Seafarers Log: Vol. 8 No. 25 (1946-06-21)

Official Organ of the Atlantic and Gulf District, Seafarers International Union of North America

Vol. VIII. NEW YORK. N. Y.. FRIDAY. JUNE 21. 1946 No. 25

Senate Group
Hears Hawk On
Coast Guard

WASHINGTON, June 20—The SIU followed up its
offensive against Coast Guard control of the Bureau of
Marine Inspection and Navigation today as John Hawk,
SIU Vice President, testified before the Senate Judiciary
Committee. The Committee is considering the President's
Reorganization Plan No. 3, which*
provides for permanent transfer

Attention Members!
Seafarers Sailing

As Engineers
All members—retired mem­

bers and former members—
of the Seafarers Internation­
al Union who are now sailing

as licensed Engineers; Please
report as soon as possible to

the Seafarers Hall at 51 Bea­
ver Street. New York City.

Your presence is necessary in
a matter of great importance.

of the Bureau to the Coast Guard.
Hawk's testimony before the

Senate group followed by exactly
a week his heated diatribe against
Coast Guard jurisdiction before
the House Committee on Execu­
tive Department Expenditures.

His testimony last week
brought immediate and tangible
results.. Rep. William A. Pitteng-
er of Minnesota, a member of the
Committee, took the matter on
the floor of the House, quoting
Hawk at length in a speech in
opposition to the Reorganization
Plan.

He said in part:
"I call attention to Mr. Hawk's

testimony because members of
Congress whose districts border
on the Great Lakes of the mid­
west, as well as those whose jdis-
tricts border on the Atlantic and
Pacific Seaboards and the Gulf
Coast States, are all very much
directly concerned in connection
with this problem.

"Speaking very frankly to the
committee, Mr. Hawk stated that

Careful Planning, Militant Action
Responsible For Seafarers' Growth

SIU Walks Out
When Operators
Ask 1920 Terms

NEW YORK, June 19—The Seafarers Negotiating
Committee walked out of contract conferences with the
shipowners yesterday after the operators had capped their
weaseling counter-proposals with the suggestion that ABs
on slfips paying $15 5 a month take a $10.00 a month cut.

3- The' operators said such a cut

By PAUL HALL
NEW YORK—The Seafarers is

now engaged in a tough game,
playing for the highest stakes in
the history of maritime organi­
zation.

The present negotiations are
the culmination of eight long
lard years of continuous strug­
gle, during which the union has
-jrown from a small, loosely op-
3rated outfit to a strong, stream­
lined organization recognized as
the most potent labor factor in
the maritime industry.

Particularly in the past few
years has the Union emerged
from semi-obscurity to its pres­
ent strength. These years have
not been idle ones. Starting un­
der the handicap of war-time
government bureau suppression,
the Seafarers laid 'down a pro-

the Executive Order which took gram of expansion and organi-
the sailors from the jurisdiction zation that has been adhered to at
of the Department of Commerce all times—regardless of obstacles,
and put them under the Coast The first step was getting out

(Continued on Page 5) of the inadequate, poorly equip

Seafarers Gets $2200 Beef
For Blue Ridge Victory Men

NEW YORK — The militant
SIU way of handling beefs paid
off V again this week when the
Stewards Department of the SS
Blue Ridge Victory collected
more than $2200.00 in disputed
overtime from the Calmar Steam­
ship Company.

The beef arose over the ques­
tion of payment for extra meals
served by the Stewards Depart­
ment. The Company contended
that because the ship was an­
chored in the stream off South­
ampton, it could not be consider­
ed in port and therefore over­
time regulations did not apply.

This maneuver fooled no one,
and the Patrolman insisted on
the payment of the full amount

Iv,

of the legitimate overtime auth-
)rized by the Department head.

Although the vessel arrived in
this port on June 13, settlement
was not arrived at until June 17.
And the settlement was a clear
cut victory.

"It was a good victory," said
Patrolman Ray Gonzales, who
handled the beef, "and the men
really deserved the money. Only
a bunch of sea lawyers would try
to get away with saying that if a
ship is anchored in the stream,
it is not in port. That's plain
silly!"

The men affected by the settle­
ment are pretty happy, too.
$2200.00 is a lot of cabbage to be
collected by one Department.

ped halls and acquiring Union-
owned buildings representative
of the progress of the Union. In
line with this was the unifying of
the Union apparatus, streamlin­
ing the Union structure and
creating a uniform operational
and business system.

The halls that were acquired
are something the membership
;an be justly proud of, a home
for the Union member ashore.
Recently, business experts sur-
•ej'ing the Union apparatus ac-
•laimed it as being comparable
a the most efficient systems in
ise anywhere. The Union struc-
ure of today can no more be
•ompared with that of a couple
•f years ago than an old sailing
hip foc'sle with a suite in the
Valdorf-Astoria.

STRUGGLES AIDED
During the war the shipown­

ers took full advantage of gov­
ernment WSA operation and
Coast Guard persecution to
harass the Union in every pos­
sible manner. To meet these
attacks a counter-campaign was
launched.

A Seafarers member facing
Coast Guard charges in any port
found that he always had cap­
able representation with the re­
sult that the great majority of
these cases were won.

Any shipboard dispute whether
it amounted to only a few hours
overtime or a falsified log was
given the full attention of the
Union and fought to a finish.
The use of job action put to a
stop stalling tactics of the op­
erators. In one case of a falsi­
fied log on the Lou Gehrig, job
action at the point of production
resulted in over $25,000 being
collected for the crew.

Prompt and decisive action re­
sulted in manning scales being
increased from time to time.
Hardly a day passed without
heated beefs with the shipowner,
during which the agreements

were clarified to bring greater
benefits to the membership.

During this entire period the
Union.kept the question of gov­
ernment bureau, and Coast Guard
control in the forefront, and
never ceased the fight against
them even when other maritime
unions were patting them on the
back and preaching cooperation
and playing stooge for the Wash­
ington bureaucrats.

Those struggles created the
solidarity and confidence neces­
sary to prepare the organizational
drives and developed the organ­
izers to do the job.

ISTHMIAN CAMPAIGN

At this point the necessity for
Jnion expansion was obvious-

would "stabilize contracts" and
provide a working base for all
operators in the contract negoti­
ations.

The Seafarers Committee flat­
ly refused to even sit in on nego­
tiations until it was understood
that all wage adjustments must
be revised upward.

The remainder of the opera­
tors' counter proposals were
equally absurd. The committee
turned them down in their en­
tirety.

NO PRECEDENT
The Seafarers spokesmen said

the SIU- had no intention of go­
ing for the proposed wage in­
creases, which the operators ad­
mitted were taken from the re­
sults of the recent Washington
meeting of the CMU.

Here is the summarized count­
er-proposal of the operators:

Wage increases ranging from
$12.50 to $24.50 per month.

(The SIU asked a 30 percent

an

wage increase.)

the necessary plans were made. Overtime rates at $1.00
The Isthmian SS Company was hour. (The Union had asked
selected as the chief organiza- overtime rate increases ranging
ional objectivBf for two reasons, from 48 cents to $1.20 per hour.)
^irst, because it was the largest Overtime in port after eight

. hours a day, with overtime jnorganized company and sec-

(ConfUiued on Page 4) {Continued on Page 5)

Coastwise Branch Meetings
Approve SIU Strike Vote

Positive action to enforce the Union's demands for
improved wages and working conditions was taken by the
Seafarers International Union in regular coastwise meet­
ing?, Wednesday, June 19. This action, made necessary by
the realization that the shipowners are not prepared to
accede to the Union's proposals,* —
came in the form of a resolution
to take a strike vote as soon as
possible.

In all ports of the Atlantic and
Gulf Districts, resolutions were
overwhelmingly passed to take a
strike vote during the month of
July so that a strike can be called
"in the event a satisfactory
agreement on wages and working
conditions cannot be reached."

The resolution also authorized

the Union to notify the United
States Department of Labor of
the intention to strike, in accord-,
ance with the Smith-Connally
Act.

The demands which the SIU is
making in the present negotia­
tions with its contracted com­
panies are much better than the
wages and conditions won by the
Committee for Maritime Unityl

(Continued on Page 4) >



Page Two THE SEAFARERS LOG Friday, June 21, 1946

SEAFARERS LOG
Published Weekly by the

SEAFARERS INTERNATIONAL UNION
OF NORTH AMERICA
Atlantic and Gulf District

Affiliated with the Avterican Federation of Labor

At 51 Beaver Street, New York 4, N. Y.

HAnover 2-2784

X X i ^

HARRY LUNDEBERG ------- President
105 Market Street, San Francisco, Calif.

JOHN HAWK - -- -- -- - Secy-Treas.
p. O. Box 2 5, Station P., New York City

Entered as second class matter June 15, 1945, at the Post Office
in New York, N. Y., under the Act of August 24, 1912.

W£U- 11HINK CBX • ?
^|pW0,O0O WmiSSMlPt J igl

We Serve Notice
The shipowner:, their pockets swollen with money

made during the war, are attempting to give the Seafarers
ridiculous concessions only slightl) better than those which
were accepted by the Committee for Maritime Unity.

This constitutes downright arrogance since our con­
tracted companies were notified time and again that the
agreements reached in Washington would in no way be

considered binding upon us.

Our demands are, of course, much better than those
made by the CMU, but that is nothing new. The SlU^
has always had the best wages and working conditions in

.the Maritime Industry, and we intend to keep it that way.
This is not false pride; we are only asking for decent wages
and conditions so that seamen can live as comfortably as

their shoreside brothers.

Seamen, who traditionally live a dangerous life, are
not satisfied with less than the conditions enjoyed by other
workers. And it is not necessary for them to be further
deprived of a fair working day and an adequate wage.

The 21 billion dollars which the shipowners made out
of the suffering of the world, really belongs to the mer­
chant seamen who delivered the goods and were the first
to fight. Instead of this, we are faced with smug bosses
who answer our just demands by throwing them into

the wastebasket.

On the other hand, however, the shipowners are not
worried over the fact that most of the profits they made
during the war were actually plunder.

In fact, even now, they are making plans to buy
sfhips from the War Shipping Administration at prices far
below the actual present value of the boats, just as they
sold them originally to the WSA at over-inflated values.

This may be good business, but it is certainly not

patriotism.

The present negotiations, being conducted directly
between the Union, and the Mississippi Steamship Com­
pany, representing the other operators, is now temporarily
deadlocked. Unless the Company shows a willingness to
meet the reasonable proposals of the Union, they will re-
njain deadlocked. And that will mean a strike.

. . This entire situation may well turn out to be the
biggest battle ip the Seafarers' history. It is' a tribute to
opr solidarity and militancy that we arc prepared for any­
thing that can possibly turn up. If the operators want
a scrap, we are the men who can give it to them.

The coming strike vote will serve even more notice on
the bosses and the Government strikebreakers that we don't
scare easy. Seafarers solidarity will win this battle just
as it has wPn in the past.

Men Now In The Marine Hospitals
These are the Union Brothers currently in the marine hospitals,

as reported by the Port Agents. These Brothers find time hanging
heavily on their hands. Do what yo^u can to cheer them up by writ­
ing to them.

NEW ORLEANS HOSPITAL
EDWARD CUSTER
WILBUR MANNING
J. W. DENNIS
W. F. LEWJS
R. M. NOLAN
JOHN R. QUINN
G. W- WIGGINS
LEROY DAVIDSON
HENRY UGLIS
RAY D. LUSKO
JESUS AMAYA
E. LADINER
AXEL HENRIKS
EMERY SIMMS
JAMES SNELL
W. T. HUNTER
SHERWOOD FINER
AUSTIN GRAHAM
JOHN ROY GOMEZ
LUKE HOLLAND
HENRY LOWERY
HAROLD CLODIUS
RAY FITTS

XXX
BRIGHTON MARINE HOSP.
VINCENT JONES
T. FARTIN
WALTER CAHILL
T. DINEEN
ANTRONY KELLY
R. R. GAYECKA

ED. JOHNSON
H. GILLAN
P. CASALINUOVO
HARRIS O. HANSEN
AUSTIN CHASE
G. PIIINNEY, Jr.
STEPHEN KELLEY
W. SILVERTHORN
GERALD GOODWIN
R. FRENCH
J. COXWELL
HOWARD STONE

XXX
STATEN ISLAND HOSP.

J. E. TUCKER
H. NEILSEN
A. NELSON
L. KAY
L. A. CORNWALL
G. ORPILLA
R. G. MOSSELLER
W. H- G. PAUSE
W. B. MUIR
J. M. DALY
J. L. WEEKS
L. R. PORJA
L. L. MOODY, Jr.
G. P. RAEBURN
L. A. HORNEY
C. A. MILLER
M. J. FORTES
W. J. GEIGER

Hospital Patients
When entering the hospital

notify the delegate by post­
card, giving your name and
the number of your ward.

Staten Island Hospital
You can contact your Hos­

pital delegate at the Staten
Island Hospital at the follow­
ing times:
Tuesday—1:30 to 3:30 p. m.

(on 5th and 6th flours)
Thursday—1:30 to 3:30 p. m.

(on 3rd and 4th floors.)
Saturday—1:30 to 3:30 p. m.

(on 1st and 2nd floors.)

W. G. ROBERTS
E. WEINGARTEN
G. KUBIK
C. KUPLICKI
H. BEAKMAN
E. B. HOLMES
R. SAVIOR
G. JANAVARIS
C. G. SMITH •
D. J. MULCAHY
C. BENESCH
R. MORCIGLIO
G. H. STEVENSON

4. t.
ELLIS ISLAND HOSPITAL
D. McDANALD
J. W. RUBEL
M. BAILEN
H. KARLSON

4. 4. 4.
BALTIMORE MARINE HOSP»
HOWARD NEAL
ROBERT MILLER '
ELMER BROWN
CHARLES STANCLIFF
WALTER BENDLE
JAMES HANCHEY
WILLIAM REEVES
VAH WARFIELD '

; . ' i- -•



' •
Friday. June 21, 1946 THE SEAFARERS LOG Page Three

CAPE DOMINGO CREWMEMBERS

••• J:' •' '• •'• •*'i.-;^

Part of the crew from Isthmian's recently acquired Cape JDomingo. Kneeling (left to right);
Joe Lissner and Tex Roberts. Middle row: Frank Cole. Fred Schoenborn. S. Neilson. Arthur
Johnstone and George Peteusky. Back row: William Kavitt, Douglas Laning, John Shepanski,
George Palmer and Chas. Steinberg.

Educational Job Must Be Done
To Correct Public On Seamen

Industry-wide Strike
Must Be Weil Prepared

By STEELY WHITE

By EARL SHEPPARD

Recently the shipowners ran
series of full page advertisements
in the leading newspapers por
traying the seamen as a high
paid worker whose wages were
all "take-home pay."

The main thing that they failed
to tell was that even in the most
prosperous times, with shipping
at its highest peak, a steady
working seaman could only look
forward to working an average
of eight months of the year.
• Another ^ thing they , failed to
state is the great expense a sea­
man must undergo to maintain
his family while he is at sea and
the extra travel expense he has
to bear in order to be with them
during the brief periods he is
ashore.

A married seaman with no
children joining a ship on the
East Coast and paying off after
a three months trip on the west
coast is faced with quite a prob­
lem if he wants to enjoy a brief
period of normal home life.

COST OF LIVING

If he stays on the ship his only
out is to send for his wife. This
involves roundtrip coa.st. to coast
transportation and hotel bills for
her visit and in the meantime the
cost of maintaining his east coast
home goes on.

If he has children the problem
becomes even more difficult as
their care will have to be ar­
ranged for, or much additional
transportation involved if his
wife brings them with her.

Add these costs to the allot­
ment the seaman must make to
provide for his family while he is
away and the result is the old
ropeyarn payoff. The old army
song.

"All we do is sign the pay-roll,
and we ne'r get a g—d—cent"
really applies to the seaman.

Figure in the high cost of
clothing, medical expenses, etc.,
and the slave conditions a sea­
man lives under are evident.

The shipowner likes to portray
the seaman as a drunken, care­
free, brawler instead of a work-

ingman with greater responsibil­
ities than are found in any'other
group.

One of the Seafarer's greatest
organizational tasks is to break
down this opinion and let the
public know just what type of
men go to sea, what their prob­
lems are and what they are do­
ing to solve these problems.

The Union literature has help­
ed greatly in this. Educators,
social groups, clubs, schools and
other unions all over the world
have requested and received
copies of this literature but at its
best this is only scratching the
surface of public relations.

The best medium of public re­
lations is personal contact. The
Seafarers is a Union that every
member should be proud of and
each member should do his ut­
most to let the world know about
it.

The general public sees a unibn
through the columns of West-
brook Pegler and. other union-
haters. The way to offset this
opinion is to talk unionism at
home, in the neighborhood and
with friends.

UNORGANIZED SEAMEN
A large percentage of the sea­

men sailing unorganized ships to­
day started to sea during the
war. Many of these have had
no contact with the union what­
soever. They came right out of
the maritime schools and were
dispatched directly to an unor­
ganized ship from the WSA ship­
ping halls.

Many of these men were dis­
patched to Pahamanian flag ships
and think the conditions prevail­
ing there are those of all sea­
men. The Union's job is to reach-
these men and the best and most
effective way to do this is by
personal contact.

ISTHMIAN SEAMEN
Because of the intensity and

concentration on ships of the
Isthmian fleet, the men sailing
Isthmian know the score and
have evidenced it by voting SIU
overwhelmingly.

On many Isthmian ships the

work of one or two conscientious
rank and file SIU ships organizers
has resulted in the ship voting
100 percent SIU. Unorganized
seamen who were doubtful and
suspicious of all unions have
themselves become volunteer
ships organizers after a visit to
the SIU hall.

The Union is judged by the
conduct, ability and activity of
the membership. The SIU mem­
ber on an unorganized ship who

knows and does his job well is a
good shipmate; he who is always
ready to discuss ship problems
and the Union is the organizer
who brings the ship home with
a majority SIU vote.

NEW ORLEANS—The time is
up on us when every member

of the Seafarers must use his
head for reasons other than to
hang a sou'wester over — each
Seafarer must use every ounce
of logic, cold reasoning and com­
mon sense that he possesses.

We in our organization are
caught in a whirlpool of econom­
ic strife, in which we could
easily be engulfed and destroyed.
This can be prevented, if we;
1. Use intelligent analysis of

problems by recognizing fac­
tors and conditions of fact
and admitting them as such.

2. A cautious formulation and
execution of program.

.3, Avoid open battle until we
honestly exhausted all reason­
able means oi reaching agree­
ment otherwise.

4. In the event we are forced
to. strike some or all of our
operators—grab our best hold
and fight like hell with every­
thing we are big enough to
swing.

Many Seafarers have never
physically witnessed nor par­
ticipated in a strike. Many who
have participated in previous
strikes came into direct contact
with only certain factors of these
strikes.

A simple definition of a strike
or lockout between a legitimate
labor organization and manage­
ment could be defined as "a fight
between parties who are mu­
tually dependent, each enabled
to bring pressure upon the other
but refusing to cooperate."

NOT SIMPLE
But, for us in the maritime in­

dustry it is not nearly so simple.
A general strike by, or a lockout
of, the SIU-SUP would be a very
complex and complicated affair,
if we expected to come out with
any degree of success.

There is a great deal more to

Isthmian Nicaragua Victory
Foiiows Seafarers Policies

In line with other Isthmian
ships which are rapidly adopting
Seafarers policies and habits, the
Nicaragua Victory held a ship­
board meeting on May 3rd while
at sea. Details of the meeting
were enclosed in a letter written
by Seafarer William Murrell
from Alexandria, and dated May
14th.

Brother Murrell stated that the
Nicaragua's crew was attempting
to follow SIU policies in all re­
spects, and "We are trying our
best to run and adjust every
problem we meet in the SIU
manner."

Murrell continued, "Had it not
been for the men who were
working at the time of the meet­
ing, there would have been 31
men present instead of 23 as in­
dicated in the minutes."

"Everyone is well satisfied,"
wrote Murrell, "and enthused
over the way the SIU meets and
solves various 'problems ashore
and on the ships."

Don Kennedy was elected as
chairman, and Kuhn as record­
ing secretary. Reports were sub­

mitted by the three department­
al delegates, and accepted by the
meeting.

Under the heading of New
Business, motions were approved
to have the Deck Dept. stop clean­
ing port passageway on the main
deck; that each dept. confine
themselves to the use of heads
and showers assigned them; that
fines be assessed for placing feet
on messhall chairs; regulating
the preparation, issuance, and
disposal of linen; and that a per­
colator and toaster be placed in
crew's messhall.

Other motions approved were
that deck delegate confer with
Chief Mate in regard to Deck De­
partment overtime; that one man
from each department be assign­
ed to keep laundry room clean;
and that the slopchest be re-sup­
plied at the first port where sup­
plies are available.

Meeting was concluded with a
discussion by William Murrell on
the Union and it's activities.
Union functions were explained
with an account of the various
benefits that the SIU has pro­
cured for the seamen.

a strike than souping a meeting
up to fever pitch and making a
motion to "hang the hook," or
"packing your bag and falling
down a gangplank."

A union's strength and the in­
telligence of its leaders is not
determined or measured by how
quick we will strike, or how long
v/e may be able to stay out on a
strike, or how hard we may be
able to shut the industry down.

It is measured by how much
we are able to accomplish with­
out a strike or before we have to
go on a strike.

A strike of any determination
or duration not only cripples the
operators but its puts a terrific
strain on the union as an organi­
zation and its members as indi=
viduals financially, physically,
psychologically and morally.

FIRST TO FIGHT

The SIU, since its inception,
and the SUP before the SIU was
born, has always been the first
to fight and win new and better
conditions from the operators.

If any further conditions are
won we will be a controlling fac­
tor in winning them. We have
today conditions that no other
Union in the world can match.
How did we get them? We got
them by:

1. Being a trade union and stick­
ing strictly to trade union
principles and procedure.

2. Stalemating any foreign poli­
cies that were tried to be in­
jected into our program.

3. Fighting the operators
throughout the years with
strikes, job action or anything
we could lay hand to, to ex­
ecute the programs that had
been created by democratic
trade union policies.

4. Denouncing and fighting all
phony programs injurious to
the sailors' welfare be they
sponsored by government
agencies, operators, political
opportunists, or a combination
of all three.

If the membership of the* SIU-
SUP contemplated striking to­
morrow, they would be immed­
iately faced with:—

1. The direct pressure, created,
by the operators, the govern­
ment and government agen­
cies to break not onl^ our
strike but our Union as well
with everything from ma­
chine guns up.

2. Added political pressure for'
laws to run us out of business.

3. Control of newspapers (which
are all anti-labor) to turn the
public's sympathies to them.

4. A split and prostituted mari­
time labor front.

Exclusive of th& non-union
men in the industry today, the
officialdom of the CIO Maritime
Unions, especially the Com­
munist Party-dominated NMU
and ILWU, are either infested
or entirely controlled by officials
whose purpose and aims are of
a political nature, and means
the working man no good other
than to promote the aims of their
selfish political ambitions.

These people have sabotaged
the working stiff time after
time and will do so again (the
strike in the '30s and collabora­
tion with government agencies to

(Continued on Page 6) .

"•^1
S,



Page Four THE SEAFARERS LOG Friday, June 21, 1946

u

Militant Action, Pianning
Responsibie For SlU Growth

(Continued from Pjfic 1}
ond, becaus'j it bad the greatest
open shop apparatus

The entire Union apparatus
was mobilized and its whole en­
ergy thrown into the drive. Re­
gardless of all this, however,
nothing could have been accom­
plished without the wholeheart­
ed ,support of the membership.

• This support was forthcoming
from the very first day of the
drive.

Members by the hundreds vol­
unteered for the task and haunt­
ed Isthmian docks and offices
until they managed to get a job.
Aboard the ships the.se men en­
dured non-union conditions in
order to build the Seafarers and
organize Isthmian crews.

The rank and file volunteer
organizers who are responsible
for the Seafarers success to date
in the Isthmian line are now sea­
soned veterans and will be the
leaders of the future struggles of
our Union. The job they have
done will always stand as one of
the greatest achievements in the
history of maritime organization,

PROGRESS EVERYWHERE
Although the main organiza­

tional emphasis and concentra­
tion was placed on the Isthmian
drive no other field was ne­
glected.

A quick tugboat strike in Mo­
bile, Alabama, started the ball
rolling in that field on the Gulf
and resulted in substantial wage
increases and Union agreements
for the tugboatmen.

The best tow-boat contracts
ever known were signed on the
East Coast and the Hampton
Roads ferry boatmen were or­
ganized.

In Philadelphia and New York
prompt and militant action by the
Seafarers defeated attempted

the government to quit stalling
and as a result the biggest battle
in the Union's history is now
being waged.

THE BEST CONTRACTS
The Seafarers have always en­

joyed the best wages and condi­
tions in the industry—wages and
conditions not handed out on a
silver platter but fought for and
won in Union style. The present
negotiations are aimed at keep­
ing the Seafarers on top,'on win­
ning the best agreements Vet
known.

Our Union always keeps in
good trim and goes into every
fight prepared. When the work
stoppage was called and the ship­
owners given an ultimatum, the
Union had a complete strike ap­
paratus set up and the machinery
established for converting the en­
tire Union to strike purposes.
This apparatus consisted of
everything from picket cards to
soup kitchens and is still ready for
use whenever it may be requii'ed.

The negotiations preparations
have been conducted in the same
manner. All angles have been
covered and all points discussed
over and over in open group
meetings of negotiators and the
membership. This thoroughness
is the thing that will bring the
negotiations to a successful con­
clusion.

. There has been nothing spec­
tacular in the growth and de­
velopment of the Seafarers. Every
step forward has been the result
of planning designed to better
the conditions of the membership.

Every thing that has been ac­
complished to date is paid and
parcel of the Union strength that
has made the Seafarers the most
democratic, strongest and best
maritime Union, a Union that can
well serve as a model for all

Branford N. Hunt

CIO raids on AFL maritime un- j unions everywhere.
The goal of the Seafarers is

full and complete organization of
the entire maritime industry. To

ions.
Fighting a lone and tough bat­

tle the Union killed the wartime
riders of the WSA and forced the
shipowners to accept a rider
drafted and voted upon by the
Union membership. In this beef
job action tied up 112 ships in
New York alone. The crews
showed their solidarity by stand­
ing fast and victory was won.

These were but a few of the
many fights that were fought
.and won.

OUT TO WIN
The SIU-SUP stop work meet­

ing showed the world that the
Union was in the fight to win bet­
ter wages and conditions and was
prepared to fight to the finish re­
gardless of consequences.

The shipowners and govern­
ment bureaus who had been stal­
ling both the "unity" negotiators
in Washington and the Seafar­
ers, suddenly awakened to the
fact that hei-e was one outfit
they couldn't bluff. The Seafar­
ers made it plain that negotia­
tions would have to be between
the owners and the unions with­
out any government interference.
The result was that the Washing­
ton side show- was hurried to
an end and real negotiations
started in San Francisco and
New York.

The Seafarers moved into ac­
tion by threatening to declare a
general strike if the government
seized and sailed any single ship.
We forced Truman and the Wash­
ington fakers from their avowed
purpose of taking over the in­
dustry.

This Seafarers action was an
ultimatum to the owners and to

accomplish this the AFL mari­
time unions have formed a joint
council for mutual cooperation
and support. Joint problems will
be discussed and an unbeatable
solidarity established.

With its fighting, courageous
membership at the helm the Sea­
farers cannot lose.

New Bill Includes
Seamen Under
Social Security Act

Elimination of a glaring in­
equity in the Social Security Act
appeared possible as the House
Ways and Means Committee this
week accepted in principle a
proposal to extend unemployment
compensation coverage to mari­
time workers.

The committee is disposing of
a series of proposed major
changes in the Act which at pres­
ent excludes seamen from the
old age and survivor's insurance
provisions as well as from un­
employment benefits.

The protection for maritime
workers was provided for in a
bill sponsored by Representative
Lynch of New York, a member
of the committee. The amount
and duration of the unemploy­
ment compensation for seamen
would be determined by the regu­
lations of the State in which the
workers reside.

Details for the plan to cover
seamen under the provisions of
the Act will be determined by the
committee later.

Having started as a messman

on the John ScuUy at $10.00 per
month, Branford N. Hunt, Chief
Cook, can see how much organi­
zation has done for seamen since
1908.

He well remembers the days
when seamen were at the mercy
of the shipowners and the ships'
officers, and he is glad that those
days are over for good.

"Thanks to the Union,' he
says, "we have decent wages and
hours. The shipowners would
never give us anything—we had
to take it."

When Hunt first went to sea
in 1908, he never thought that it
would become his life'.s work. He
only wanted to get the wander­
lust out of his blood so that he
could settle down to a quiet life
ashore.

Now he says, "I love the sea
and I know I can't be happj' any
other place. I've tried, and it
can't be done. In fact, even my
ten-year-old son has developed
a love for the sea from hearing
me talk, and he wants to be in
the merchant marine when he
grows up."

EARLY JOINER

Hunt joined the Union in 1910,
when belonging to a union was
an invitation to be put on the
blacklist. He took an active part
in building up the union for sea­
men, and when the 1921 Strike
was called, he served on the
picketline with the rest of the
militant unionists.

From 1929 to 1939 he worked
ashore. He held positions as
Chief Cook at many of the bet­
ter New York City hotels and
restaurants, and was busily es­
tablishing a career for himself.
But when war came in 1939, he
felt it his duty to return to the
sea.

"The merchant marine needed
trained men then," he recalls,
"and so I figui-ed that I ought
to do my part. Of course, now
that the war is over, the opera­
tors have forgotten the part we
played in winning the war, but a
lot of other people remember."

WAR RECORD

Hunt really saw a great deal
of the war. While he never lost
a- ship from under him, he was
bombed "in every continent" of
the world, as he puts it.

"It was all bad," he says,
"Suez, Casablanca, the Mediter­
ranean, but the worst time \yas
D-Day at Omaha Beach, during
the Normandy invasion. The
Nazis hit us with everything they
had. I thought sure that I was
seeing the last day of my life."

Now that it is all over, Hunt
hasn't forgotten the terrifying
days of the war. He says, "I hope
my son never has to go through
that. Men shouldn't have to kill
each other—we ought to be able
to live together without fighting."

After 38 years of following the

BRANFORD N. HUNT

sea, Branford Hunt has retained
his militancy. "The Union
brought better conditions for the
seamen, and I'll fight for the
Union anytime it's necessary.

And I mean it, an;j' time and

any place."

Russia Bars
AFL Agent

The Soviet command in Vienna
has refused permission to the
American Federation of Labor's
European representative, Irving
Bi-own, to visit a trade union
school and youth hostel in Mar-
tenstein in the Russian zone of
occupation, it has been reported
by the N. Y. Times.

Brown was given the invita­
tion to visit the two union pro­
jects by the Austrian Confedera­
tion of Labor, with whom he has
been discussing plans for the re­
sumption of relations between the
Austrian trade union movement
and trade unions in the United
States.

There was no explanation given
for the refusal. Brown said. How­
ever, the Russians had also re­
jected an invitation to attend a
dinner for the AFL representa­
tive. It is evident that the So­
viet attitude is in the nature of
retaliaiton for the AFL's oppo­
sition to Communists.

Brown said that an attempt
would probably be made by the
AFL to work through friends in
the Austrian Labor Committee in
carrying out the plans to dis­
patch relief directly and for giv­
ing the Austrian workers full ac- '
cess to international trade union
literature.

Coastwise Branch Meetings
Approve SlU Strike Vote

(Continued from Pai-c 1)
The Seafarers refuses to be bound
by the agreements entered into
by the CMU, and it is therefore
necessary "to have an affirmative
strike vote in the hands of your
(negotiating) Committee in order
to be in a position to strike, if
necessary, to enforce our de­
mands."

Voting on the referendum bal­
lot will commence on July 1,
1946, and will terminate with the
regular meeting of Wednesday,
July 31, 1946.

The body of the resolution, as
it was approved by the member­
ship, follows:

STRIKE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS: At the present time

the Seafarers International
Union of North America, At­
lantic and Gulf District, is en­
gaged in negotiations with om-

, contracted companies for im­
proved wages and working con­
ditions, and

WHEREAS: The Seafarers In­
ternational Union of North
America, Atlantic and Gulf
District, has always won the
best wages and working condi­
tions in the Maritime Industry
and we intend to maintain that
record in our present negotia­
tions, and

WHEREAS: Although we have
stated for the record' to the
Public, the Government and
to our contracted companies
that we will refuse to be bound
by any agreements entered in­
to in Washington by the Com-
mitte for Maritime Unity, our
contracted companies have at­
tempted to use that agreement

ATTENTION, MEMBERS!
SEAFARERS SAILING AS ENGINEERS

All members—^retired members and former members—of
ihe Seafarers International Union who are now sailing as licensed
Engineers: Please report as soon as possible to the Seafarers Wall
at SI Beaver Street, New York City. Your presence is neces­
sary in a matter of great importance.

as a pattern in their dealings
with us, and

WHEREAS: The conditions
which we are demanding in our
contract negotiations are much
better than the demands that
were made by the Maritime
Unions affiliated with the Com­
mittee for Maritime Unity on
their contracted companies,
and

WHEREAS: It may be necessary,
as negotiations progress, to
have an affirmative strike vote
in the hands of your Commit­
tee in order to be in position to
strike, if necessary, to enforce
our demands,

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RE­
SOLVED: That the Secretary be

instructed to prepare a Strike
Ballot immediately in accor­
dance with the Constitution
and

BE IT FURTHER RESOT.VED:
That the body of this Resolu­
tion be printed on the face of
the Strike Ballot with the fol­
lowing question: "Ar-e You in
Favor of Authorizing Your
Secretary-Treasurer to Call a
Strike in the Event a Satisfac­
tory Agreement on Wages and
Working Conditions cannot be
Reached?"

AND BE IT FURTHER RE­
SOLVED: That the voting on this

ballot shall begin on July 1,
1946 and shall terminate with
the regular meeting of July 31,
1946,

AND BE IT FURTHER RE­
SOLVED: That the actual date
of calling the strike be left
open for the membership to
decide upon at a later date
which will be contingent upon
the progress of our negotia­
tions with the operators,

AND BE IT FINALLY RE­
SOLVED: That we notify the

United States Department of
Labor immediately of our in­
tention to strike in accordance,
with the Smith-Connally Act.



. .. : juJ.i:>'^.,-> . -v' i:^'.^.

Friday, June 21, 1946 THE SEAFARERS LOG Page Fir^

mmm
I THINK

99

QUESTION:—In talking about a forty hour
week for seamen, a shipowner said, "What would
the men do with extra time at sea or in port.
What will you do with your extra time when the
four watch system is instituted on ships under
contract to the SIU?

WILLIAM BADGER, FWT:

More free time would give us a
chance to do a lot of things that
we never had time for. A lot of
us have not had too much school­
ing and we could take books with
us to study from. If one man is
well educated, he could run class­
es for the others. Free time would
come in handy for doing laun­
dry, reading books, writing let­
ters, and a hundred other things.
Sometimes we finish a trip with­
out really knowing one another,
but if we*had lime off. we could
all get better acquainted.

Senate Committee Hears Hawk
Testify Against Coast Guard

ALLEN BELL. Second Cook:

That man didn't know what he
was talking about. I never heard
of a seaman who couldn't use
more free time. We could check
up on certain things that we
ought to do. And if it only gave
us a little more time to relax, it
would be worth it. Maybe then
we would not wear out so quick.
This shipowner, who has prob­
ably never sailed on a ship as
one of the crew, can't realise ho\v
tiring and wearing the work real­
ly is. We need time to rest and
time to relax. It looks like we're
finally going to get it.

MATHEW CARSON. Wiper:

Working 56 hours a week is
damned rugged. I'll bet the ship­
owner who made that statement
doesn't do 56 hours of real work
a year. If I had more free lime,
I would write letters, read some
good books, and it would give
me time to do a good job on my
laundry. The way things are
now, we have to hurry every­
thing we do. That's no way to
live. And anyhow, it's none of
that guy's business what we do
with the time. All workers have a
forty hour week. That's all we
want. We're not asking favors.

JACK HAYS. OS;

I've always wanted to develop
ia hobby, but I've never had time.
Now if the four watch system is
started, I could take pictures (I'm
a camera bug), and really be us­
ing my leisure time to good ad­
vantage. Besides that, I want
snore time so that I can read, and
write letters to my family. Some­
times we are on a trip for a few
weeks without tuoching land once.
It would not hurt to start the
idea of having movies on board,
in the crew messroom. We should
have entertainment because we
work hard and need relaxation.

(Continued from I)

Guard was to terminate six
months after the end of the war.

"He said the men all wanted
that order terminated, that they
had been satisfied with the De­
partment of Commerce and want­
ed to be returned to its jurisdic­
tion. I had occasion to li.sten to
the testimony and in my opinion
Mr. Hawk's argument should
prevail and Reorganization Plan
No. 3 be defeated."

Hawk's follow-up of the initial
promise of victory on the House
side of the Congress was well re­
ceived by the Senate Committee
and is sure to bear weight when
the matter comes up for a vote.
The SIU has supplied opponents
to the Reorganization Plan with
valuable and well-documented
information which they will put
to use.

The text of his testimony be­
fore the Senate Committee fol­
lows:

Mr. Chairman and
Gentlemen:

In expressing the opposition of
merchant seamen to Coast Guard
jurisdiction over the Bureau of
Marine Inspection and Naviga­
tion, as provided under the Presi­
dent's Reorganization Plan 3,
Part 1, I should like to start off
with an illustration.

The railroads bear the same
relation to the U.S. Army that
the Merchant Marine does to the
Coast Guard and Navy. For pur­
poses of supply the Army must
have the railroads at its disposal.

But if the Army operated as
the Coast 'Guard did during the
war, and has since, and will per­
petually if the Reorganization
Plan goes thi'ough, railroad men
would be examined for fitness
to serve by a board of Army
officers.

Any infractions would be tried
by special Army hearing units,
superimposed on the manage­
ment of the railroads. Railroad
men could be blacklisted from all
railroads, and not allowed to
work on any of them for periods
of months or years if the Army
heai'ing units saw fit.

NO EXAGGERATION

That is the situation of the
merchant seamen under the
Coast Guard, gentlemen. The il­
lustration is without exaggera­
tions; I merely put it in that way
to point up the picture.

It is because this situation
exists that every licensed officer
in the merchant marine, and
every unlicensed seaman opposes
continuation of Coast Guard jur­
isdiction. The shipping compan­
ies join in the opposition. They,
as we did, could see the necessity
for military controls during the
war, but there is no reason for
them in peacetime.

The President's Plan points
out that the Bureau of Marine
Inspection and Navigation oper­
ated successfully under the Coast
Guard during the four years of
the war, and thus has proven it­
self. But the Bureau was created
by Congress in 1884, gentlemen,
and operated under the Depart­
ment of Commerce successfully,
and with no opposition by sea­
men or shipowners all diu'ing the
47 years that preceded the war.
There has been plenty of oppo­
sition to the Coast Guard since
it took over.

Four years of wartime opera­

tion certainly are no criterion, as
compared with 47 years of peace­
time operation. And remember,
these are years of peace from
now on!

CIVILIAN CONTROL
The very nature of the Bureau

demands that it be under civilian
control. One of its major func­
tions is protection of the seamen
through the offices of the U.S.
Shipping Commissioners.

A Master's word is law on ship­
board. If a seaman misses a day's
work, the Master can fine him
two days' pay. If the infractions
are more serious, the Master
takes it up before the Shipping
Commissioner and local Steam­
boat Inspectors, and the seaman
is brought up on charges.

But in addition to punishing
the seaman, the Shipping Com­
missioner protects him from
overbearing officers or venal
shipping companies. If the Mas­
ter's ruling is deemed too harsh,
the Shipping Commissioner—who
knows the law governing sea­
men, may lessen the punishment
if he sees fit.

But under Coast Guard control,
the seaman has faced double jeo­
pardy for any infraction of ship­
ping rules. Let us say that a sea­
man misses a day. He is logged
for two days' pay by the Captain,
which seems punishment enough.
But in the eyes of the Coast
Guard sea lawyers it isn't.

When the ship puts in. Coast
Guard officers look over the log
book. They see that a seaman has
missed a day. They call him be­
fore one of their hearing units—
which in reality is nothing more
than a kangaroo court.

In addition to losing two days'
pay he is deprived of his papers
for 30 days or more. This hypo­
thetical case has happened hun­
dreds and thousands of times.
Seamen arc on the beach, then,
for 30 days, deprived of mnlcing a
living, because of Coast Guard
misuse of power.

NO OVERLAPPING
The President's Plan spealcs of

"overlapping duties" of the Bu-
i-eau of Marine Inspection and'
Navigation under the Department
of Commerce and the Coast
Guard. I challenge anyone to
show me where the Coast
Guard's normal peacetime duties

ovei'lap or conflict with those of
the Department. The inspection
of merchant ships does have to
do with their safety, at sea, of
course, hut there is no overlap­
ping of duties between the in­
spectors and the Coast Guard
patrol boats.

Actually, there's much more
overlap, more wasted govern­
ment funds under Coast Guard
control than there was under
Commerce. "When the Bureau
was shifted by executive order
in 1942, the entire civilian per­
sonnel of the Bureau went along
with it.

Coast Guard officers merely
supplemented from ihe top, and
threw in some enlisted personnel
at the bottom level. The actual
work of the Bureau was contin­
ued by the old civilians. Where
is any saving effected there?

WHY, INDEED?
There's another point I would

like to make. The Congress has
appropriated nine million dollars
for continuation of the seaman's
training program under the Mar­
itime Commission. Might I ask
why more seamen are trained
when the Coast Guard is busy
depriving trained seamen of their
papers every time one of them
comes before them?

The case against the Coast
Guard's control is a strong one
from anj' angle, gentlemen. I
urge this committee to report fa­
vorably on the bill to defeat Re­
organization Plan 3—so that the
seamen and others who are af­
fected by it will at least have a
chance to be heard betore xtiey
are saddled with the Coast Guard
foi-ever.

Attention Members!
Seaf(U'ers Sailing

.4s Engineers
All members—retired mem­

bers and former members—
of the Seafarers Internation­
al Union who are now sailing
as licensed Engineers: Please
report as soon as possible to
the Seafarers Hall at 51 Bea­
ver Street, New York City.
Your presence is necessary
in a matter of great impor­
tance.

Seafarers Walks Out Of Meeting
When Operators Weasel On Terms

(Continued from Page I)
for Saturdays, Sundays and holi­
days.

At sea, overtime to be paid
* for all work done on Sun­

days— this to include men stand­
ing watches. (The Seafarers had
asked for a four-watch system, a
six day work week for day men
ashore and in port, and a six-
hour work day for men in tbe
Stewards Department.

Here, then, is the way the op­
erators knocked down the basic
demands of the SIU:

They counter-proposed wage
increases roughly one-third or
less than demanded.

ABSURD OFFER
They proposed an uverllnie in­

crease of 10 cents an hour, about
one-fifth to one-twelfth lower
than the demands.

They refused to "consider the

four-watch system, the six-hour
day in the Stewards Department,
and the six-day work week for
day men at sea and in port, pro­
posing instead a 44-40 arrange­
ment.

They said they couldn't go for
the longshore work demands,
proposing to pay the crew the
same rate that longshoremen in
that port are paid, with a $1.00 an
hour minimum. The SIU had
asked an increase to $1.50 an
hour for the deck watch; $2.25 an
hour for the watch below.

They made no counter propos­
als for the otandby and tank
cleaning rate increases.

All in all, the operators seemed
to be primed to resist the SIU's
equitable demands, to quibble
and to split hairs. The Negotiat­
ing Committee walked out when
this became apparent through
the operators AB wage cut pro­
posal.



''Page Six E SEAF AHERS LOG Friday, June 21, 1946

lie

SlU, Longshoremen Beat
Company Stall In Mobile

By CHARI.ES KIMBALL

MOBILE—Teamwork between and their subsequent actions are
" " ' " in the tradition of good unionism,

FIRST MOVE
Right off the bat,-they covered

up the hatches of the Cape Fal­
con and told the Company that
they were going fishing until the
sailors' beef was settled to the
complete satisfaction of the SlU.

Following this, the officials of
the Mobile Longshoremen's
Union met with the Mobile
Agent of the SlU and a program
was Worked out to bring matters
to a head as soon as possible.

By 'this time the Company
realized that as long as the dis­
pute. was unsettled, there was no
possible chance of sailing the
Cape Falcon. So they came to
terms, and a satisfactory settle­
ment was arrived at.

Members of the crew were not
surprised that their beef was
squared away so rapidly. They
know that the militancy of the
SlU, plus the cooperation of
their AFL Brothers, is a combin­
ation that cannot be beat.

the Seafarers and the Mobile
Longshoremen brought a quick
end to a dispute here last week.

The entire situation came about
through the actions of one man,
the Skipper of the SS Cape Fal­
con, Waterman Lines. His tyr-
rany finally brought about his
undoing when he handcuffed an
Oiler in the stack all one night.

This, on top of the other small
beefs which had been building
up, blew the lid off, and the crew
decided to leave the ship until
something could be done to
square the Captain away once
and for all.

When the suitcase parade
started off the ship, the Long­
shoremen wanted to know the
story. They were told in detail.

Foolish Questions
Drive Dispatchers
Stark, Raving Mad

By PAUL GONSORCHIK

Although it may not be ap­
parent, the men who work in the
Dispatching Department are
sometimes pretty well over­
worked.

Lately, our Registration man,
Benny Gonzales, has been even
more rushed and that is the fault
of the men.

All Registration men have a
tough job, but in New York it is
much tougher than any other
place. Registrations run high
here and average close to 100 per
day. And there is where the
trouble starts.

Practically every man comes
up to Benny's desk asks two or
three questions. That means JDC-
tween 200 and 300 questions a
day. Answering is part of his
job, but boy, some of the ques­
tions are dillys.

• FOOLISH QUESTIONS
Here are some samples;
"Did you hear from Joe, I

can't remember his last name,
•^Ut he is about so high and has
brown hair?"

"Has A1 So-and-So stopped go­
ing around with that girl down
in New Orleans?"

"Did Pete's wife gave birth to
her baby yet? Was it a boy or
a girl?"

How can the Dispatcher or the
Registration man know any of
the answers to these questions
when most times we don't even
know the people being asked
about?

OTHER HEADACHES
Please, fellows, confine your­

selves to questions that are about
the issue at hand. Otherwise our
nice congenial dispositions start
to disappear, and that makes a
tough job harder.

Phone calls from your wives,
sweetheart, or families, are an­
other headache. They want to
knirw your whereabouts, and
they, don't know your rating or
department. So we have to
search through the files, and take
time from other duties.

If all men will cooperate by
not asking unnecessary questions,
and by telling their families
where they are, we will be able
to do a better job, all around.

Make Isthmian SlU!

MILITANT, UNITED ACTION PAYS OFF

This is the crev/ of the Cape Falcon on the dock bag and bag­
gage. Their militant action won out against the bucko Skipper.

The Longshoremen ask the score, and get it from Blackie
Neira. In the rear. Brother Neira is speaking to the president
and secretary-treasurer of the Longshoremen. In the foreground
is Charles Kimball, Mobile Agent,

The Cape Falcon crew begin
shoreman, and he seems to be

their suitcase parade. The man in the foreground is a long-
pretty wrought up over the Skipper's actions.

Industry-wide Strike Must Be Prepared
(Continued from Page 5)

tear down all the sailoi's' condi­
tions after Russia entered the
war on the side of the Allies).

. STRIKE BREAKERS
These people will destroy the

trade unions of which they are
members or officials to advance
their political purposes. Thdy
have in the pa.st, and will in the
future, feed their memberships
treacherous propaganda and lies
in order to sabotage sailors' con­
ditions and our Union.

They have approached our op­
erators, when we were out on
strike, and attempted to sail our
struck ships for sell-out con­
tracts. They have openly finked
on the MM&P. They have finked
on their own rank and file mem­
bership (the '39 tanker strike).

Can we afford to do business
with people of this nature? They
arc lovey-dovey now—sure, they
want us off our ships and on the
picketline in support of their
strike-pledged memberships, re­
gardless of what our obligations
may be.

We are in complete sympathy
with, and 100 percent for, the
working stiffs in these unions
and whatever they want in wages
and conditions, but we cannot
plaiy with fire and expect not
to get burned.

They may have the support

of some commie-controlled un­
ions in the foreign countries, but
do not think for one minute that
the SlU-SUP could get this sup­
port if we were on strike and
the Cornmie Party gang was
bucking us.

In the event we were out on
strike and these people saw
where they could take over our
operators, provided the operators
were foolish enough to dicker
with them, on a sell-out contract
and thereby gain control of the
American Merchant Marine—do
you for one minute think that
they would not advocate and at­
tempt to do this? Old Joe Stalin
would personally subsidize the
American fleet for that oppor­
tunity. ^

We must not overlook a pre­
vailing condition that exists
within our Union. Since the
beginning of the war we have
had to open our books to all com­
ers in order to sail our ships.
This circumstance created this
condition:
1. When it took guts to take a

job off the board, torpedoes
took a terrific toll of our best
men.

2. Many commies infiltrated in­
to our ranks.

3. We have within our mem­
bership a number of class-con-
scious idealists who will ad­
vocate to a degree any mass

strike movement against capi­
talist management contrary
to their better judgment,
practical reasoning, and trade
union principles.

4. We have a great many new­
comers and green boys who
are not educated or don't
know the score in the com­
plex maritime labor field.

Therefore, it is imperative that
we deliberate thoroughly and
democratically any proposed pro­
cedure we might undertake and
not jump the gun on any super­
charged proposals that would lead
us into trouble.

We all make our living from
the sea. The only bulwark be­
tween the seamen's conditions
today and the conditions of '29-'33
are the SIU-SUP and the sup­
port we get from our affiliates,
the Teamsters, the ILA and the
MM&P, etc.

I do not want anyone to misin­
terpret my position. I want
everything for the sailors that
the industry will stand. I am not
backward in pulling the pin on
a ship, but, a word of advice to
each and every member of our
Union—when you get a beef, be
it large or small—

1. Know that you are right.
2. Try convincing by arguing

your opinion and position.
3. If you have to hang the hook,

drop both of them.

Four Watch
System A Must

By LOUIS GOFFIN

We note that the shipowners,
using their usual propaganda
methods, were putting full page
ads in newspapers throughout the
country. The ads claimed that
the demands made by the mari­
time unions were impossible.

Of course, with their bulging
war chests they could afford such
ads, paid for out of the cabbage
which they made during the war.
Blood money, made out the sacri­
fices of seamen who gave their
lives, and taxpayers who gave
their hard eai-ned money.

These people were under the
impre.ssion that they were mak­
ing sacrifices because it was the
least they could do for their coun­
try. They did not give their lives
and money so that the shipown­
ers could pile up enormous prof­
its, and then use these profits to
try to beat down the seamen and
the unions of their own choice.

TOOK RISKS

While Mr. Shipowner was safe
in his office, the men sailing the
ships were in constant danger.
We were known as "Heroes in
Dungarees" and the shipowners
basked in our reflected glory.
Like ghouls, they gloated over
the record made by the seamen
who delivered ..the supplies and
the men through war-torn seas.
Many seamen died v/hile ship­
owners piled up the profits.

Now thatjthey are being asked
to share their ill-gotten gains,
they sit back and give us a great
big "NO."

The war is now long over, and
shipowners have short memories.
They have forgotten our hero­
ism; they think only of the fact
that they wil make slightly less
profit if they give us a decent
living wage.

With the resources at their
command, they can convince the
public that we are a bunch of
overpaid, underworked bums.
But the reverse is true, and if
the public could only be made
aware of the truth, they would
be =on our side.

No one could possibly think
that our demands are exorbitant
when all we want is .what all
workers ashore already have.
There is no reason why an elec­
trician, or a carpenter, or a ma­
chinist should work forty hours
a week, while a seaman works
fifty-six hours weekly, without
the payment of overtime.

DEMANDS JUST
This situation must be cor­

rected, and the obvious solution
is to start the four watch sys­
tem. This would only mean an
additional five men on each ship,
and would create more jobs for
American merchant seamen.

Mr. Shipowner claims that
there is no room for more men
aboard ships. We can all re­
member when college boys work­
ed their way to Europe during
the summer. The operators found
room for extra hands then, didn't
they?

There is plenty of room for the
personnel that would be needed,
but anything that takes profits
away from these heartless bosses
is out as far as they are con­
cerned.

This issue is too important. We
must do all we can to get the
shipowners to accept the four
watch system. We must be pre­
pared for any action to press
home oiir demands.



Friday, June 21. Id4fi THE SEAFARERS LOG Page Sevim^

Mobile Demonstrates How Union
Solidarity Will Settle Beefs

By CHARLES KIMBALL

Reactionary American Legion
Opposes Seamen's Bill Of Rights

it

By JOE

isn't one NEW YORK—If

thing, it's another.

Dtsidca battling with the Coast
Guard. WSA. and the shipowners,
now we have to take on the
American Legion. This bunch is
not satisfied to wear their uni­
forms and go on toots during
their conventions; no sir, they
have to stick their noses into
our business.

The American Legion has taken
a stand that merchant seamen,
who served during the war, are
not entitled to a "Bill of Rights"
similar to the one granted to vet­
erans of the Armed Services.
They claim that the merchant
marine is a voluntary civilian or­
ganization and that merchant
seamen are not, and were not,
subject to military discipline and
hardships.

Don't laugh, fellows, thiey're
really serious.

GESTAPO CONTROL
Being under Coast Guard con­

trol doesn't mean miliatry dis­
cipline according to these guys.
And being torpedoed and bombed
doesn't constitute hardships.

There are 6000 seamen who
were sent to the bottom as a re­
sult of enemy action. They didn't
die of old age. If that doesn't
count as a hardship, what does?

Through their spokesman. Col­
onel John Thomas Taylor, the
American Legion .states that sea­
men were generally higher paid
than servicemen and therefore
do not need, and are not entitled
to, a "Bill of Rights."

LITTLE PAY
This is complete hooey. Sea­

men wei-e paid a little more than
servicemen, but they had ex­
penses that had to be met out of
the money they earned, not
through Goveinment allotments.
Seamen had to buy their own
clothes, support their own fami­
lies, and replace any personal be­
longings lost due to torpedoing
or bombing.

As a result of all this, many
seamen averaged less pay than
servicemen, not more.

This is not the first time that
the American Legion has taken
a stand that is selfish and not in
the best interests of most people.
The organization has a long reac­
tionary record, but they really
went out of their way to pick
on us.

We did our job during the war.
We don't want special credit,
just what others who served
their country got.

TOUGH SKIPPER
The Skipper of the Cape Fara-

lon, Moran Tugs, is probably a
follower of Joe "No Coffee Time"
Curran. Anyhow, he refused to
give the night watch time for
coffee^.and the crew got a little
bit mad about the whole thing.

I went down to'see hirrt, and he
Mid that he didn't think the
meri l deserved the time. The
crew gave him about 24 hoUfs to

ALGINA

think it over again, and this
time he decided that coffee time
is a very good idea.

Shipping is picking up here,
but there is still room for im­
provement. Now that the com­
mies have called off their mari­
time strike, I guess we'll have to
carry the ball for the seamen as
we always have. I still can't
figure what the NMU got out of
the settlement — from here it
looks like Harry Bridges and his
union got the gravy, and the
NMU and the other unions got
the leavings.

That's the way we had it
figured all the time.

HQ NEWS??
Silence Ihis.week from th*

Branch Agents of the follow­
ing ports:

PHILADELPHIA
BOSTON
CHARLESTON
SAVANNAH
HOUSTON
SAN JUAN

MOBILE—This town saw one
of the b^st demonstrations of
unity when we had our special
meeting and work stoppage on
June G.

We were compelled to hire a
large hall for tjie meeting, and
even that turned out to be too
small, so we had to have a sec­
ond meeting later in our own

Hall.

The men in Pensacola also hit
the beach but they weii- unable
to get here in time to attend.
We kept them informed about
the goings on by telephone.

If this meeting and stoppage

The Patrolmen Say...
Steward Praised

You could have scuttled my
towboat when the crew of the
Galen Stone, Eastern Steamship
Company, sang the praises of the

Jacksonville Wants More Ships
By LOUIS GOFFIN

JACKSONVILLE — Things in and the SS James Rumsey.
this port are as slow as ever, and
prospects for the next few days
are not much brighter. We have
a few rated men registered and
we will be glad to send them to
any of the nearby branches that
are in need of them.

We had it understood that the
coastwise runs were going to be
resumed, but the Bull Lines
threw a bombshell at us when
they announced that, although
they intend to go back into the
coastwise business, they do not
plan to use this port for some
time to come.

PLANS CHANGED

I Prior to the war. Bull had at
least one ship in here each week,
and we figui-ed that with the
resumption of the coastwise
trade, they would Pperate as they
did in the past. We are very

hopeful that when the fruit sea­
son starts, the Bull Line will
change plans and use this port
again. A ship a week would
keep this port on its feet.

Most of the ships that we have
been getting here are SUP. Since
we have jurisdiction in the Deck
Department only on those ships,
it doesn't do the members of the
Engine and Stewards gangs any
good. Sb, we ship ABs and Oi*-
dinairys fairly regularly, but we
seldom have any jobs for the
other two departments.

Jhcksbhville is mainly a port of
call for SUP ships, just loading
of discharging a little. But at the
present time, we have .the SS
Teiry Stephehson. which has just
^ghed oh for the Baukite fiih.

This scow signed on in New
York for a trip to the east coast
of South America, but she ran
aground on a reef in the Ba­
hamas and so she was towed into
this port.

OTHER VISITORS
Our other visitors during the

week included the SS Amarillo
Victory, which was here for one
day discharging a little cargo,
and the SS Cornell Victory,
which was here for a few hours
and then steamed out for San
Pedro.

Since no regular meetings are
held here due to the shortage of
full book members, the men who
are around express their senti­
ments that they are united be­
hind the negotiating committee
in whatever actions are neces­
sary to get our demands from the
shipowners.

Stewards Department.
It's not very frequent that the

crew will single out the "Belly
Robbers" for praise but that's ex­
actly what happened. The Stew­
ard and Chief Cook explained it
this way.

"Whatever we have," thejy
said, "we put out. No man will
ever go hungry as long as we
have food to give them. Of
course, we try to make every­
thing taste good, and we serve
it so that the men will enjoy the
sight of the food as well as the
taste."

Don't push, boys, this ship has
only a small turnover.

By the way, the Skipper of the
vessel took the opoprtunity to
congratulate the Union on sup­
plying such a good crew.

James Purcell
» ft 4

Traditions Upheld
I had the satisfaction of seeing

a good gang upliold the principles
and traditions of the SIU when
I paid off the SS B. Herman, a
Weyerhauser ship.

When I came on board, I waa
met in the messroom by the Deck
Delegate, Brother H. Muckner,
and the rest of the Deck gang.
Every one was sober, and theie
were no beefs.

All the rooms and lockers u.sed
(Continued on Page 9)

Frisco Wins Overtime For Oilers
By W. H. (RED) SIMMONS

SAN FRANCISCO—No change
of pace out here this week. Ship­
ping continues to be somewhat

slow as it has been for the past
couple of weeks.

West Coast representative Bob
Matthews is in New York cov­
ering the Engine Department in
the current negotiations.

We settled what we believe
might be a precedent in the way
of beefs out here this week. We
won overtime for the men tend­
ing the evaporators on sea
watches aboard the SS Charles
McDonnell, when the Mississippi
Steamship Co. vessel paid off on
May 31.

The following men come in
for the specified sums as a result
of the settlement; Edwin King,
Oiler, ($54.00 less $10.80 taxes)
$43.20; Leslie Blanchard, Oiler,
($196.20 less $37.28 taxes) $156.90;
Alan. Peak, Oiler, ($64.80 less
$12.96 faxes) $51.84; Louis Briant,
Oiler, ($270.90. lesS $27.09 taxes)
$243.90; Vefhbh Weideman, 3rd
Cook, has ($57.50 less $11.52 tax­

es) $46.08 for doing work other
than of a routine galley nature.

The overtime vouchers for
these men have been sent to the
Mississippi Company's office in
New Orleans.

At the payoff here of the MV
Wall Knott, three Oilers were
paid an average of 200 hours
each for tending the evaporators
on sea watches. This Waterman
ship was paid off here June 11.

didn't convince the people of
Mobile that labor is united, the
events of the next few days cer­
tainly have done the trick.

FIRST BEEF

First off, the Ranier, Decon-
hil Steamship Company, came in
with a'oout $4000 worth of logs;
not bad for a four month trip.
The Skipper immediately got the
Gestapo, I mean the Coast Guard,
to come on board, and they
.started holding a private Kan­
garoo Court.

We threatened to shut the ship
down, and that brought the Port
Agent to his senses. He asked
us to have the cases considered in
the saloon without the Captain,
and to this we agreed.

To make a long story short,
all the logs were cancelled, the
charges were dropped, and the
Company asked us for permission
to keep the Skipper aboard long
enough to square up his accounts.

The second illustration of
solidai-ity cam.e about on our
beef with the Calmar Line. The
SS Roy K. Johnson had 83 hours
in disputed overtime, and all of
it was legitimate. However, the
Calmar repre.sentative didn't
think so, and he flatly refused
to pay it.

EXTRA WORK

I sat down to talk to him, and
pointed out that if he could
show me how the work—defrost­
ing and cleaning ice-box, sorting
vegetables, sorting and bagging

Attention Members!
Seafarers Sailing

.4s Engineers
All members—retired mem­

bers and former members—
of the Seafarers Iniemallon-
al Union who are now sailing
as licensed Engineersr Please
report as soon as possible to
the Seafarers Hall at 51 Bea­
ver Stteef. New York City,
•ybu'r jirfesehte' is hiceiisafy in

a matter of great iih|>oftahce.

dirty linen—could be done in the"
Steward Department's regular
working hoiu's, 1 would concede
the dispute to him.

To this he replied he wasn't
a seaman; did not know anything
about ships, and would not pay
the beef.

The crew refused to pay off
until this wSs squared awaiy.
After offering them their money,
which they would not take, the
Calrnai' representative ordered
the crew off the ship. This or­
der was carried out to the letter.

Calmar thought that this
would be a good time to dry dock
the ship and work her ovexv
However, the tugboatmen will
not move the ship until the be^
is settled, and the longshoremen
have also told the Company that
they will not work the ship until
the company comes to terms with
the SIU.

That's the way things stand
now, but we are in hopes that
the company will see the light
soon so that the whole mess can
be cleared up.

Other than these beefs, this
port is running very smoothly.
tVe can use rated men, especially
ABs arid Cooks, but I guess prac­
tically every port is iri the same
position. Busiribss and shipping
are very good—we hope the same
fate' continues.



^ Page Eight THE SE AF ARERS LO G Friday, June 21, 1946

r

r

Florida Unions Work Together
To Beat Finky State's Attorney

By SONNY SIMMONS

TAMPA—We are finally lo­
cated in our new Hall, and while
there are still some things to be
done to make this place adaptable
for our own use, nevertheless it
is very comfortable. W^hen we
get everything squared away, we
will have the finest Hall on the
Gulf.

Our location is excellent since
we are right in the center of all
the union halls in Tampa. Of
course, our Hall is one of the best,
and we have nothing to be
ashamed of.

At the present time all of the
unions that own halls here in
Tampa have filed an injunction
aginst the Tax Assessors to pre­
vent them from taxing the build­
ings. This is the latest move in a
wide open campaign against., la­
bor.

UNION BUSTER
The big shot of the drive is the

Attorney General of Florida, a
character named J. Tom Watson.
He is admittedly out to break
unions, and he hates them so
much that when he gets up to
make a speech against them, he

taking part in local elections is
not the best policy, but we have
to do something to beat this
scab-loving, fink-hiring, big
business stooge.

There are lots of ships stop­
ping here and at Boca Grande.
The Luther Hurd and the Eleanor
are in EG now and we sent re­
placements to both. The Port
Agent for Waterman said that
several of their ships are going
on this run, and the first one,
the Andrew Jackson, will be in
this week.

The Bull Line is also starting
coastwise runs on July 10, and
that will be very good for us all.

Most of the fellows have ship­
ped, and we are having trouble
getting rated men. -I hope this
situation does not continue. If
it does, I will probably turn gray.

WITH SIU IN CANADA

By HUGH MURPHY

VANCOUVER — A recent ar-« .
rival here was the British freight­
er, the Samshee, just about the
dirtiest rustbucket ever to hit
this port. The crew was up in

arms against their intolerable
conditions, and at the bad treat­
ment at the hands of the Skip­
per.

This character had the dis­
torted idea, that seamen are not
human. However, the crew mem­
bers had other ideas and they
knew that they had only to con­
tact the local branch of the SIU
to get action to improve t' r lot.

A hearing of the complaints of
the crew was held in the Ship­
ping Office, presided over by the
Shipping Master, at which noth-

Operator Pays For Chiseling Try
By WILLIAM STEVENSON

s^'
rsi >

actually cries. I heard him make
a speech to some finks here and
this weeping phony was really
a sight to see.

The tears were rolling down
his cheeks, and he was sobbing
to beat the band. We good union
men down here would like to give
him something to cry about.

One of the things he has done
recently was to invite a fink
herder named James Karam, and
his phony Veterans Industrial
Association, to Florida to set up
shop. All labor is up in arms
against this move, and we are not
going to take it without protests.

BEAT WATSON
Watson comes up for election

soon, and all the labor unions
are consolidating their strength
to defeat this bum. I realize that

LONELY SKIPPER
The Skipper of the SS John

Gallup, Smith and Johnson Line,
must be a very lonely man. At
least, it sounds that way from the
fact that he would not give the
crew any liberty in foreign ports.

Or else, maybe he's just a
tough guy who wants to show the
crew who is boss. He would not
exchange any foreign money that
the crew had left over, and that
made bad blood between him and
the crew.

It is just such officers that
make unlicensed men resentful
of the authority given to the li­
censed men. We think that situa­
tions iike this should be rectified
by the shipping companies.

If anything like this happens
on a ship that you are on, notify
the Patrolman as soon as he
comes aboard. There is probably
something we can do about it.

Ray Gonzales
Salvador Cools
Johnny Johnston

DETROIT—While the Detroit
and Cleveland boats were fitting
out, the company had all mem­

bers of the Stewards Department

examined by the company doc­
tor. This is a good way for a
chiseling company to eliminate
the militant crew members. And
chat is exactly what happened.

Because the people who were
•ired were good Union members,
ve were able to do something
ibout it right away. We sent
them up to the United States
Public Health Service for an ex­
amination, and then had them
taken back on the ships they
were fired from.

ALL COLLECT

Best of all, they collected full
pay and subsistence for the time
they had lost. I'll bet it will be
a long time before this company
tries to play games with the SIU
again.

It is a shame to see the way
some Canadian seamen work
twelve hours a day for starva­
tion wages. Canadian shipown­
ers get the same freight rates as
American operators, yet Ameri­
can seamen make three times as
much money as Canadian sea­
men.

Now the Canadian shipowners
are fighting tooth and nail
against the eight hour day. We
have a contract with the Grand
Truck Car Ferry, under Cana­
dian registry, and the seamen
who work for that company have
had the eight hour day for 27
years. Strange as it may sound
to the other operators, the Grand
Truck has made money and is
Till making it.

FINKS SCARED

Last. week the Noronic, Cana-
Jian Steamship Lines, tried to
dock here after beating it away
from Thorold, Ontario, with a
finky crew.

I got together with the repre­
sentatives of the ILA and the
MM&P and we told the Captain
of the .ship to take her out of
there. After we finished talking
to him, he moved her upstream.
We gave him a little help by
casting the lines off.

Most of the windows on the
ship were broken, and it was no
better than the Skipper and the
crew deserved. There is no place

for finks in the maritime indus­
try.

SHIPPING GOSSIP
Shipping has been good in thi.s

port for the last month. We
could use more rated men in all
departments if they are willing
to sail on unorganized ships.

Dave Walker, the Steward
aboard the SS Cleveland III,
gave the passengers a real treat
on Mothers' Day. He had a big
open house with ice-cream, cake,
and a big orchestra.

Our Duluth Hall is opening this
week with Brother Nordaas as
the Agent in charge. If any of
the Brothers get up in that neck
of the woods, they should make
it a point to drop in. The same
goes for visitors to this Hall. We
like to see you, so come on along.

ing whatever was decided or ac­
complished.

We went to work on this and
had the health authorities check
the ship and fumigate the crew's
quarters. This was not entirely
satisfactory, but the ship was
cleaned up after a fashion.

QUICK ACTION

We followed up on this action
by petitioning the Government
to centralize the health inspec­
tion service in this port, and
protests have been sent to mem­
bers of Pnrliarnent in regard to
the deplorable conditions under
which "Britannia Rules the
Slaves."

Thanks from the crew of the
Samshee is contained in a letter
which was sent to me right be­

fore the ship sailed. The letter
follows:

"We, the crew of the Samshee,
would like to extend to you our
gratitude for the action you are
taking in an effort to raise our
so very low standard of living on
the majority of British Freighters.

"In the first instance, never
have we experienced such amaz­
ing results as attained by you in
so short a period of time. We
really think that this case will

be instrumental in raising our
standards and also removing the
menace of scab labor which is
only made possible by the inhu­
man treatment of British seamen.

"In conclusion, let us add tliat
your members must indeed be
very proud to have such an effi­
cient Agent in this port."

GREEK SHIPS

Quite a number of old rust-
buckets have been bought up
recently by Greek shipping in­
terests, which are making a real
bid for some share of the fat
profits to be made out of ship­
ping. Who said a ship doesn't
pay? Ask the man who owns one.

These racketeers must have
learned the shipping business in
Britain, as they have the same
philosophy as the British ship­
owner. This feeling that .seamen
do not deserve decent wages and
good conditions is one which we
have to combat, and so far we
have put a few of these Greek
ships in order.

The shipowners don't like the
idea of dealing with the Union,
and they have tried every pos­
sible to dodge to avoid it. But
the Phaeax II, which is crowing
up here, is no exception and she
will be dealt with before -she
clears.

In organizing seamen to fight
for higher wages and better con­
ditions, I am reminded of what
Clarence Darrow said. He put

it better than anyone else, so
here it is:

"When you are organized, the
boss will listen to you; the strong­
er ' your organization, the more
attentively he will listen. As you
become strong so will he become
rea.sonable. Weaken and he will
wipe you out."

Waterfront Unions In Chicago Form Council
By HERBERT JANSEN

CHICAGO—On June 4 a meet­
ing was held to form a Mari­
time Council among the Port
of Chicago Waterfront Unions.
This body will thrash out any
marine problems that come up,
and will also back each other
up in the event of any trouble.
There is no question that this
Council will be a benefit to sea­
men in this port.

Shipping in the Windy City
has picked up during the last
week, and we have quite a few
jobs on the board for coal burning
Firemen and Oilers. We have a
few ABs on hand now, but ex­
pect them to be gone in a short
time.

SIU GAIN
At the time of the writing of

this report, we were able to place
Wipers aboard the Theodore
Roosevelt, the North and the
South American. These ships
have never before carried Wipers
and this constitutes quite a gain
for the SIU.

In operation, out of this port
at the present-time are the Rock-
wood, the Gilbert, the North
American, and the City of Grand
Rapids. The Milwuakee Clipper
is operating between Milwaukee
and Muskegon, Michigan, on an
all year schedule.

Waiting to go into a shipyard
in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, is the
Sand Boat American. She will'
be lengthened 43 feet, and has

already been converted from a
coal burner to an oil burner.

RUNS SET
The Theodore Roosevelt will

start her operation on June 22.
She will ply between Chicago
and Benton Harbor, Michigan.
She will be taking the place of
the City of Grand Rapids, and

the City of Grand Rapids is tak­
ing the run which the Milwaukee
Clipper had last year.

Sounds kind of confusing, but
it's easy to understand once you
get on to it. These ships need
men, rated men especially, so
if you want to sail from the
Windy City, come right along.

Bellyrobber Finally Takes Ship
By JIMMY STEWART

melons and unlimited ice cream.
We wonder what he is going to

do for his Bible while he is away.
He can surely pick all the losers.
Well, Hutch old boy, maybe bet­
ter luck when you come back.
Get a good roll this time; Sara­
toga will be open when you get
here.

If the membership is wonder­
ing why it is so quiet in the
recreation room, it is becaus.e the
Big Wind, Bellyrobber Hutchin­
son, recruited all the Stewards,
except an odd one or two, and
took them on his tanker.

He has invited all hands to a
turkey dinner on Sunday but
here is the catch—you have to
swim to get it as his tanker is
on the hook at the -Federal an­
chorage. Well, good intentions
anyhow. Hutch.

You know. Hutch, the road to
hell is paved with good inten­
tions.

Well, he finally took a ship.
You don't know who? Why Mr.
Bellyrobber Hutchin.snn, of

course. He took it under the

one condition — that some one
would scare up all the Chief
Stewards to work for him.

After soliciting on the third
floor he finally made it.. He got
old boy W. C. Vandorsall for
a Chief Ccr-k, and the last we
saw of Chief Steward Walsh he
was counting and sorting soiled
linen.

Hutch spoke of the good chow
he was putting out on his tanker.
Well—it may be true, but when
he visited the recreation room,
he was overheard sending Stew­
ard Joe Ryan for a liverwurst
sandwich on the Q.T.

We all believe him, of course,
but the good chow he talked
about happened to slip out—10
crates of strawberries, ICQ water-

- :



Friday. Julie 21. 1946 THE SEAFARERS LOG Page Nia»^

By ERIC UPCHURCH

Here is only an incident; but j those regions
based on very realistic fact. It, to Put over,

could be used as an illustration
of the need for organization with­

in the Southern textile mills.

The screaming blast of the cot-
ton-mill whistle informed the
snuff-dipping working stiffs that
it was time for lunch. They filed
out to the mill grounds, eating
slowly, never ga/.ing at each
other, but looking shamefully
downward. The grounds were
protected by a high storm fence
with three strands of barbed wire
running across the top.

"Scabs! Dirty, rotten, yellow,
slimy, filthy scabs,!" were the
shouts from without.

And the day before the head
"overseer" had told the crowd:
"All of you that want to work
in my mill can. I've got six men
here with sawed-off shotguns to
see that you're not molested."

HEROES ALL

will not be easy

Six men, with sawed-off shot­
guns, and the sanction of the
police, the protection of the state
militia, the good dd Home
Guard. These heroic Americans,

If a man has been taught for
years to disbelieve in a thing, it
is impossible to change him over­
night. I am a Southerner, and I
say this: A large part of the pop­
ulation flatly refuse to open their
minds to things other than re­
vivals, corn whiskey, and corn
cobs. It shall be somewhat try­
ing to teach old dogs new tricks.
And In those who feel offended
at this I say, if the shoe fits you,
wear it.

TALKING IT OVER

Brothers Dinnsen, Yatly. and Bertney discuss the action
taken at the work-stoppage meeting.

WHAT have we accomplished in thes2 long years? Years in which our Union
and our Union alone has borne the brunt of the struggle. Years in which

our Union alone has remained consistent never giving up the struggle which
has gone on since 1874 for one day or even for one hour.

Our course has been steady,*

clubs and guns read—ready to
blast away at their fellowmen.

The state militia in their bright
and shiny khaki—the little toy
soldiers ready to make America
safe for the boss' democracy—ad­
vancing to satisfy their sadistic
lust at the striker's expense.
These men, if they could be so
called, little knowing or further
caring who was beaten or killed.
Already a northern labor leader
had been beaten to death. How
proud they were of this!

The "overseer" had shouted:
"Let it be a lesson to you. You'll
get nowhere fast in the union.
See where you are? The whole
world is against you. Come back
to work or starve!

The whistle screamed a com­
mand, and the scabs obeyed.

i 3;. i

In La Grange, Georgia, some
few years ago, a CIO organizer's
car was riddled with bullets.
Luckily, the organizer was not
inside. At that time, the owners
of the Southern cotton mills had
imbedded anti-union ideas into
the entire working class, and
used it against such attempts to
unionize the workers.

And this stands largely true in
many portions of the South to­
day. The organizational cam­
paign currently sponsored in

Make Isthmian SlU!

our destination clearly chartered.
The rocks of shipowners oppo.-
sition, the 'reefs of dissension
have not wrecked us. Our des­
tination is one strong union of
all seamen, our final port of call
our own lives which we have
dedicated to the success of this
trip. Let us look back through
the years and see what we have*
gained through our Union.

1874-1915
Founding of the first seamens

paper "The Coast Seamens Jour­
nal."

Organization of our parent or­
ganization, the Sailors Union of
the Pacific, which is this year
celebrating its sixtieth anniver­
sary.

Abolition of flogging and bucko
mates.

Enactment of the first bene­
ficial maritime legislation.

Foundation of the first inter-
coastal and Great Lakes union,
the National Seamens Union.

Foundation of the International
Seamens Union.

The" first negotiated contracts
between the seamen and the ship­
owners.

Freedom from the crimp and
boarding house keeper.

Better food and quarters.
National recognition of the

ISU as the spokesman and cham­
pion of all seamen.

Passage of the "Seamens Act"
of 1915 which first gave seamen
their "place in the sun" and has
proven a model for international
legislation.

Andrew Furuseth, a great man,
a great sailor, a great leader.

1915-1921
The first living wages for sea­

men.
The first international working

agreement with seamen of other
countries.

The first control of shipping
through our own hiring halls.

The first establishment of an

ATTENTION!
If you don't find linen

whqn you go aboard your
ship, notify the Hall at once.
A telegram from Le Havre or
Singapore won't do you any
good. It's your bed and you
have to lie in it.

adequate manning scale.
The establishment of penalty

pay for dangerous and obnoxious
cargoes.

The first national accord on
overtime hours and pay.

First single agreement signed
on a national scale (the agree­
ment of 1919-1921).

Transportation back to port of
signing on (prior to this agree­
ment the law had considered the
seamen an absolute transient
with no home).

1921-1934
A defeat that made us realize

that officials alone cannot run
an organization.

A knowledge of the forces at
the beck and call of the ship­

owner—Federal, State and City,
Governments.

The realization that "war
heroes" are "peace-bums" in the
eyes of the shipowners.

The knowledge that leadership
must be constantly refreshed
with new and vigorous elements.

A union conscious group of
union members who wouldn't
give up the ship.

1934-1945
strike victory against all odds.
Wage increases from a $22.50

low to the scale of today.
Living conditions that enable

us to have pride in our profession.
Minimum hours, universal

adoption of the three watch sys-

The
Patrolmen

Say—
{Contbmcd from Page 7)

by the Deck men were clean and
ready for the next crew. Only
the Deck crew was SlU, as this
was an SUP ship.

Tlie Black Gang and the Stew­
ards Department had plenty of
beefs, and no one to represent
them. But that comes under the
heading of something for the
Committee on Maritime Unity to
worry about.

Here's hoping I run into a lot
more guys like those in the Deck
Department of the B. . Herman.

Johnny Johnston

X t X

Good Feeling
Cooperation and good feeling

between crew and officers is pos­
sible. This is proved by the way
the licensed and unlicensed per­
sonnel got along on the SS John
Gorrie, South Atlantic Company.

The winner of the ships pool
supplied beer for the crew mess-
room and the saloon. The of­
ficers paid fines for infractions as
stipulated by the crew. In fact,
the Third Mate accompanied the
payment of his fine with a let­
ter of apology.

Such cooperation must be com- •
mended.

James Sheehan
James Purcell

XXX

Crew Instructions

tem and definition of our duties.
Piii-ticipation in all

pertaining to seamen.
Emergency wage increases.

When a man leaves a ship he
should make sure that every­
thing is in order. It is not fair to
take off as soon as the ship hits
the dock, and leave your work
for others to finish up.

If you are a book member, you
can be brought up on charges for
doing this. If you are a trip-
carder, you stand a good chance
of having your tripcard lifted.

Make up your mind as to
whether you are going to stay
on the boat, or get off. Don't
wait until the last minute to teU
the head of your Department
that you decided not to make an­
other trip. It puts him in a bad
hole, and sometimes puts the
Union behind the eight-ball.

Last week, the SS George
Washington sailed with two stew­
ardesses because one woman
could not make up her mind. It
won't always work out that way,

matters'so don't wait until right before
sailing time to make up your
mind. Cooperate with the head

War risk pay—the bonus and of Department and the Union,
area compensation. I William Hamillon



. -/M. •

Page Teii THE SEAFAREHS LOG rmaf, JtinA 81, 1946

If
SHIPS' MINUTES AND NEWS

Third Mate
Has Good
Humor

Every once in a while, in the
course of editing this page, we
feel a twinge of conscience about
the blasting the officers and
Stewards take in the stories that
appear here. That follows, of
course, because llie stinkers art
the ones the beefs come up about
and it's the beefs that make the
hews.

Eut here, at long last, comes
an officer who is good copy for
neither reason; we have this
story about him merely because
he has a sense of humor.

FINE SYSTEM
• The John Gorrie crew set up a
fine system, it seems, for the
wayward Brethren who commit­
ted such felonies as spitting on
the messroom deck, putting their
feet in the soup or on the bulk
hfeads, leaving coffee cups dirty,
or other infractions which are
commonplace on shipboard.

Into the crew's mess for a
cuppacawfee came Third Mate
R. W. Mills. He had it, then left
without washing his cup. The
crew informed him that he had
a fine coming. Did Mate Mills get
Sore? Heck no. As we said be­
fore, he has a sense of humor. So
he wrote a note to the crew,
which we print, herewith:
To; Members of the crew of

fhe SS John Gorrie
Subj. 25 cents fine of Robert

W. Mills. Third Mate
J

Dear Sirs:
Please find enclosed the

amount of twenty five cents.
. (25c)(two bits), which rep-
' resents a debt incurred by my

EVERYTHING HAPPENED ON LAST AIKEN TRIP

per^n, for the act of my negli­
gence, by my leaving a java
ctip upon the messhall table.

With humble embarrassmenf
. 1 remit this sum to you, to
I c6Ver my act of law defilement.
1 frost and count upon your
sense of fairness, that this

: eondOnt will offset any charges
or further acts of prosecution
oft feat part against my per­
son.

Thanking you in advance for
any consideration shown to me
pertaining to this unfortunate
act of misdeamenor.

I remain, yr. hmble servt.
R. W. Mills, 3rd Mate
SS John Gorire

If we may lapse into editorial
comment again, we'd like to say
that it's too bad there are not
more at home like Mills,

iiiiilill®

^^ ^

' Here are the outstanding
photos made by the unidenti­
fied crew member of the Aiken
on her last frip: Top, Capt.
John F. Owens. Master of the
Aiken, tdews aft iceberg on the
trip across; it looks small, but
there's much more ice area be­
low the surface than shows
above. Immediately below is
the Bardstowrt Victory, plough­
ing through a flat sea and a
foggy day. as she was over­
taken by the Aiken during the
letter's twelfth trip; the Aiken
beat hdr from LeHavre io New
York by 10 hours. And here's
a V frame for the Colby Vic­
tory as she came up to the
Aiken to transfer her surgeon;
aftermath is the small boat
bearing the medic as she came
alongside the Aiken. At bot­
tom is a beautifully framed
shot of the Portuguese schooner
Neptuno II, when the Aiken
sent the Army doctor to boud
her, to treat a sick man aboard.

Last Trip
Of Aiken
Eventful

The editor of the Log has
made a discovery, but it is a very
hullow one. He ha.s found .some­
one who takes superlative (see
pictures on this page) pictures,
understands just how to frame
a shot for maximum dramatic ef­
fect, and • who is able to repoil
the events of a trip factually, in­
teresting and informatively.
What's more, he is modest. He
sent in the following report with
the notation: "This is merely a
sketch; you'll have to do your
own writing; the following is as
authentic as my feeble powers
are able to produce."

But the guy's much too modest.
He didn't even sign his name.

Here, however, is the unedited
"sketch" which accompanied the
pictures:

The Aiken Victory, with Cap­
tain John E. Owens in command,
was on its thirteenth voyage,
bound for Liverpool with 1,000
PWs aboard, when, on the fourth
day out of New York, one of the
passengers became dangerously
ill.

NO DOCTOR
The Aiken was traveling with­

out a doctor, so it became neces­
sary to resort to the radio for
medical advice and assistance.
Fortunately, we had passed the
Colby Victory (another troop
transport bound for New York)
a few hours before. In no time
at all we had established con­
tact and were receiving advice
from the Colby's surgeon.

Because of the patient's condi­
tion, it became necessary for ex­
pert treatment and both ships
changed courses sd the Colby's
doctor could be brought aboard.
This was accomplished, despite
fairly rough weather, and by the
time we reached our destination,
the patient was well on the way
to recovery.

RADIO OUT

On the return trip, bound for
New York with American GIs,
the third radio operator inter­
cepted an urgent request for
medical assi.stance from the Por­
tuguese schooner Neptuno 2. In­
asmuch as the schooner's radio
was inoperative, this message
and others to follow were relayed
by a Norwegian ship which no­
ticed the schooner's distress flag
and stood by until all urgent ra­
dio traffic with the schooner was
completed.

It was learned that the
schooner, like the Aiken on it's
first lap, had a very sick mah
aboard and required the serv­
ices of a doctor immediately.
Without any hesitation our Skip­
per decided to go to the aid of
the sphooner and offer the serv­
ice of our Army doctor, who
hadn't done a damn thing up .to
then atiyhow.

A rendezvous was arranged
and in about 10 hours we reached
the position of the schooner, as
given us. But -it took another
four hburfi to fihdE the schooner.
It wa.s finally located by radar

{Continued on Page 14)



Friday. June 21, 1948 THE SEAFARERS LOG Page Eleven

Digested Minutes Of SiU Ship Meetings
WALTER L. FLEMING. May

6 — (Chairman and secretary
not noted). Members of all de­
partments voted to hold up the
payoff until all beefs are set­
tled. The following tripcard
members, waiting to obtain
Probationary books, were voted
in by the full book men: T.
Madigan, R. McDonald. D.
Erwin. Leo Benski. Leo R.
Johnson, F. Mill. David Shep-
ard. James Harris, and T'gree
Ratcliff.

4 4 4

Dashed If We Know
yVhat The MinuLes Are

This spacij was originally plan­
ned for a ship's minutes story.
But the combined efforts of our
crack identification corps proved
futile—they just couldn't figure
out which ship had "inferior

syrup aboard" or whose Skipper
and officers "black-marketed cig­
arettes." It's quite perplexing.

The Log has accumulated a
sizeable backlog of anonymous
ship's minutes. No names—just
dashes. For example: "Minutes
of the SS——Ship's name,
chairman and secretary, all fol­
lowed by dashes.

We tossed a few of these min­
utes over to the editor with a
"How - do -^ya - want - to-handle-
this?'

But all we got was a "Dash it
all!"

So, how about you guys help­
ing out. When you send in your
minutes, check to see if you've
filled in the dashes with the
name of your ship. Thanks.

Meanwhile, we're ducking out
for a short one. We got the feel­
ing we're being followed by a
dash.

4 4 4
CAPE HONDA. May 13 —

Chairman C. L. Fosior; Secre­
tary A. H. Bennett. Motions
carried: to hold next crew
meeting on second night at sea
in order to act on unsettled mat­
ters; to ask for Union action on
the following: (1) Insulating
crew messhall from the galley
inasmuch as ship is on tropical
run; (2) investigate possibility
of better ventilation in crew
messhall and quarters by
means of blowers, etc.; (3)

cooling cold water system. Mo­
tion passed to have delegates
see Captain aboujl changing
course while blswing tubes to
aid in keeping after deck clean,

4 4 4
WILLIAM MOULTRIE. April

21—Chairman George Meaney;
Secretary J. P. Thrasher. Dele­
gates report conditions favor­
able in their respective depart­
ments. Need for following re­
pairs cited: door on Steward
Dept. head, messman's bunk,
bunk light. Steward Dept.
shower head, several fans in
crew's quarters. List of needed
repairs sent to mate and 1st
Asst. Engineer. Suggestion
made to have crew's messhall
and recreation room painted.
Steward agreed to this. Shel­
ves for books to be built in re-
reation room. Motion carried:
that mess boy make coffee for
10 A.M.. and Wiper for 3 P.M.
Deck Dept. to make it nights.
Sat.. Sun., and holidays. Si­
lence for one minute in mem­
ory of Brothers lost at sea.

4 4 4
WILLIAM MOULTRIE, April

28—Chairman George Meaney;
Secretary J. P. Thrasher. Bill
Keller elected ship's dele­
gate. Tom Moore. Stewards
Dept. delegate; O. Callahan.
Deck Dept.. Sonny Moe. Engine
Dept. Motion carried to have
fo'csles painted out as soon as
possible, with delegate to con­
tact head of dept. to have job
done.

4 4 4
HENRY RICE. April 27—

Chairman D. Groves; Secre­
tary R. Minvielle. Delegates
report on Union status of crew
members. Following conditions
were prescribed for the mess-
room: Menu to be written on
blackboard, butter to be put on
two plates on each table, shirts
covering armpits to be worn
by crew at mess, members not
to put cigarettes and ashes in
cups and plates. Garbage is to
be dumped after each meal,
and containers cleaned. Crew
welcomed former NMU man
into SIU.

4 4 4
WILLIAM WIRTH. April 15

=Chairman A. L. Danne; Sec-

A while back we ran a shot of crew members on the Powell-
ton Seam, holding their mascot, Peggy. Only, as we pointed out
in the outlines. Peggy was nowhere to be seen. Comes now
Brother Robert L. Kennedys with a shot he made of the crew
and mascot. Peggy is clearly visible here, in the life ring.

I retary James Zannia. Dept.
delegates gave their reports,
with all reports favorable.
Ben Hayes elected ship's dele­
gate. Motions carried: to write
a letter to Union in Mobile to
have Alcoa act on having
wheel fixed. Letter to also
point out that no "pro" kits are
available, that the ventilators
in engine room need repairs
and that Black Gang needs
water fountain below. Also
carried were motions: to fix
fan in recreation room, to get
toasters and coffee percolators,
to fix scuppers in scullery and
crew mess, to change Bosun
and Deck Maintpriance rooms,
to change Oiler's and Fireman's
rooms. Black Gang to take
over Steward's showers. Crew
must help keep mess hall clean
at night, and keep feet off
chairs and bulkhead. Observed
minute of silence for departed
Brothers of SIU.

4 4 4

Unhappy Washday Song
Sung On Cape Mohican

"We don't know whether the
boys aboard the Cape Mohican

are suffering from dishpan hands
or whether the perfume in the
soap that is supplied aboard her
doesn't suit their personalities.

At any rate, they passed a mo­
tion to have the brand of soap

chSnged,

Secretary J. Fisher reports in
the minutes of the May 11 meet­
ing that they need a new perco­
lator on the Mohican, and that
there was a discussion about the
showers and toilets. Passengers,
it seems, are crowding them out
of their own. The meeting also
voted to have locks fixed on all
doors.

4 4 4
T. J. MCCARTHY, June 9—

Chairman McCormick; Secre-
fary (nof noted). Motions car­
ried: to have Sec'y-Treas. give
up-to-date information regard­
ing new 1946 contract; to have
Union Hall send minutes of
every regular meeting to all
SIU ships; to have Patrolman
contract Steward and Dele­
gates to explain duties of Util­
ity man aboard auto carrier: to
get new springs, mattresses
and pillows where needed; to
gel washing machines forward
and aft; to have aft end show­
ers and washing facilities re­
modeled; to have all carpenter
work classed as overtime; to
have the Firemen's rooms
painted; all screens repaired
and installed wheie necessary;
Meetings are to be held once a
week. It was recommended
that the Patrolman. Delegates,
etc.. watch their language and
think before they talk to Union
men. new members and ex­
pected members.

4 4 4
IRVIN S. COBB. May 1—

Chairman Jack Binney; Secre­
tary William Ellis. Letter writ­
ten to Union censuring Chief
Engineer for his profanity in
speaking to the crew. Report­
ed that crew's ice box cannot
be repaired. Coffee pot to be
ordered for below. New mat­
tresses to be ordered. Recom-
isiended that Black Gang's toil­
ets be enlarged, that ship be
fumigated. William Ellis elect­
ed Deck Delegate. Chairman
discussed matter of men refus­
ing to present books and trip-
carda to delegates.

SEAFARER SAM SAYS:

AsTHeR.
KM ASHoae OR.
A60ARD SHIP
-ptB UNION

AR6 WHfRg YOU kfAy/B
Y«WR SAY - THAT'S

To BRIMS
seeps, YOC/R.

QuSSTiONS, 5i;S6€ST-
lON$, AND A^oyiONS.

CUT AND RUN
By HANK

Well, while Jack Parker, the ice-skating champ, is door man­
ning the first deck, our town of New York is still getting the turn­
over of visiting oldtimers . . . Yes sir, Charlie Simmons came into
town—looking good, feeling even better, greeting all his' friends with
smiles and words. Not. only that, but you should have seen him give
a real shipmatey greeting to his pal, "Flash"—Fred Fannin . . .
Little Ben Rabinowitz just blew in—with bow-tie, a swell tan, a lot
of smiles and a blue suit.

4 4 4 4

Hans K. Bergman who retired his book last week, is going
back home to Norway as a passenger on a ship. Pleasant voyage
to you, Hans, and we hope you haven't any beefs to have set­
tled . . . Timothy Less is trying to ship out—after just com­
pleting a voyage . . . Looks like Bull Huff shipped out last
week. Don't dream too much about that farm. Bill . . . To
Brother William Thornton we extend our hopes for good cheer
and swift health to his mother who is in Duke University
hospital down in North Carolina . . . Burly George White is
New Yorking it right now. Everything shipshape with you
now, George?

4 4 4 4

Hey, Andy Anderson, stop dreaming of Mobile's Royal Cafe.
You know who's in town, all right. Yep, it's your pal, "Carioca,
Red." . . . Oldtimer Milton Fljmn, who cooks in public schools, etc.
in between voyages is looking for a ship nowadays . . . Steward Joe
Daugherty, with whom we were shipmates on the Frederick Dau on
the '43 Persian Gulf voyage, just shipped out. By the way, Joe
would like to say hullo to Maxwell Longfellow and wonders where
he is now? . . . Orlando Ranoni is firing the boilers on a T-2 right
now . . . Arthur Berg must have missed his shipmate, Paul lliller,
who is Skipper now, when Arthur was in New York a month aog.

4 4 4 4

Frank Gardner is waiting for a Steward's job right now.
Frank has three kids to support and he knows as well as we do
that neither Westbrook Pegler. the WSA or the shipowners
never did care about any seaman, his wages or troubles or who
he has to support . . . Brother "Sunshine." who is a Mate now.
is midtowning in New York . . .Looks like William Bruning is
back with us again, too , = Abe Gordon. David Knight and
Homer Starling are over in Frisco right now.

4 4 4 4

Noi-folk Grapevine; "Jeff" the Steward was the proud father
of a baby girl recently. Well, "Pop," did you do any cooking for
the celebration? . . . James Manning was Acting Third Mate (ah,
that's what we heard) for awhile, then went Florida way to see his
wife, while "Snuffy" Smith kept holding down the town, no doubt
. . . While Ray White turned to for a rest . . . Captain Ben Rees gave
the Norfolk Brothers a pleasant surprise when he showed them his
Captain's license over the harbor boats . . . "Curly" Wandell, Tampa
Brother, has his family down Norfolk way, while he's night engineer
. . . Steward Caspar Schweikhart has been oh the beach since
November. No Steward jobs for you yet, "Brother Camel?"

4 4 4 4

Reefer Oiler Joe James, who quif frying lo get his Third
Engineer's license, is on the SS Mayo Brothers . . . We're won­
dering if Joe Medrano is still down in Mobile and if Benjamin
Stewart is still up there in bean-town Boston? . . . We've noticed
that little Michael Quinn is trying to ship out. Mike, don't you
knbw you'll have to be using your good old Irish luck novjadayjil



J^fl0e Twelve rajs s£jJTj^jiJs.s zoc Friday, June 21, 194S

THE MEMBERSHIP SPEAKS

A Sea Superstition
Is Added By DeFazio

:Dear Editor:

I was Chief Steward aboard the
Joseph S. McDonagh which went
ashore on a sand bar 15 miles
aouth of the Peruvian port of
Cerro Azul about 200 miles south
•Of Callao in the early morning of
March 31. The accident was due
to a heavy fog that enveloped
the coast, and 48 hours later the
4^p broke in two owing to the
force of the tidal wave. During
the two months I «pent in Peru
awaiting my passage back to the
United States, I received from
my family several of the weekly
copies of the Seafarers Log.

In one of them, I was very
£lad to read that the SIU took
care of its men far away from
the United States when some­
thing happened to them. I read
how the SIU arranged with War
Shipping Administration and the
Overtakes SS Corp. to increase
cur draw from 10 to 25 dollars a
week and sent us $100 in advance
of the indemnity that we must
collect for the lost property. At
that time we were in a very

J AWT ,

miserable condition and such an
act by the Union was really ap­
preciated by the ships crew.

My attention was drawn also
to the articles on the supersti-

' tions and more keenly so because
.of this accident, and this is why.

I began going to sea in 1909
and have always disbelieved in
the superstitions of seamen.
Jlowever, at times I am inclined
to believe in them because no
matter what nation a seaman
sails under, he like the others
have the same ideas. In 1919 I
was Chief Steward on a Yugo­
slavian ship called "Fiume."

The ship's carpenter bought a
small parrot and attempted to
teach it Italian, but the bird
would not, however hard the
man tried, utter one word ex­
cept for an occasional chirp. The
carpenter was impatient and
nervous. In a fit of rage he threw
the parrot overboard.

As we were leaving Rio de
Janeiro, the Captain ordered a
fii'e and b6at drill. The crew
took their positions and the life­
boats were swung out. The car­
penter's duty was to attend to the
lall lines of boat number one.
The line snapped and he fell
overboard, disappearing below
the surface. The ship was stop­
ped, and boat number two, on
which I was an oarsman, search­
ed for him. After many hours
We found a few parts of his body
floating in a ocean of blood,
probably as a result of sharks or
his being caught in the propel­
ler. The ship returned to Rio de

Janeiro where a mess was said
for him.

This incident has long been
forgotten in my mind, and made
no other impression on me till
it was revived during the last
trip.

We left New York on Febraury
22. Aboard the ship there was
a huge old cat which the crew
had taken aboard in Bremen,
Germany. Everyone like it and
since it had become so friendly
with the crew it became the pas­
time of the men to play with it
on number three hatch. It was
in this section that the ship split.
We stopped at Colon, Panama
and someone brought a small kit­
ten on board the ship. Rapidly
the new kitten won the attention
of the crew and caused them to
forget the older cat. Strangely,
as if it were a human being, it
used to sit by itself in one of the,
corners, still and forgotten. Its
sadness touched me. I often
watched it sit alone showing no
signs of previously playfulness.
When we reached Valparisio,
Chile it had disappeared. The
only conclusion that I could draw
was that one of the crew must
have thrown it overboard because
it had disappered before we
docked.

Now the events of that incident
long ago were revived and I, who
had never believed in supersti­
tions and legends, had a strange
premonition that something was
going to happen to the ship. Up­
on leaving San Antonio, three
men were missing from our crew.
Up to the time we reached Anta-
fogasta, Chile there were many
accidents aboard. From Anta-
fogasta we went to Callao, Peru
where two of our men returned
to the ship seriously wounded,
they had been assaulted by the
Peruvians. On March 31, one
day after we left Callao, the
most terrible of our punishments
came when our ship was run
aground during a fog off the
Peruvian coast and cut in two
right at number three hold where
we used to play with the old cat.
For 48 hours we were battered
mercilessly upon the sand bar
and after getting ashore we spent
a night on the beach without any
provisions.

This narrative may not be of
any consequental significance
but, it does present a challenge
and a question to the old subject,
of superstitions of the sea.

Thomas De Fazio,
Chief Steward

I ' '

POWELLTON SEAM
COOKING REMINDS
HIM OF HIS MOM'S
Dear Editor:

I would like to express my
deepest gratitude to the crew of
the Powellton Seam for the swell
cooperation they gave me when
I was their messman.

They are a fine bunch of fel­
lows, worthy of sailing with any­
time.

The same sentiment goes for
the Steward and galley gang
(darn good cooks, by the way).
Their cooking reminded me of
my mom's. John Abrams

No. Brothers, this isn't a seafaring Santa Glaus, it's Blackie.

Fireman-Watertender, and Joseph Patrick. Carpenter, a mem­
ber of Neptune's court, as the SS Colabee crossed the Line dur­

ing a trip in 1943. The picture just turned up, and someone

sent it into the Log with a request that we print it.

WIFE HATED LOG,
THEN READ IT —
NOW A BOOSTER!
Dear Editor:

I cannot resist the temptation

of letting you know the interest
and pleasure I have weekly in
reading your great little paper,

which is sent to my husband, a

Spanish war veteran who sailed
as Cook, Baker and Steward

since 1941 as a member of the
SIU. He was compelled to re­

tire his book through illness, but

now has "itchy feet" and is going
back to sea.

I thoroughly digest every word

of the Log and realize that the
SIU principles are based on truth,
honor and living up to every
promise made to the men in your
Union, so different from the fac-
tics used by those commy skunks
(with all apologies to the skunk).

It seems to me that every
member of your superior organi­
zation in grateful cognizance of
your goodness and fairness to
them should leave no stone un­
turned to talk SIU unceasingly
to every non-member and prove
to them what it really means to
be a member of the SIU.

Now, to go from the sublime
to the ridiculous. I am enclosing
a cartoon from the May 24th
Log which depicts a little show
in our household in two scenes.
Prior to six or seven weeks ago,
before I ever read a Log, this
cartoon shows yours truly in
Scene I, scowling and wondering
what friend husband sees in that

trifling little sheet. After read­
ing my first Log. this cartoon also
shows yours truly in Scene II,
wondering when hubby is ever
going to finish reading it so I
can enjoy it. Period!

I do not believe this is any
wishful thinking, but whether
the strike comes off or not, I truly
think this will strengthen the
standing of the SIU in the pub­
lic's eyes.

Wishing you, the Log and the
SIU continued success, I remain,
respectfully,

Mrs. John Heifzenraeder,
Hollywood. Fla.

WELL, BROTHERS:
WHY DON'T YOU
WRITE THE LOG

This is if. Right here is where

you can blow off steam or do
a little gum-beating. Every
week 62.000 Seafarers and

others turn to this page fo read
what you are doing, thinking

and s^ing.

Maybe you've an idea for
Union action, or a tip that will
save your Brothers trouble.
Surely, you and your ship­
mates. while plowing around

various ports o'call, have run
dnto things interesting or laugh-

getting. Seafarers and ahips—
where they go, what they do.

AIN'T He

their laughs and their beefs-
are news. Write 'em up.

Log-A •Rhythms
Waterfront Gal

By ROPE YARN ]

This is the story of a gal we all
know.

To all the sailors, just a damned
good Joe.

A friend and sweetheart to us
guys-that S£ul.

She can usually bo found in our
favorite gin mill;

That's her stool, friend, just aft
of the till.

She's no raving beauty, brother,
that's true;

But, to the sailors, she's a friend
true blue.

If ever you've troubles, or down
on your luck.

She'll hear your story, or lend
you a buck.

When after a payoff, you're blow­
ing your top.

You're on the boozie, don't know
when to stop.

You wake in the morning with
nary a pound—

She'll have your roll pat, all safe
and sound.

It's a tough racket, Mac, without
mother or sister.

She may be a bum, but don't call
her a blister.

She can't take their place, that,
friend, is true.

She's a waterfront gal, but one
of the crew.

So. let's down a drink to our
friend and pal:

Our hats off fo you—'Our water­
front gal.

t 4. 4.
Dear Editor:

I .sure am getting into your
newspaper these days. Hell, if
I keep on, them high-pressure
columnists that write for the
dailies ain't going to stand a
chance next year when they go
to sign on the dotted line, be­
cause, Ed, by that time I will be
a first class brain buster . . . the
only thing, Ed, they might get
the papers fouled up and the
"dotted-line" might be a com­
mitment to the "bug-house."

Well, Ed, T am .sending you a
poem that a friend of mine who
is also a "brain buster" jointly
composed the other day while
having a drink. Only, Ed, he
lurnished the brains while I con­
sumed the drinks; especially
since he (the actual braiiis) paid
for them. Now, Ed, you know
me, I ain't exactly tight but have
been accused of leaving-my pock-
etbook at home on purpose. Now
you wouldn't call that tight
would you. I know what you
are going to say; in fact I can see
your face .getting red, like it al­
ways does when you recall a cer­
tain incident down in the Turn­
ing Basin in Houston and shout­
ing "damned cheap chisler" . . .
you know what else.

Ed, that was -a dirty trick, in
a way, for Sal to have rolled you
like that. But she was a damned
Mod sport, Ed. She let you and
Blackie Hymes and the six bits
street rummies h.?lp her blow it
in at some bars. Rope Yarn



T'yy. j.njpr"

Friday. June 21, 1946 THU SEAF ARE RS LOG Page Thirleen

THOSE BONEYARD RUNS ARE BREAKING UP THAT OLD GANG

Brady*s Captain Kuta
Is Not So Very Cute

Dear Editor:
Well, we've finally made it

home, wiser for our experiences
with Captain Kuta, whom we
want to warn you Brothers about.

Ever since we left Philadel­
phia for Italy with coal on the
John J. Brady, it has been my
aim to have cooperation between
the crew and topside and until
we left Italy coming back I
thought we were getting along
fairly good. Then the Captain
called me up one noon and put
forth the declaration that the
Deck Department had let him
down, and it really had hurt him
deeply (he was referring to work
produetion). He said he was sure
the Union would stand by him
in his declarations about the crew
neglecting their jobs. This was
pk-ay with me as I told him that
we hadn't let him down at all.
Hereafter there would be no over­
time for the Deck Department
and if he Ihought any man was
taking it easy he would log him
for malicious lingering. He .stop­
ped the overtime on deck with
hell to hell hours for the watch
on deck. He also said that if he
was paying the wages there
would be no money, we would
get paid in food, a little work a
little food, I believe that sys­
tem is used on Devil's Island. I
wonder if that's where he got the
idea at'/

But now comes the payoff.
This is a liberty running for
WSA by South Atlantic SB Com­
pany. We picked up some pas­
sengers in Bari, Italy, seven men
and five women who had booked
passage to the States. They had
been warned beforehand that it
might not be the Queen Mary
but it would get them there. We
were a day from Norfolk, Vir­
ginia, when Captain Kuta an­
nounced that this was to be the
night of his dinner to be given,
as is the custom aboard passen­
ger ships, right before you get in.
Bear in mind, we're still on this
old five-hatch Liberty no dif­
ferent from any other except, of
course, for our elegant Skipper.

Not only are they to have a
dinner at 8:00 p. m., but they're
going, to eat the remainder of
turkeys which he says is for the
officers and passengers;

We held a meeting to discuss

the situation and it was decided
to send the delegates up to see
Captain Kuta about the dinner.

The unidentified crew mem­
bers of the Bull Line's Winfield
Scott in these pictures aren't
together any longer. It's an­
other case of a boneyeurd rpn
breaking up a "wonderful
crew," as Joseph Blanchard, OS,
on the Scott, who made the
shots, put it.

\
IGOTA

'BcrrCR
'BCefTM
,^ypbw/

the remainder of the turkey be­
ing equally divided, and the mess
boys working more than eight
hours. Well, he refused to see us,
he said he was afraid we'd put
in overtime for it. Back down to
the waiting crew we went. This
time we tried a new appi'oach
we sent the Steward and the
Delegate up under the pretense
of finding out how many men he
was going to use at his dimier.
His orders followed:

1. The turkey was put on for
the passenger and officers:
therefore no division was nec-
cessary.

2. Any man who dared to re­
fuse to work at his dinner
would be put in irons till we
hit the states.

3. There would be no celebra­
tion for the crew, they would
only get their regulars, three
meals a day, which he and his
staff had plus a dinner.

Now we have nothing against
the passengers iii fact we are
indebted to one doctor. If it
handn't been for him we would
have had serious difficulties. Now
that brings me to the purser, I
might add that the Capt. and
Third Mate are brothers, and the
Purser is a brother-in-law so
things are real cozy topside. The
Purser:

1. Refused to See an Oiler when
he was injured in" the engine
room. He said, !'he's not crippled,
tell him to come up to see me."

2. The passenger doctor ex­
amined the Oiler the following
day (the Purser still' hadn't seen
him) and prescribed' treatment
for his injury^

3. The Purser didn't see this
man while he lay in his bunk; in

I fact he didn't even fill the doc­
tor's prescription.

4. The Captain came to see the
Oiler on the third day and told
him he was better to get back to
work (the man had received no
treatment at all) he refused ex­
cept on a direct order from the
Captain. The Captain blew his
gasket and told him he was not
sick at all and went out in a
rage to get the doctor to show up
this faking. The old man's face
fell to the deck when the doc­
tor told him due to lack of treat­
ment that the man's condition
was bad. The Oiler is going to
put the boots to him as soon as
the hospital clears him.

This Captain Kuta and Pur­
ser is definitely a menace to "sea­
men. So don't forget if you
should see him aboard you know
just what to expect. As far a^
the Purser goes, after the Oiler
and Union get down in Norfolk,
I think he'll be out.

In spite of the Old Man we
had a damn good trip. We
stopped in a couple of nice places
in Italy and we had a good crew
all around.

I'd like to extend my thanks
to the Norfolk Agent, Ray White
and his Patrolman, Earl (Snuffy)
Smith, W. G. (Red) Morris for
squaring away our overtime
beefs and putting over a clear
payoff. A lot of b^ys don't like
Norfolk but with help of good
men like these, they help to
make it a good port to pay off at.

Ray Roberts,
Deck Delegate

BROTHER WANTS INFORMATION SPREAD
ABOUT SEAMEN'S BILL OF RIGHTS

The Seafarers Log is great and is appreciated by all men,
but how about bringing up the Seamen's Bill of Rights more?

Many of the fellows do not know how much that bill means
to many men and to themselves and it should be explained. Its
pa.ssagp by Congress means m.ore to many of the men than
any other measure could.

•fhe American people would back that bill if the facts were
really given to them, as Dean Jennings did in Coronet, Septem­
ber, 1945. The way a seaman is treated is a public slap in the
face and that's all they will ever receive unless they pitch in
together and fight for their rights.

How about starting a concentrated drive to awaken the
people to the fact and force those men in Washington to take
action. It can be done and it's certainly vmrth everyone's time.
There are plenty of facts that can be dug up and if you can't
get the ball rolling, put an appeal in the Log.

Please give this your most serious consideration; you'll do
more for the men and the organization than by any other
means. Let's really force this.

A Mobile Brother

Answer: If you'll recall about three months back when the
Seamen's Bill of Rights was a hot issue, you'll remember that
the Log carried several stories and letters, not to mention an
editorial, about the Seamen's Bill of Rights. You'll also recall
that it was one of the issues brought up at the Agents' Con­
ference.

Right now the bill is lying in the limbo of a Congressional
committee, but you can rest assured that as soon at it is re­
ported out and becomes a live issue again the SIU will be push­
ing it in the halls of Congress and the Log will be playing it big
in the news and editorial columns.

STOP PUSHING.^ I
YOU'RE rUKN '
Witt COME.'/

SS FORT DONELSON
CONDITIONS TOPS,
CREWMEN CONTEND
Dear Editor:

This letter is being written in
regard to the splendid conditions

aboard this ship the SS Fort
Donelson which is operated by
the American Pacific Steamship
Co., recently Los Angeles Tanker
Inc.

Captain R. S. Utter is Master
and may we earnestly say that
Captain Utter is really making a
name for himself in the SIU.
Captain Litter always recognizes
every part of our Union agree­
ments and always tries to give
the crew what they ask for, that
is within his power to do so.

There are several men who
have been crew members of this
ship since February of this year,
and we have from that time on
a very strict fine system con­
cerning cleanliness of the quar­
ters and messroom which gives
us quite a clean ship. We, the
crew of the Donelson, think that
every ship should use this fine
system in order to keep all of the
ships which we sail in a clean
and sanitary condition, making
it also a lot easier for our ship­
mates who are assigned to clean
up and keep clean certain sec­
tions of the ship.

BAD HOMBRES
Recently we had several mess-

men who, when told to mop the
decks of the messroom once each
day and keep the water fountain
clean, claimed that the crew was
just riding them. They decided
to get off of the ship after being
on the ship only six days which
didn't spite the crew any, as it
was good riddance if they didn't
want to fuUfill their jobs. We al­
so had some trouble with several
men who would neglect the

cleaning up of the heads and

quarters.
It's men like these that hurt

our Union and we think that all
good Union men should strive to
avoid the bad habit of not full-
filling their's and those of others
jobs with the proper service.

Let us, the crew members of
the Fort Donelson, inform all
Brother members of our Union
that whenever they may see jobs
in the future on the board for
the Donelson that they can be
quite sure that they will get a

good deal as conditions are now,
and may we also say, as long as
Captain Utter is in charge, pro­
viding, however, you give him a
good deal, which is not more
than fair.

Below your will find several
meals which have been served
aboard the Donelson recently,
for which the following men have
been resp^^nsible for, together
with the requests of the Captair-
to the company;

Chief Steward Homer Brouil-
lette; Chief Cook, Nate Pearce;
Second Cook, Louis Coe.

DINNER—June 6. 1946
Pinto Bean Soup, Roast Leg oL

Lamb, Fried Chicken, Buttered
Carrots, Buttered Peas, Mashed
Potatoes, Apple Pie and Ice-

{Continued on Page 14)



:it•^

Is •'••

• Vage Fouxteen
Wf =

WORK STOPPAGE
MEETING MEANT
MUCH TO GRIMES
To the Editor:

After attending the Work Stop­
page Meeting at Webster Hall on
June 6 hy the SIU-SUP, I came
'away with a self-satisfied feeling
that I, too, was an SIU member.
You ask why that proud feeling
tingles up and down my spine?
Simply because I'm proud to be
even a small part of such a mili­
tant, democratic Union as the
SIU.

Other maritime Unions, not­
ably- those commie - dominated
members of the Committee for
Maritime Unity, spend weeks and
months of vain talking with the
shipowners and Washinglnn bu=
reaucrats. Our Union doesn't be­
lieve in this. Wo of the Seafarers
believe in action—job action or
whatever type of economic or
political action is necessary to
achieve our aims.

We Seafarers don't believe in
expending all of our energy to
send telegrams and hold meet­
ings protesting the course of im­
perialism which the United
States and Great Britain is fol­
lowing. Incidentally, Russia is
probably more imperialistic to­
day than any other nation!

The SIU doesn't believe in
throwing up picket lines around
newspapers, making mass dem­
onstrations against Churchill, or
promoting schemes to assist the
starving mujiks of Krasnoyarsk
to achieve tranquility or some­
thing.

But, we Seafarers do believe
in using our -economic strength
fior job action, work stoppages, or
strikes to gain a reduction in our
working hours from 56 hours a
week to 40 hours a week. SIU

DOfl'T /
fECK€T.

THE SEAFARERS LOG

BURIAL OF BROTHER GABRIEL, OS ON KING WOOSLEY

A .

members also believe in taking
militant action to gain wage in­
creases to partially offset the en­
ormous increase in cost of liv­
ing, and our greatly decreased
take home pay.

The Seafarers believe in di­
rect action to maintain and im­
prove the best shipping condi­
tions in the marine industry.
However, we also believe in po­
litical action as an assistance to
direct economic action, not in­
stead of it, as practiced by the
commies. Yes, it's a great Union
to belong to—the SIU!

Joe Grimes

Crew members of the SS King Woolsey stand about the grave of Brother Antonio P. Gab­

riel, OS, of the Woolsey, during fuheral ceremonies. Gabriel was an extremely popular mem­

ber of the crew.

Seafarers Seeks Information In Death
Of Thomas Keevins Aboard Ira N. Morris

Brother Thomas Keevins, Util­

ity, Book No. 28576; died on
March 10 while a membef of the
crew aboard the SS Ira Nelson
Morris of the Robin Line. He
was buried in St. Eloi, La Ro-
chelle, France.

Information is being sought on
the circumstances surrounding
Brother Keevin's death. The fol­
lowing men, who sailed on the

last trip of the Morris with Keev­
ins, are urged to report immed­
iately to the New York Hall:

Ernest Sjoholm, Bosun; Mar-
cell Railland, AB; Wm. C. Hoff­
man, AB; David G. Sloan, AB;
Frank B. Taylor, AB; Frederick
Schardt, AB; Kermit L. Helms,
AB; Albertus R. Green, Jr., OS;
Karl E. Scott, Jr., OS; Leopold
Marcus, OS; Alphonse, Logindis,
Dk. Eng.; James E. Hansel, Oiler;

John M. Libby, Oiler; Geo Gat-
ton, Oiler; Wm. Homstead, FWT;
Joseph Yanick, FWT; Ire Mer­
lin Olson, FWT; Robert Thomp­
son, Wiper; Wm. Crutchfield,
Wiper; Adrian Otte, Steward;
Eladio Grahaales, Ch. Cook
Lindberg Cubbage, 2nd Ck. and
Bk; Joseph Kozlowsky, MM; El­
mer C. James, MM; Donald
Kemen and Clarence L. Graham
Utility.

Friday, June 21, 1946

Last Trip
Of Aiken
Eventful

(Continued from Page 10) ,

and our doctor was dispatched
to the sailing craft by means of
a small helicopter which the
Aiken carries along for such em­
ergencies.

BRANDY BARTER
The first aid treatment required

only about half an hour, but we
were delayed several hours while
the Chief Steward (acting as in­
terpreter) 'attempted to bargain
lor a case of Portuguese cognac.
After using up all the diploma­
tic tricks he could muster, he re­
sorted to cigarettes and bought
several quarts.

Just as well, too. The only use
we can find for the stuff is a
three-way prox (before, during
and after).

SEAFARER THANKS
SIU FOR BATTING
IN HOOLIGAN GAME
Dear Editor:

I want to thank the editorial
st^ff and everybody connected
with the Log for their efforts in
putting my case to the members
about the underhand workings of
the Coast Guard against the mer­
chant seaman.

Keep up the good work, which
you are doing in putting out the
Log.

I want to thank John Hawk
and Paul Hall and Morris Weiss-
berger for their untiring efforts
for bringing out justice in my
case, and preventing a lot of sea­
men from getting raw deals from
the Coast Guard.

J. (Doc) SiissmBn

DETROIT
John Kosen, $5.00. Total—$5.00.

NORFOLK
SS JOHN SHERMAN

K. R. Slattings. $11.00: C. L. Hor-
vey $2.00; R. P. Baker. $2.00; F. A.
Diaz, $2.0a; W. M. Bowman. $2.00; N.
Manesa. $2.00; J. S. Lasaiter. $2.00; E.
M. Laahley, $2.00; J. V. Russell. $2.00;
J. V. Rusaell. $2.00; W. T. Sawyer.
$2.00; R. W. Dixon. $2.00; W. E
Hightower. $1.00; C. M. Wagenfer
$2.00; R. O'Neill. $1.00; P. B?ady.. $2.00
J. J. McRae. $2.00; E. H. Drozeski.
$2.00; S. Ruzyski. $2.00; M. Ellsworth
$2.00; C. L. Watkina. $1.00; F. Martin.
$2.00.

R. Conway. $1.00; P. Papacanstantis
$1.00; W. C. Bumgarner. $1.00; A. L
Carey. $3.00 J. C. Lacaellade. $2.00; G
A. Musehinski. $2.00; J. E. Smith. 3.00;
J. T. Watkins. $2.00; W. Geir. $3.00; A
D. Boardman. $1.00; W. C. Busbin,
$4.04.

SS DRAKE
O. D. Moore. $2.00; F. S. Baker.

$2.00; R. T. White. $2.00; W. S. Win-
slow. $2.00. Total—$96.04.

GALVESTON
INDIVIDUAL DONATIONS

A. M. Guzman. $2.00; A. F. Casey.
$2.00; J. R. Smith. $2.00; A. Tanquino.
$2.00; G. F-. Okens. $2.00; L. W. Fran-
zen. $2.00: H. Walsh. $2.00; C. Mc­
Queen. $2.00; E. Howde. $2.00; Earl C.

T yr-

Sch rader.
$3.00; J.
$26.00.

$2.00; James H. Bayles
A. Waason. $3.00. Total—

NEW YORK
INDIVIDUAL DONATIONS

W. Stoveland. $1.00; R. J. Gordon.
$1.00; Mrsfl R. M. Fitzgerald. $1.00.
Total—$3.00.

Paul Dandurand. $1.00; J. W. Logan.
$2.00; R. D. Hobart. $2.00; J. V.
Brooks. $1.00; N. Berger. $2.00; A.
Wernick. $1.00; A. H. Enroth. $5.00;
D. Foica. $0.50; Angel A. Leon. $1.00;
D. McClintock. $.50. Total—$16.00.

R. H. Pomerenk. $1.00; G. A. Bjorkl-
nis. $2.00; E. A. Nogas, $2.00; J. H.
Russell. St.00; E. Johnson. $1.00; S. Y.
O. Fogelberg. $3.00; T. W. Taylor,
$2.00; J. E. Murphy. $1.00; H. N.
Grant. $1.00. Total—$14.00.

SS CHARLES W. STILES
E. Johnson. $.50; J. Papa, $2.00; A.

M. Stever. $2.00; P. M. Jeffers. $2.00;
J. Morris. $3.00; W. Adklns. $3.00; K.
Marlin. $3.00; Wm. J. Boutelle. $2.00;
W. J. Prince. $1.00; E. Szarythe. $1.00;
R. J. Clark. $1.00; J. Pedrosa, $2.00.
Total—$22.50.

SS SUNSET
Gus T. Doyal. $2.00; J. B. Irving.

$1.00; A. T. Dorman. $1.00; J. A. Sealy.
$2.00; A. L. Johnson. $1.00; C. R. Den-
son. $2.00; I.. F. Penland. $2.00; R. M.
Oliver. $2.00; C. E. ' ,ff. $3.00; Sam
Rasco. $3.00; D. F. Carroll, $1.00; Gil­

bert Luter. $1.00; J. N. Jones. $1.00;
M. H. Newton. $1.00; V. L. Overall.
$1.00; Eli Ware. $5.00; C. A. Choice.
$4.00. Total—$33.00.

SS WESTINGHOUSE
C. C. Hunnicutt. $2.00; C. O. Ber-

gagna. $2.00; Jack E. Williams. $2.00.

Total—$6.00.

SS JOHN MERRICK
R. Brandenberg. $2.00; J. Moore.

$2.00; G. E Scott. $2,00. Total—$6.00,

SS JOHN GORRIE
V. E. V. Dindia. $5.00; SS J. Gorrie

—Crew. $5.00. Total—$10.00

SS CAPE CORWIN
L. G. Linthicum. $2.00; B. B. Spears.

$1.00; Wm. Holland. $1.00; F. Con
zalez. $2.00; D. W. Thomas.- $1.00; T.
Waiter. $1.00; M. Santana, $1.00; J.
J. Cronan. $1.00; McKinley E. Males.
$2.00; K. C. Zickerpoose. $2.00; J. E.
Vazquez. $1.00; F. R. Miller. $2.00;
J. Lopez. $1.00. Total—$16.00.

SS J. GALLOP
P. Pressler, $1.00; 1^ L. Duke. $1.00;

R. McGueen. $3.00; W. Mutitng. $1.00;
R. Lanier. $2.00; Manuel Ansbro. $2.00;
Wm. Parker. ..$4.00; A. Barone. $1.00;
J. Floyd. $3.00; R. Darville, $3.00; D.
K. Jackson. $4.00; J. B. Bowers. $2.00;
R. Lindsey. $5.00; M. Oliver. $3.00;
A. M. Robertson, $1.00. Total—$36.00.

SS SS'GEORGE WASHINGTON
N. Barrett, $2.00; A. Bryant. $2.00.

Total—$4.00.

CHIEF STEWARD
IS ON THE BALL
ON COYOTE HILLS
Dear Editor:

Put this down on record and
print this in the Log about our
Chief Steward. He is one of the
best men we've ever sailed with.
H6's an oldtimer from away
back. He's on the ball and plays
square with all hands.

We had a swell trip and plenty
of food and a very good variety
and he kept every one on the
job. So we give a word of praise
to George H. Seeberger, Chief
Steward. We hope we can have
the pleasure of sailing with him
again. And, let us add, anyone
sailing with him surely won't
regret it. Above all, he'll get all
he wants to eat, because this guy
don't monkey. He puts out.

Crew of Ihe Coyoie Hills

SS FORT DONELSON
CONDITIONS TOPS,
CREWMEN CONTEND

{Continued From Page 13)

Cream, Fresh Milk, Coffee and
Tea.

SUPPER, June 5, 1946
Lettuce and Tomato Salad,

Grilled Tenderloin Steak, Cream­
ed Ham on Toast, Fried Potatoes,
Seasoned Spinach, Lima Beans,
Cake and Ice Cream, Fresh Milk,
Coffee and Tea.

SUPPER, June 4. 1946
Pineapple Cheese and Lettuce

.Salad, Fried Pork Chnp.s, Grilled
Franks, French Fried Potatoes,
Saurkraut, Mixed Vegetables,
Watermelon, Ice Cream and
Cake, Fresh Milk, Coffee and
Tea.

May the Donelson reiiiain to
be a star ship on our list is our
wish. Hoping also that any man
who comes aboard' this or any
ship will try their best to make
our Union a Union of men su­
perior to all.

James G. Smith
Ships Delegate

Carl S. Miller
Engine Delegate

B. Nelson
Deck Delegate

Walter Cutter
Stewards' Delegate



Friday, Juns 21. 1946 THE SEAFARERS LOG Page fifteen

T. BUMJmN
I—' - '

D

Pes Santos, A. L ".01
do Treitas, F 23.85
Devane, George R 3.16
Peveau, Bernard J 4.45
de Vries, Peter 23.07
De Wailly, H. L 79
Pcvvar, R. D. 1.80
Dewey, W. F 36.00
Pey, Stanley D 12.00
Dial, David 5.94
Diaz, A. G 1.42
Diaz, Carlos M 2.23
Diaz, Edward 7.57
Diaz, Rafail 24.89
Diaz, Salvadore 16.52
Dichini, L. J 5.25
Diek, Hugh 6.11
Dick, II. A 49
Dick. Norman J 59
Dickens, V/oodrow 5.24
Dickenson, K 01
Dickenson, Woodward W. .74
Dickey, Clarence G 1.40
Dickson, Earl S 4.50
Di Cupula, R. E 16.50
piutnch, Edward H 13.04
Dill, G. T 4.80
Dillman, Albert J 8.95
Dinass, George S 8.11
Dineen, Clarence E 20
Di Popola, J 9.90
Di.snoy, Edward E 2.84
Di Tomaso, M. L 16.50
Dixon, Clifford C 1.37
Dixon, F 2.00
Dixon, Geo. W 9.58
Dixon, Ray M 1.40
Dixon, Stedtoe 64.33
Doa, Vincenzo 4.13
Dnarski, Joseph S 1.37
Dobbins, David J 8.04
Dobson, Austin M 2.87
Dodd, Geo. J 10.47
Podd, Nevin Wilson 3.28
Podds, P. J .33
Dodge, Marshall A 3.12
Dodson, Gordon L 19.28

•Podson, R. W 33
Doktor, Tadensz 3.47
Doles(>, Sidney L 1.63
Domio, Roy 104
Donahue, Jack 2.38
Donnelly, Elmer C. 3.96
Donovan, James 7.92
Donovan, Richard E 1.34
Durin, Thomas B 11.74
Dore, Eugene N 6.65
Dorgan, Maron 2.13
Dorr, William W. Jr 2.23
Dorsatt, Banks Will 1.37
borsey, Floyd J. Jr 45
Dotton, Samuel E 6.10
Dotson, S. R 41
poty, George 33
Duuglierty, C. J 2.23
Dougherty, John T 70.25
Dougherty, Louis F 11.14
Douglas, Chas 3.56
Douglas, Claude L 22.24
Douglas, Jeremiah L 6.10
Douglas, Louis J 4.39
Douglas, Richard E 17.40
Dowal J 4.13
Dowling, William 59
Dowling, Wm. S 14.86
Down, A. A 16.56
Downes, John M 1.05
Downey, James W 2.23
Downie, J 7.35
Downing, Marcus A 5.73
Dows, J. N 5.05
Doyle, Dennis Arthur 16.26
Doyle, P ; 3.27
Draft, E 3.54
braves, Robert 15.05
Dressier, Fred 76
Drevas, Peter 95.62
Preyer, R 11.25
Driscoll, Edwin C. 3.90
Drummond, David 2.06
Drumund, Peanne p. 5.51

,i • .

— Unclaimed Wages—
Mississippi Shipping Company, Inc.

This list comprises unclaimed wages as of December 31, 1945, some of
which may have already been paid. If you still have a claim, write to Mis­
sissippi Shipping Company, 339 Ghartres St., New Orleans, La., enclosing
your z-iiumber, social security number, date and place of birth and present
address.

Dryall, F. R 2.64
Duames, A. P 4.81
Duarte, Antonio 1.48
Dublanica, Peter 99
Dubriel, Adelard 20
Dubrosky, John 4.93
Dubrow, Stanley 1.78
Ducate, E. J 3.60
Ducharme, Roger P 2.67
Duclos, R. A 5.40
Ducote, Luke C. 04
DIICOIP, Reese A 5.50
Dudley, A. L 5.94
Dudley, A. D. 3.00
Duffey, Edward F 4.46
Dufour, Andrew T 2.40
Dugan, Richard E 3.71
Dugas, Anthony J 90
Duguid, Archibald M 59
Duett, Charles 0 25.99
Duke, Jo.seph 7.61
Duke, Stanley F 9.86
Dukes, J. W 11.25
Dukeshire, Irvin 10.69
Dulaney, Robt 71
Dulie, Jerome B 2.67
Dullc, Leo M 11.47
Du Maduros, F. R 26.60
Duncan, Eimest 80.56
Duncan, E. T 72
Duncan, Frank A. Jr 6.03
Duncan, Meta H 2.07
Duncan, Roy W 98.75
Duncan, Stuart 18.17
Dungan, Charles W 8.76
Dunham, Frank 74
Dunlap, Frank H 2.25
Dunlap, James Allen 5.96
Dunn, Donald L 8.77
Dunn, James S 89
Dunn, Oscar Jan 1.98
Dunn, Walter L, 27.30
Dunphy, Colin U 8.61
Dunphy, Thomas 2.68
Dunsavag, W. 6.39
Dupont, Joseph L 6.53
Pupuy, Edward 2.55
Durant, W 1.19
Durfee, Charles E 2.64
Durham, J 5.63
Durkin, Albert 31.40
Dunn, Harold 5.31
Dust, Roy W 16.39
De Tenbeck, Hugo 31.13
Dutton, Robert R 12.29
Dvorack, C. E 3.52
Dwight, Eugene N 19167
Dwyer, Arthur J 10.05
Dwyer, Charles J 2.23
Dwyer, Raymond F 37.22
Dycus, Thomas L. .
Dye, Eugene C
Dykatra, Fredeidck
Dykema, Martin
Dylengaski, Richard
Dzvonchik, Joseph .

.73

.45

.45
2.90
9.00
.52

4.27 Earl, James
Easterling, W. A 4.80
Eastman, Alfred 6.81
Eaton, Edward Currier .... 44.85
Eaton, E 4.45
Eaton, Jasper C. 21.80
Ebanks, Carlman 123.75
Ebberts, Louis E 2.56
Eckert, F. A 1.12
Eckert, Oscar 01

Eckert, R 9.60
F.ckols, Alfred J 9.96
Eckvarria, Hugo 15.20
Eddleman, John T. Jr 8.26
Edelstein, A 7.92
Edlund, John H 185.85
Edmonds, E 69
Edmunds, Christian 6.22
Ednie, John M 2.67
Edwards, Conrad H 4.10
Edwards, Frank Dale 1.20
Edwards, G. Y , 01
Edwards, N. H 17.00
Edwards, Robt. L 2.68
Edwards, Walter D 18.33
Edwards, Willie 26.74
Egan, James 2.24
Egan, J. J 5.25
Egan.r J, W 18.59
Eggleston, Ernest L 16.52
Eggleston, J 5.94
Ehrclick, E. F 9.50
Eickmeyer, John A 2.23
Eister, Clifford G 1.34
Eklund, Erick R 79
Eklund, Paul 3.30
Elardo, Simon F 1.91
Eldhuse, Anton 3.92
Eldhuse, H 14
Eley, Rufus M 6.80
Elf, Knute 9.90
Ellingsworth, James G 16.14
Elliott, Jas 5.15
Elliott, Milford W. Jr., .... 13.47
Ellis, Homer A 3.72
Ellis, Jack Elton 6.58
Ellis, John W 1.48
Elrick, Wallace 6.75
Elrod, Roy F 15.21
Ely, Edward R 6.20
Emery, Oliver L 59
. ..F 0,;ER2 N .... NNN
Endres, Edwin 3.44
Engelhardt, Eugene E 8.53
Egner, Fred A 14.13
Egner, Roberl L 14.62
England, Fred R 45
England, Minyard D 2.64
Englehard, G 10.00
Englehardt, Jan 3.44
English, Thomas 9.24
Englund, Arthur N 5.89
Engstrom, Lincoln C. E 21.20
Engwall, J 8.21
Enna, Anthony ; 2.31

Evans, C
Evans, E
Evans, Harry
Evans, J
Evans, Leonard N.
Evans, Robert A. ...
Evans, W
Evans, W. H
Evans, William H.
Eveasen, Even
Everett, Alphus T.
Everj', August
Ewing, William F.

.35
2.30
3.57
1.20
3.77
1.98
1.00
5.97

10.03
9.75

24.79
32.30
10.66

Fagan, Wm. T 1.37
Fin, Dolphus R 2.52
Fiar, Dvid C .99
Fairchild, Glen .45
Faircloth, Charles O. Jr.,.. 5.16
Faircloth, Harold Darden.. 3.44
Fajatowski, Jacob 11.96
Falana, John M 14.30
Falk, Bernhard 1.48
Falnes, J 10.56
Earl, John W 2.25
Fancutt, John 65.01
Faris, Walter T 40.75
Farmer, Cary C 4.00
Farney, Wm. S 7.11
Farrar, M. G .35
Farrell. William E 6.45
Farrow, Jack 2.64
Farthing, Roger J 1.90*
Farthorn, William P. 3.26
Fassinger, John F 4.98
Fath, Joseph A .76
Faulkner, J. E 4.50
Faustich, Chas. W 1.91
Fawcett, Paul G 2.13
Fay, J. F 6.39
Fay. J 2.97

SlU HALLS
NEW YORK 51 Beaver St.

HAnover 2-2784
BOSTON 330 Atlantic Ave.

Liberty 4057
BALTIMORE 14 North Gay St.

Calvert 4S30
PHILADELPHIA 9 South 7th St.

Phone Lombaril fSSl
NORFOLK 127-129 Bank Street

4-1083
CHARLESTON 68 Society St.

Phone 3-3680
NEW ORLEANS 339 Cliartres St.

Canal 3336
SAVANNAH 220 East Bay St.

3-1726
MOBILE 7 St. Michael St.

2-1754
SAN JUAN, P. R 45 Ponce 8e Leon

San Juan 2-5996
GALVESTON 305'/z 22nd St.

2-8446
TAMPA 1809-1811 Franklin St.

M-1323
JACKSONVILLE 920 Main St.

Phone 5-5919
PORT ARTHUR 445 Austin Ave.

Phone: 28532
HOUSTON 7137 Navigation Blvd.

Phone Went worth 3-3809
RICHMOND, Calif 257 5th St.
SAN FRANCISCO 59 Clay St.

Garfield 8225..
SEATTLE 8-3 Seneca St.

Main 0290
PORTLAND Ill W. Burnside St.
WILMINGTON 440 Avalon Blvd.

Terminal 4-3131
HONOLULU 16 Merchant St.
BUFFALO 10 Exchange St.

Cleveland 7391
CHICAGO 24 W. Superior Ave.

Superior 5175
CLEVELAND 1014 E. St. Clair St.

Main 0147
DETROIT 1038 Third St.

Cadillac 6857
DULUTH 531 W. Michigan St.

Melrose 41 lO
VICTORIA, B. C 602 Boughton St.
VANCOUVER 144 W. Hastings St.

Enoches, E 3.62
Enos, Gilbert J.* 35.80
Enriquez, Jacobo 2.48
Enna, Joseph Jr., 72
Eplund, B. K 6.00
Epperson, Hebert A 3.96
Erco, E 1.65
Erdle, Fi-ancis E. 95.62
Erickson, Gavin Victor .... 8.66
Erikson, Hans 7.28
Erickson, Irvin C 1.74
Erwin, Bennie M 18.38
Erwin, Harold K 2.56
Ervin, Winston B. 5.94
Escoffier, John 34.08
Escalante, Juste 1.98
Eskew, Jonas H 8.86
Esteve, Edward J 3.10
Estrella, M. 1.39
Etheredge, William L 55.64
Etherton, Terry G 14.75
Ettinger, John J 104.69
Eudy, Clifford D 4.65

Duluth Hall Opens
The Duluth Hall of the

Seafarers International
Union, which had been clos­
ed for some time, has been
reopened at 531 W. Michigan
Street.

NOTICE!
WALTER BARRETT

Your papers are being held for
you at the Baltimore Hall. Please
advise the Agent what disposal
you want made of them.

its.
ROBERT GALL

Call at 5lh floor at New York
Hall.for your baggage checks.

PERSONALS
FRANK "BLACKIE"

MCLAUGHLIN

Would have liked to see you,
but lost your addi'ess. "Whitey"

LARRY WHITE,
19 Marion Street
East Boston 28, Mass.

Money Due
SS CHARLES McDONNELL

The following men have money
due them for tending evapora­
tors on sea watches aboard this
vessel which paid off in San
Franciscb on May 31: Edwin
King, Oiler, $43.20; Leslie Blan-
chard. Oiler, $156.90; Alan Peak,
Oiler, $51.84; Louis Briant, Oiler,
$243.90; and Vernon Weidman, ̂
3rd Cook, $46.08.

% % %

SS JOHN LaFARGE

There is a check for $4.00 for
Frank Scott and a voucher fpr
$2.75 for Lawrence D. Wages
fi'om the American Liberty SS
Co. Get in touch with the Balti­
more Port Agent regarding this
money.

* it. 4-

SS JOHN GIBBONS
Voyage. No. 6

Vouchers fi'om the OveiJakes
Freight Corp., are being held at
the Baltimore branch office for
the following men: Thomas Ly­
ons, $26.84; J. H. Clarke, 71
cents; William T. Peters, $41.38;
John P. Fee, $35.36; JoJhn P.
Martin, $32.16; Clifton W. Ensey,
$28.71; William Rajski, $14.78.

Call or write the Baltimore
Agent regarding these vouchers.

NOTICE!
Anyone who was aboard th©

plane from New Orleans, char«
tered by the crew of the SS Tu-
lane Victory, who knows any-v
thing about two alligator bags,"
please get in touch with F. Rob­
inson, 35-24 72nd Street, Jacksoa
Heights, New York.



Page Sixteen THE SEAFARERS LOG Friday. June 21, 1946

ORGANIZING ISTHMIAN

ri:
i
i

It took plenty of hard work to make the Isthmian vessel.
Cape Domingo, a strongly pro-SIU ship. Ask these fellows;
they know! George Peteusky (left), Ed Bender and Joe Lissner.
Heinrich Viik, who also helped considerEibly, was on watch and
not available for a picture.

Marine Hospitals Neglect
Seamen, Seafarer Says

By H. C. GORDON

Stay close to your desk and
never go to sea, and when you
are ill you may be eligible to
obtain treatment at the U. S.
Marine Hospital.

Gilbert and Sullivan could
have written the above and not
been far wrong. For if you are a
seaman, your chances of becom
ing a patient in such a place are
remote.

Now, a mail carrier, a govern­
ment employee or a janitor in
some federal building, can gain
admittance very easily.

And a few years back the
places were filled with CCC boys
who had chopped off various
parts of their anatomy while
building roads through the vir­
gin forests in Roosevelt's noble
experiment to keep them out of
the poolrooms.

One such boy could not get
over the fact that the patient in
the next bed was a merchant
seaman. In fact, he asked the
seaman how he happened to get
into the Marine Hospital.

The Marine Hospitals were or­
iginally built for the care of sea­
men. Seamen paid a small
amount per month from their
wages for their upkeep. The
hospitals also received fifty per­
cent of the fines, known as
"logs," which were deducted
from seamen's pay.

Many an oldtimer made a two
year trip and, on returning to
homeport, found that he had
been logged for almost all his
pay because he had not jumped
fast enough when the skipper
bellowed at him.

The amount thus collected, al­
though no figures are available,
must have been considerable.

But for some obscure reason,
the powers that rule the U. S.

' Marine Hospitals today seem to
be prejudiced against treating
Sick or injured merchant seamen.

Of course', if taken sick aboard
ship, there is no trouble about
crashing in. But, if through no
fault of your own, due to slack
shipping, you are taken ill while
on the beach, after being ashore
for sixty days, the bars are raised
against you.

Wives of Coast Guard men are
admitted to the Marine Hospitals
as maternity cases. A seaman, in­
jured through torpedo action,
cannot get in for treatment be^

cause he has been off a ship for
over two months.

The merchant seamen do not
want, or expect any special treat­
ment. As far as these hospitals
accepting non-seamen as patients
is concerned, fine and dandy
with us. If people are sick they
must have treatment. But we
io object to getting the brushoff
while others get all the con­
sideration.

Even long before the war,
patients who were seamen, were
forced to help clean the wards,
polish floors, fold dressings and
do orderly work in general. If
they refused thdy were dis­
charged if they were able to
walk. And at times the food was
horrible.

• I mention this to show that
ieamen were treated like step-
:hildren for a long time back, and
that all these cases of discrimina­
tion did not just originate sud­
denly.

The second world war is over;
lone also are the days of "heroic
merchant seamen." From now
on, when addressed, it will be as
"Hey, you!"

The international situation is
fast going haywire once more.
They may need us again.

Anything that the Union can
do that will bring this before
the public at large will be deeply
appreciated by us. We feel that
either the unfair practice.s of the
Marine Hospital bureaucrats and
some of their rattraps should be
curbed, or else the name "Ma­
rine" be dropped from the title
altogether.

In which case we will attempt
to find a dark alley in which to
die, when the time comes. Or
perhaps crawl to the city dump
where the added odor would not
be noticeable.

Attention Members!
Seafarers Sailing

As Engineers
All members—^retired mem­

bers and former members—
of the Seafarers Internation­
al Union who are now sailing
as licensed Engineers: Please
report as soon as possible to
the Seafarers Hall at 31 Bea­
ver Street, New York City.
Your presence is necessary in
a matter of great importance.

Seafarers Maintains Wide Lead
In isthmian Fleet Election

NEW YORK, June 19—Latest
•eports on the Isthmian election
o determine a bargaining agent
or that company reveal that the
Seafarqrs is still maintaining a
vide margin of votes over the

.•ombincd totals of both the NMU
md the company.

Voting last Thursday, June
13th, at Philadelphia, crewmem-
)ers of the Clyde L. Seavey hung
jp a good majority for the Sea-
-arers. Their vote, 70 percent
;or the SIU according to esti-
nates, served to continue the
/cry favorable pace already es-
.ablished in the election.

Out on the Pacific Coast, at
San Francisco, the Golden West
rew was balloted on Tuesday,

June 18th. Estimates of crew-
members and official observers
ndicated that the Seafarers se­
cured better than 60 percent of
.he votes aboard her while the
3IU didn't do too badly on the
3ca Hydra which was voted at
Baltimore on June 12th.

13 PERCENT LEFT

With the completion of voting
jn Isthmian ships which docked
this week, about 13 percent of
the Isthmian Fleet remains to be
polled. These 12 or 13 ships
should be finished with their vot­
ing in the near future, probably
within the next several weeks at
the latest.

Then, the matter of counting
and tabulating the ballots by the
National Labor Relations Board
will be completed in short order,
following by the certain certifi­
cation of the SIU as the Union
bargaining agent for the Isth­
mian Lines.

Among the ships remaining
unvoted are: Anniston City, At­
lantic City, Cape Junction, Kath­
leen Holmes, Monroe Victory,
Pere Marquette, Red Rover, Rob­
ert C. Grier, Sea Hawk, Sea
Lynx, Sea Triton, Steel Electri­
cian and the Steel Inventor.

SEAFARERS CONFIDENT

The majority of these ships are
predominantly for the Seafarers,
and with one or two possible ex­
ceptions, should hang up an im­
pressive vote for the SIU when
they are polled by NLRB repre­
sentatives upon their return to

the shores of the continental
United States.

Every shipboard and shoreside
organizer, as well as the many
other Seafarers who have con­
stituted the mselves unofficial
Isthmian organizers throughout
the organizing drive, is calmly
confident of the election's out­
come.

When the complete tabulation
of votes is made at the conclusion
if the election, they expect rnn-
ruiualiuii of Iheii ebtimales that
the SIU will win by a big ma­
jority vote.

In fact,. members of the SIU
who have contributed no little
amount to the success of the or­
ganizing campaign through their
contacts with Isthmian seamen
in all ports and with their self-
sacrificing willingness to sail
Isthmian .ships, are openly bet­
ting on the final results (and giv­

ing odds, tool). They can't find
many takers unfortunately!

SHIPBOARD MEETINGS

Many Isthmian ships are now
holding regular shipboard meet­
ings, just as they would if they
were under SIU contract, and
electing delegates to take up
their beefs.

With this kind of a setup, the
crews of these ships have cut
flown considerably on beefs. Isth­
mian ships are still a long way
fi'om being run on a Union ship
basis, as only an SIU contract
can bring that about, .but SIU
style meetings and beef handling
by delegates has helped consid­
erably.

It doesn't do any harm to re­
peat: only a Seafarers' contract
for Isthmian ships can ensure
wages and conditions which pre­
vail on SIU ships.

Cape Domingo Goes To Isthmian,
But Crew Goes To Seafarers

Formerly operated by the In­

ternational Freight Corporation
(an NMU-contracted company),

the Cape Domingo was recently
taken over by the Isthmian Lines.
Seafarers George Peteusky, Joe
Lissner and Heinrich Viik have
all done a swell job in organiz­
ing her for the Seafarers along
with some valuable assistance

from some of the other crew-

members.

Originally there were quite a
few NMUers aboard the Do­
mingo, but the boys did a good
job of converting most of them
md some non-Union seamen to
the SIU way.

DIRTY SHIP

Bosun Ivan "Hans" Kalroth, an
IMU oldtimer, turned in his old
mok and took out SIU member-
5hip. Now, there are only three
Dr four aboard who are still NMU
members, and the balance of the
crew asserts that by the time
chey return, they'll all be Sea­
farers.

According to Domingo^^eamen,
the ship was extremely dirty

WORKING TOGETHER

The port of Tampa is "a good example of the way unions
connected with the Maritime Industry should cooperate. Perry
Harvey (left). President of the Tampa Local. International Lor.g-
shoremers Association, and Claude (Sonny) Simmons, SIU Port
Agent, talk things over at the work-stoppage held on June 6.
Harvey and his local have pledged their complete support to
the SIU in the present contract negotiations.

This is nothing new. Both of these unions have shared picket
lines in the past, and both have been instrumental in getting
each others beefs squared away. With solidarity like this, we
can't lose, and neither can the ILA.

when they first boarded her, but
the Skipper, William F. Epperly,
had her fumiatged to get rid
of the king size roaches and bed­
bugs which threatened to run off
with the ship.

The foc'.?les were so filled with
trash that a number of the men
spent considerable time in clean­
ing them up. Now, things are
fairly shipshape, and after the
foc'sles are painted, the Domingo
will be like any SIU ship—a clean
ship. *

Several crewmembers asserted
that as soon as possible they
would hold a shipboard meeting
to elect delegates, and show some
of the younger seamen how a
typical SIU ship is operated.

One of the Ordinaries was un­
able to make the trip due to be­
ing hospitalized at Staten Island
Hospital, where the SIU -repre­
sentative visited him. While
working, he was overcome by
sudden abdominal pains, and is
being kept at the hospital for
further observation and diag­
nosis.

MATERIAL WITNESS

Bosun Kalroth was also unable
to leave with the rest of the
Domingo crew when their ship
pulled out Tuesday a. m. He
was forced to remain in New
York as a material witness in a
manslaughter trial.

Heading for Newport News to
;ake on more cargo after she
left New York, the Cape Do­
mingo is expected to be absent
for about four or five months.
Her itinerary includes stops at Al­
exandria, Cairo, some Red Sea
and Persian Gulf ports, Calcutta,
Bombay, Honolulu, and . then
back to the Pacific Coast.

Crewmembers stated that they
were of the opinion that Isth­
mian would be under an SIU con­
tract, after the completion of thd
voting which heavily faVor? the
Seafarers, and by the time that
they return from their long trip.
These seamen were also of the
opinion that other Seafarers
should sacrifice a little if neces­
sary to sail Isthmian ships until
such time as Isthmian is under
an SIU contract and enjoying the
same conditions as other SIU-
contracted companies.