRANK SWIFT
DEBERT SHIELDS
FRED LEV^"^
BET^ ^ ROLAND
OTTO PETERSEN
C. MOWITZ
WHArS DOING
Around the Ports
GALVESTON
Shipping has been good in
Texas ports for the past three
weeks. I have shipped aU the
members that I could get a hold
of. Had to issue 19 trip cards last
week for two new ships out of
the Houston yards. Have a ship
for the Bull Line the end of the
month, also one for the Range
Line the tenth of October. So, if
you want to ship in a hurry get
on down here to Galveston.
The hurricanes are all over.
We had one here again, last
Thursday and Friday, no damage
done. The USS is passing out
money to the wine heads, on the
strength of shipping out and pay
ing them back. In fact, some of
the characters hanging on the
curb outside of the USS, waiting
in line to get the dough, makes
you think of a Bowery Mission.
The - wiU have the formal open-
''9th of September, no
one will be there but the NMU
and Lykes Bros. S. S. Co. to rep
resent the poor seamen. Where
in the hell were these generous
dispencers of easy money when
the seamen really needed help?
We were the scum of the earth
then. No up-town society, or
charity outfit was even interest
ed in you. Your only friend in
need v/as the eating house, and
the gin mill on the waterfront,
also the flop house. The ship
owner did not help you or cared
a damn if you ate or had a place
to sleep.
Through union strength we
come into our own, we are mak
ing more money now than ever
before. The charity fakers, chis-
lers of easy jobs, welfare work
ers and the shipowner got to
gether—"We must do something
for the poor seamen, we can get
this easy money from the public
by the heroic deeds that the sea
man is performing. We will start
up hotels, paying big salaries to
you people who are put in charge
of them."
"After the war the RMO and
the shipowner will do their best
to break up the union, cut wages
so low that the seamen will have
to come to the USS to eat at
sleep. We wiU have to do our
utmost to get the men to work
on the ships. If he won't sail he
cannot come into the USS and
we will have to give the ship
owner all the help that he needs
to keep his ships rimning. Did he
not give us these easy jobs, big
pay? He donated to keep the
USS ruiming, but he charged it
up to expenses and Uncle Sam
paid for hk donation."
Be on your guard. After the
war the USS will be used by the
RMO and the shipowner for a
scab herding outfit. Keep on the
good side of the small eating
joint, gin mill and flop house on
the waterfront. You will need
them all after the war is over.
E. R. WALLACE. Agent
TAMPA
Shipping for this port is very-
slow although we do get a few
calls from Savannah and that
helps the situation some.
Quite a few of the Tampa boys
are coming in every week or so
after having made long trips and
from what they say things are
not as bad as they once were be
fore the submarine situation was
put under control. Blackberry
Evans has accepted a second as
sistant job on one of the Bull
Liners in the longhorn state. He
left by boxcar yesterday after
noon. Believe it or not Admiral
Blinkie Roberts has accepted a
position with the McCloskys Ship
yard. I am sure that he will stay
with them for the first payday
anyway.
Well, the time has come for
the nomination of the officials
for the coming year. I have
heard so damn many growls and
beefing about the officials that
are in office now, I am getting
grey headed. For the benefit of
those that do the most growling
and the least work for the union's
benefit, they will now have a
chance to nominate some one for
office that will suit them. And
furthermore, I would like to see
some of those birds run for of
fice in order that they may see
what an official has to contend
with .
They don't realize that an or
dinary seaman with no experi
ence of any kind will make more
money than even the Secretary-
Treasurer and we don't have a
chance for a raise in pay. When
the living conditions goes up we
have to pay just the same.- It is
damn hard to live ashore on
$60.00 per week and more so
when you have a family to take
care of. Oh well, things will ad
just themselves in the long run
I suppose.
You brothers who have made
a long trip and want a vacation,
come on down to Tampa where
the climate is nice and warm and
the gals hot and beer is cold.
The fishing is good, as Brother
Steely White can tell you. He
has been very successful with the
organizing of the fishermen so
far. Everything is going smooth
and they are all working again
with a better price for their
catches.
D. L. PARKER, Agen|
CI •
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'^•;
Page Four THE SEAFA RE R S LOG Friday. October 1, 1943
Ife-
AFL Plans Political Action;
Post War Problems Discussed
DELEGATES ARE CONCERNED
WITH PEACE EMPLOYMENT
{Continufi from Page 1)
into effect by the Government.
A growing demand was openly
expressed for prompt and decis
ive action by the Government to
bring prices of the necessities of
life back into equitable relation
ship with the wage income of
workers. A tthe same time, op
position to any form of compul
sory labor draft was gathering
momentum.
These and many other vital
national issues of particular in
terest to labor will be presented
to the convention, debated, and
voted upon. The policies decided
upon by the convention will
guide the American Federation
of Labor during the coming year.
The fact that the Connally-
Smith Act has been thoroughly
discredited during its brief pe
riod of existence provided cheer
ing news for the convention,
which will unquestionably de
mand that Congress repeal this
vicious anti-labor law at once.
Strong disapproval was express
ed of the effects of anti-labor
laws adopted in several States,
which are now being challenged
in the courts.
For the first time since the war
began, interest was being dis
played by the delegates in post
war plans. Reflecting the assur
ance that eventual victory for
the United Nations is now cer
tain, the delegates voiced deep
ening concern over the effects of
peace upon industrial activity. ,
From their conversations, it
can be said that the union repre
sentatives believe the only way
to avert a major depression with
serious unemployment after the
war is to prepare now for a large-
scale peacetime production pro
gram which can be put into op
eration as soon as the fighting
ends.
Most of the delegates arrived
early in Boston to attend the de
partmental conventions- which
serve as a prelude for the AFL's
annual conclave. Unusually large
attendance was reported at the
meetings of the AFL Metal
Trades Building Trades and
Union Label Trades annual meet
ings.
AFL POLITICAL
ACTION PLANNED
{Continued from Page 1)
gest that the records of Members
of Congress and of State legisla
tures which show the way they
voted in favor of anti-labor legis
lation or against it, be examined
and studied. Candidates for elec
tion to Congress and state legis
latures should be called upon to
state in positive terms their at
titude toward labor, labor's leg
islative policies and labor legis
lation. Let us in this way pre
pare now for the great political
battles of 1943 and 1944. Through
such preparation we cannot fail
to win decisive victories for la
bor."
^Jtom. JhsL 3fab&i, (pAMA. —
Why Some Workers Are "Against" Unions
Many workers who think that opinion.
L. W. Beeby—No. 3167
E. J. Nooaan-™.TC 1232
James Reaves—^No. 22963
Joe H. Boyle
I. Rodriguez—^TC 149
RAIL WORKERS ARE
DOUBLE CROSSED
ON PAY INCREASE
{Continued from Page 2)
Mr. Robertson said. "I predict
that it is the straw that will
break the back of the unfair and
inequitable wages and prices
camel of the Government.
"We will arrange to convene
the general chairmen of our
brotherhood on all the railroads
of the country to refer this unfair
recommendation to thwn for
consideration."
T. C. Cashen, president of the
Switchmen's Union of North Am
erica, said the award was "an
insult" and would be rejected.
H. W. Fraser, president of the
Order of Railway Conductors,
Said that it was "unsatisfactory
fn every sense of the word."
Alvanley Johnston, president
of the Brotherhood of Locomo
tive Engineers, said:
"I am very much disappointed
In the recommendation. It did
not even come within, the 'Little
_ Steel' formula. The men will no
doubt be very dissatisfied."
A. F. Whitney, . president of
the Brotherhood o f Railway
Trainmen, declared that the em
ergency board "permitted itself
to exercise no judgment but
frankly arrived at a figure me
chanically," so that the efforts
and money expended by the
brotherhoods to present a com
prehensive view of the issue were
wasted.
"The board might just as well
have availed itself of easily ob
tainable statistics as to have
gone through the farce of hold
ing extensive public hearings,"
he said.
'J;>
Keep In Touch With
Your Local Draft Board,
The 13th Street Commandos
We're the 13th Street Commandos,
The blood lusts in our eyes;
For the sake of Dugashvilli
We shout, let's do and die. A ^
Our fierce yells for a 2nd front
Are heard on every side.
Wherever we find a soapbox _ „ '
Or with an inkpot bide. ' ,
We are the armchair Generals,
We are the Admirals too; "
No sacrifice is too great for us
And crimson is our hue.
In Union Halls which wie control >
Great is our hue and cry.
With expulsion facing all members
Who dare to question — WHY? '
Earl Browder, Foster, Minor—
These are our Chiefs of Staff,
Superiors of Allied Generals
And don't y< u dare to laugh. '
And Curran, Stein and Meyers,
These top the Navy too;
These are our Maritime braintrust
And don't you dare say—^phew.
From an easy chair they see it all,
We know our Soviet need, -
And the orders from Stalin's grapevine
Must see us act with speed.
a-,
But others shall do the fighting.
Shall do the sailing too;
We must remain at home, well paid
To tell you what to do.
When ships go down, it don't hurt us.
We just unroll our map , \ ^
And talk another rousing fight.
Or go to tea — mayhap.
Worn out by strenious labors
From shouting, word and pen.
We then take our vacations " ' ,
To make us fit again. ^
The workers pay for our efforts.
Their dues keep up in trim.
Some lose-their lives but we go on
And W increase our din.
We're the 13th Street Commandos ,
There's blood lust in our eye.
But don't suggest that we ship out
And don't dare wonder "WHY?" , f
—Top An' Lift
they are "against" unions believe
that they came to that conclusion
all by themselves. Very few
workers realize that among all
the weapons which employers
use against unions, one of the
strongest is a subtle manipula
tion of public opinion. If they
can persuade their workers to
fight the union for them, then
their battle is won.
WHO TOLD YOU SO?
If you recently joined the
union you perhaps can remember
back to the old days, before you
really knew about unions, when
you too were persuaded that
there was something "bad" about
them. If you try very hard you
ought to be able to figure out
just where you got the idea that
unions were altogether bad. Was
it an article in a local paper?
Was it a forelady who just show
ed by her attitude that she had
no use for anyone who belonged
to a union? Perhaps the boss
made a friendly-seeming speech
to you sometime in which he just
took it for granted that none of
the workers in his happy family
would ever think of getting mix
ed up with anything so horrid as
a union.
Propaganda? Of course — and
very often we are surrounded by
it and affected by it without ever
realizing that it exists. Later on,
when your eyes are really open
ed, it's possible to see how this
combination of little things—
words and phrases and sentences,
sometimes only half-said, ^ies
and haK-truths — warped, your
SOME ANTI-UNION TACTICS
The boss has many other effec
tive weapons with which to fight
the union.
Favoritism, for example — the
old, smooth formula of "divide
and conquer." It has worked just
as well for many an anti-union
boss as it has for Hitler. If all
the workers are competing
against each other for the boss'—
or the forelady's—good opinion,
then that boss and forelady have
no need to worry that there will
be any talk of union.
Intimidation—how subtle, how
undercover it can be. Sometimes
it consists of nothing more than
just a "hard look"—and yet the
worker knows very, very well,
what is meant by it. Intimida
tion doesn't have to be put into
words to be effective.
WHEN WORKERS WANT IT
—THEY GET IT!
Company union and lockout
are methods which are more out
in the open. These are so openly '
abusive in their intent that they
are pretty easily identified be
fore the National Labor Relations
Board.
Yet workers usually find that
their worst enemy in the shop is
themselves. The hard step is
finding out the facts and then
having the courage to go all out
for the union.
Once that happens, the boss
might as well throw all his tricks
out the window. When workers
really want union, then nothing
can stop them!
—The Advance
-^fXSCVtfiis
B. HAMALIAN
Your papers are in headquart
ers office.
PATRICK SULLIVAN
Your discharges are in head
quarters office.
JACOB DAGART, Jr.
Your receipts are in headquar
ters office.
LESLEY TAYLOR
Issac McCants has left money
for you in the office of the New
York Agent.
* » »
STANLEY R. YODRIS "
Get in touch with Richard M.
Cantor, 51 Chambers Street, New
York City;
• • •
ARIE L. PRONK
Your wallet and Coast Guard
pass is at the office of the Secre-
tciry-Treasurer in New York.
• * *
EARL GILMAN
You have a telegram in the of
fice of the Secretary-Treasurer in
New York City.
» » »
IRVING PAULSON
Communicate with Richard M.
Rollback Looks
Like "Goldbrick"
Workers who may have ta
ken at face value ah O.P.A.
promise to roll back the cost
of living by 2.3 per cent are
going to be ''sadly disappointed.
Chester Bowles, O.P.A. gen
eral manager, said the cutback
would be achieved by reduc
ing prices on apples, onions,
potatoes, oranges, lard, short
ening and peanut butter.
Labor research men analy
zed his figures and the result
was an eye-opener. Boris
Shishkin, A. F. of L. econo
mist, concluded the announced
reductions wouldn't roll back
living costs more than 1 per
cent.
The O.P.A. program rolls
back the cost of living index
faster than it rolls back the
cost of living.
VICENTE VILLACION
Your social security card and
union book have been found. Call
for them at Room 213, 2 Stone
Street, New York City.
» • » I
WILLIAM ASKSON
Your book and papofs are be-
Cantor, 51 Chambers Street, New ing held for you by the Philadel-
York City. Iphia Shipping Commissioner,
ATLANTIC AND GULF SHIPPING FOR
WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 13th TO 18th
DECK ENGINE STEWARD TOTAL
SHIPPED 334 271 286 891
REGISTERED 270 212 170 652
- r ' ^ • .< "" P'f • ̂ " ''X \ ̂ 'f •
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