Media
Issue Date
1947-09-26
Volume
9
Issue Number
39
Plaintext
«.; •'csEi';n ;' ->
'Official Organ of the Seafarers International Union of North America
VOL. IX NEW YORK. N. Y.. FRIDAY. SEPTEMBER 26. 1947 No. 39
Nominations
For Election
Reach Office
According to an announcement
by Secretary-Treasurer, J. P.
Shuler, nominations-for 1948 of
ficials for the Atlantic and Gulf
District, accompanied by qualifi
cations, have started to come in
to his office.
A total of 38 posts are to be
filled, r comprising twelve Port
Agents, twenty - two Patrolmen,
one Secretary - Treasurer, and
three Assistant Secretary-Treas
urers.
The two additional Secretary-
Ticasurcr posts, created in the
resolution calling for the election,
will be for carrying out ceidain
duties which have been previous
ly assigned to appointed officials.
Qualifications for these new
jobs are the same as for Port
Agent.
By unanimous consent of the
Branches, up and down the coast
New York will be granted a
Joint Patrolman, which position
will also be on the ballot in the
upcoming elections.
(Qualifications for elective
office in the Seafarers Interna
tional Union. Atlantic and Gulf
District, appear on page 3.)
In addition to meeting the
qualifications, each candidate is
also directed by the resolution
to fuinish a passport photo of
himself plus a statement of not
more than 100 words, giving a
brief summarj' of the candidate's
Union record and history.
These pictures and statements
will be run in the LOG after
nominations have closed, and will
enable each member to know
for whom he is voting.
Seafarers, Huron Reach Agreement
DETROIT. Sept. 24—The Seafarers International Union.
Great Lakes District, successfully wound up today contract ne
gotiations with the Huron Transportation Company. The pro
posed agreement now goes before the membership f.or discus
sion and vote. ^
Details of the Huron contract were not available at LOG
press time but will be published in next week's issue.
Negotiations for the SIU were conducted by Fred Farnen.
Secretary-Treasurer of the Great Lakes District, and Russell
Smith. Organizational Director on the Lakes.
The agreement signed today climaxes the drive among the
company's unlicensed personnel which got under way last
April. Following the SIU's petition to the National Labor Re
lations Board, balloting was conducted on the company's ves
sels on June 4 and June 6.
Results of the election gave the Seafarers an overwhelm
ing majority of the votes cast and the NLRB announced certi
fication of the Seafarers as collective bargaining agent for the
Huron seamen on June IS.
Negotiations for the contract consummated today began in
mid-July.
Petrol Tankers Signs
Part With Seafarers
ITF Council Admits
350,000 German
Transport Workers
WASHINGTON—The strength
of the powerful International
Transport workers Federation, to
which the SIU is affiliated, was
considerably augmented here
this week, when more than 350,-
000 German railway and trans
port workers in the U. S.; French
and British zones of Germany
were readmitted to the world
wide oi-ganization.
Readmission of the German
workers was granted by the ITF
executive committee at the first
meeting in its history to be held
in this country.
The ITF committee unan
imously decided to readmit the
German workers after it was
demonstrated that they are now
democratically controlled and
free from Nazi influence.
,
PHILADELPHIA -r- Another
tanker company, this time the
Petrol Tankers Industries, Incor
porated, joined the growing list
of tankship companies holding
contracts with the Seafarers In
ternational Union.
The agreement was signed this
week and embodies all the fea
tures which were contained in
the contract with Tanker Sag
Harbor (Mathiasen) Corporation.
That contract, it will be re
membered, called for the highest
wages and best rates of over
time in the entire industry.
(New wage scale for Pelrol
Tankers appears on Page 10.)
Although the agreement was
signed for one year. It contains
the exclusive SIU provision that
the wage question may be re
opened by the Union at any time.
This protects the membership in
case the cost-of-living rises.
Other features include 28 days
vacation per year, all holidays at
sea to be paid for at the over
time rate, and any work per
formed in port after 5 P.M. and
before 8 A.M. also to be counted
as overtime.
NEGOTIATORS
Representing the SIU in the
negotiating were Eddie Higdon,
Philadelphia Agent; Ernest Til-
ley, Patrolman; and Harry Col
lins, Dispatcher. Robert Mat
thews, Headquarters Representa
tive, assisted the Philadelphia
officials in pushing through the
new contract.
Negotiations started with this
company soon after the first ship,
the Bull Run, was purchased.
More tankers are on order for
this company, and the agreement
will be extended for every ship
which the company will own or
operate. All of this means more
jobs for Seafarers members, and
added insurance against a ship
ping slump.
Signing of this agreement will
give added impetus to the Sea
farers' drive to organize tankers.
Each tanker conti-act signed so
far has proved to be outstanding
and a major gain for the men
manning the vessels.
These gains are being noticed
by unoiganized men, and are
part of the reason that pledge
cards from Cities Service and
Tidewater men are being signed
in increasing numbers.
The other part of the reason
is the reputation of the SIU, and
its ability to protect its mem
bership.
Send Fix
Every candidate for office
in the A&G election sched
uled to begin on November
1st. must submit with his
qualifications a passport pic-
lure of himself and a short
biography of no more than
100 words, dealing only with
the candidate's Union record
and activities.
These pictures and biogra
phical notes will be carried
in the SEAFARERS LOG in
order to familiarize the mem
bership with all candidates.
Send your qualifications,
picture, and short biography
to: Secretary-Treasurer, Sea
farers International Union, 51
Beaver St., New York 4. N. Y.
Sailors Union Assurod
Of Union Hiring Hail
In Its New Contracts
SAN FRANCISCO —Taft-Hartley Act or no
Taft-Hartley Act, the Sailors Union of the Pacific
has been assured that Hiring Halls, won after
bloody struggles, will not be abolished in the new
contracts which are now being negotiated. Faced
with the assurance by Harry Lundeberg that West
Coast seamen would strike on September 30 unless
guaranteed the 'protection of the Hiring Halls, the
Pacific American Shipowners
Association agreed to a clause
whereby all hiring would be
by seniority in point of serv
ice on West Coast ships.
Union officials expressed satis
faction over the provision, stat
ing that it was the same as the
Closed s^op since the Union
would be in charge of dispatch
ing men to the ships.
With this big obstacle over
come, both Union and Associa
tion spokesmen took the position
that no strike would occur since
wage matters were still t» be ne
gotiated and progress was being
made.
TERRIFIC VICTORY
Maintenance of the Hiring
Halls constitutes a major victory
for the SUP since it had been
the feeling of observers that the
shipowners would stand firmly
against the Hiring Halls and de
pend on the Taft-Hartley Law to
back them up.
However, even Senator Taft,
co-author of the law, was not
sure whether or not the new legis
lation would work in the mari
time industry. This may have
had some bearing on the willing
ness of the shipowners to sign.
The Seafarers International
Union, Atlantic and Gulf Dis
trict, was assured of hiring
through Union Halls when its
contracts with the operators were
extended before the T-H Law
went into effect.
Even the Isthmian Steamship
Company, long-time opponent of
Union Hiring, had to give in
when the SIU struck that com
pany's ships to insure a Hiring
Hall clause in the contract on
'vhich the company was stalling.
It is labor's hope that the en
tire Taft-Hartley Act will soon
be repealed. But until that takes
place, the East and West Coast
sections of the SIU are in good
positions, and this has been
achieved through collective bar
gaining with the shipowners,
without govei-nment interference.
They Got Us, Bud!
Labor papers have been
engaged in a hard fight, for
the past year, to get enough
newsprint to insure publica
tion each week.
Every week the LOG has
been faced with the possibil
ity that the printer wouldn't
be able to beg. borrow, or
buy enough paper. And this\
week the possibility came
true. For that reason the
LOG this week is only 12
pages.
We hope next week to go
back to regular size.
Currait, Commies
Fight For Power
At NMU Meet
NEW YORK—It is certain that
ihe Sixth NMU Convention, now
in session in Manhattan Center,
will accomplish very little for the
membership. After three full
days of wrangling^ at the rate of
$10,000 a day, the Credentials
Committee has been chosen, but
little else has even been at
tempted.
The first day's session was
marked by a brawl between the
communists and the Curran fol
lowers. The second day was de
voted to electing a Credentials
Committee, which the commies
control, 9-to-6.
Curran is engaged in a fight
for life, and if the commies are
successful in controlling this
convention, the last traces of the •
movement to return the NMU to
the rank-and-file will go down
the drain.
So far it appears that the com
mies dominate the proceedings.
As a nose-thumbing gesture to
the anti-commies, party-line Con
gressman Vito Marcantonio ad
dressed the convention, on the
invitation of the Red-controlled
NMU National Council.
mi
Page Two THE SEAFARERS LOG Friday, Sepiember 26, 1947
SEAFARERS LOG
Published Weekly by the
SEAFARERS INTERNATIONAL UNION
OF NORTH AMERICA
Atlantic and Gulf District
Aifilialed wilh the American Federation of Labor
At 51 Beaver Street, New York 4, N. Y.
HAnover 2-2784
International Officers
HARRY LUNDEBERG President
105 Market St., San Francisco, Calif,
PAUL HALL First Vice-President
51 Beaver St., New York 4, N. Y.
MORRIS WEISBERGER Vice-President
105 Broad St., New York 4, N, Y.
CAL TANNER Vice-President
1 South Lawrence St., Mobile, Ala.
EDWARD COESTER Vice-President
86 Seneca St., Seattle, Wash.
JOHN HAWK Secy.-Treasurer
105 Market St., San Francisco, Calif.-
District Officials
J. P;- SHULER - - - Secy.-Treas. Atlantic & Gulf District
P. O. Box 25, Bowling Green Station, New York, N, Y.
HARRY LUNDEBERG - Sec.-Treas. Sailors Union of the Pacific
59 Clay Street, San Francisco, Calif.
FRED FARNEN - - - - Secy.-Treas. Great Lakes District
1038 Third Street, Detroit, Michigan
HUGH MURPHY Secy.-Treas. Canadian District
144 W. Hastings St., Vancouver, B. C.
Entered as second class matter June 15, 1945, at the Post Office
in New Y'ork, N. Y., under the Act of August 24, 1912.
GEORGE K. NOVICK, Editor
267
1. -wr
jt uur Beit"
The fat boys have plenty of good ideas for ending
the inflation that has put food, clothing, and rents almost
out of the reach of the man who works for a living.
One Senator, Taft, the well-known labor-baiter from
Ohio, gave as his solution that people should eat less.
And another Senator, Flanders of Vermont, said that
what the United States needs to bring down prices is a
*'small depression."
That's what the masterminds have as an answer to
the sky-rocketing prices that have forced many families
to tighten their belts and do without much needed new
clothing.
During the depression it was not uncommon to hear
of people being evicted or doing without food. But, today,
when we have more workers employed than at any other
time in our history, excluding the peak days of the war,
it is strange to read of people suffering from lack of food,
or of families being dispossessed because they could not
meet the exorbitant rentals. *
These stories grace the front pages of many news
papers, but it is the financial pages that make much more
interesting reading. There one finds notices of corpora
tion profits, and those prove that big business is making
money hand over fist.
There is only one conclusion to draw from the way
the Senators and Representatives try to mislead the work
ers by giving them false reasons for the inflation. They arc
.serving their masters, the bosses, and they use any means
at their disposal to place the blame on the people, instead
of where it rightly belongs.
A famous French queen, when told that her subjects
had no bread to eat, said, ''Let them eat cake."
The words of the Senator Taft and Senator Flanders
are equally as brutal.
If the men who are supposed to represent us in the
Halls of Congress are really interested in halting runaway
prices, let them advise big business to "profit less." If that
fails, they can take steps to limit profits, and thereby
drive down prices.
But you can rest assured that the Coi^ress, which
tumbled all over itself to do the National Association of
Manufacturers' bidding in passing the Taft-Hartley Ac^
is not going to bite the hand that owns it by doing some- •
thing so necessary to the well-being of the masses of pecjple.
Tighten your belts, folks. The wise men in Wash
ington have spoken.
Seafarers Members Now In The Marine Hospitals
BRIGHTON HOSPITAL
J. TRAVAGLINI
E. FALVEY
J. BARRON
R. LORD
E. DELLAMANO
H. SCHWARTZ
J, NICKERSON
W. MAPLES
E. JOHNSTON
J. HANSIL
D. BOYCE
R. GREENWOOD
J. FLEMING
J. TAYLOR
C. Gill
1. NAPPI
t 4. t -
STATEN ISLAND HOSPITAL
E. JOFFRIAN
J. MCNEELY
J. A. DYKES
T. MUSCOVAGE
W. SATTERFIELD
J. GERMANO
J. BLANCO
C. J. BISCUP-
J. O'MALLEY
J. E. WILLIAMS
E. T. BROWN
STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP
STATEMENT OF THE OWNERSHIP,
MANAGEMENT. CIRCULATION. ETC..
REQUIRED BY THE ACTS OF CON
GRESS OF AUGUST 24. 1912. AND
MARCH 3. 1933 of THE SEAFARERS
LOG published weekly at General Post
Office, New York I. N. Y.. for Septem
ber 26, 1947.
State of New York.
County of New York, ss
Before me. a Notary Public in and for
the State and county aforesaid, per
sonally appeared George Novick, who.
having been duly sworn according to
law, deposes and says that he is the
Editor of the SEAFARERS LOG and that
the following is. to .the best of his know
ledge and belief, a true statement of the
ov/nership, management (and if a daily
paper, the circulation), etc., of.the afore
said publication for the date shown in
the above caption, required by the Act
of August 24. 1912, as amended by the
Act of March 3. 1933. embodied in sec
tion 5 3 7. Postal Laws and Regulations,
printed on the reverse of this form, to
wit:
1. That the names dnd addresses of
the publisher, editor, managing editor,
and business managers are: Publisher
Seafarers International Union of North
America. Atlantic & Gulf District. 51
Beaver St., New York 4, N. Y. Editor.
George Novick, 51 Beaver St,. New York,
N. Y. Managing Editor (none) Business
Managers (none).
2. That the owner is; (If owned by a
corporation, its name and address must
be stated and also immediately there
under the names and addresses of stock
holders owning or holding one per cent
of more of total amount of stock. If not
owned by a corportion, the names and
addresses of the individual owners must
be given. If owned by a firm, company,
or other unincorporated concern, its
name and address, as well as those of
each individual member, must be given.)
Seafarers International Union of North
America. Atlantic & Gulf District. 51
Beaver St.. New York 4. N. Y. J. P.
Shuler. Secretary-Treasurer, 51 Beaver
St., New York 4, N. Y.
3. That the known bondholders, mort
gagees. and other sceurity holders own
ing or holding I per cent of more of
total amount of bonds, mortgages, or
other securities are: (if there are none,
so state,) None,
4. That the two paragraphs next
above giving the names of the owners,
stockholders, and security holders, if
any. contain not only the list of stock
holders and security holders as they
appear upon the books of the company
but also, in cases where the stockholder
or security holder appears upon the
books of the company as trustee or in
any other fiduciary relation, the name
of the person or corporation for whom
such trustee is acting, is given: also
that the said two paragraphs contain
statements embracing affiant's full
knowledge and belief as to the circum
stances and conditions under which
stockholders and security holders who
do not appear upon the books of the
company as trustees, hold stock and se
curities in a capacity other than fhat of
a bona fide owner; and this affiant has
no reason to believe that any other
person, assosiation, or corporation has
any interest direct or indirect in the said
stock, bonds, or other securities than
as so stated by him,
5. That the average number of copies
of each issue of this publication sold or
distributed, through the mails or other
wise, to paid subscribers during the
twelve months preceding the date shown
above is 3 7.200,
(Signed) GEORGE NOVICK, Editor
Sworn to and subscribed before me
this 26th day of September. 1947. ROSE
S, ELDRIGE, Notary Public. (My com
mission expires March 30, 1948)
J. E. BRWN
F. J. SCHUTZ
R, L. ALLEN
A, CAUDRA
J, BURGRAVE
W. R. HALL
I, WHITNEY
L, W. ROBERTS
» 4, 1
ELLIS ISLAND HOSPITAL
D. MCDONALD
J. KOSLUSKY
M. MORRIS
E. GOOSLEY ;
% X X
NEPONSET HOSPITAL
J. S. CAMPBELL
E, FERRER
J, R. HANCHEY
C. LARSEN
L, L. LEWIS
J. R. LEWIS
R, A, BLAKE
L, TORRES
C. SCHULTZ
H, BELCHER
J. T, EDWARDS
L. BALLESTERO
C. C. MOSS
D. TULL
J. SILLAK
T. WADSWORTH
M, GOME^
X X t
NORFOLK HOSPITAL
J. PORTER
RALPH STURGIS
B. CUTHRELL
J. BULLARD
A. DESOUZA
L. BARSH
H. KEECH
XXX
SAN FRANCISCO HOSPITAL
J. HODO
J. B. KREWSON
A. COHEN
Friday, September 26, 1947 THE SEAFARERS LOG Pagei Three
By: PAUL HALL
In every attack on seamen's wages and conditions, the ship
owner has had one consistent ady. The ally of the bosses is none
other than the communist party, whose waterfront wrecking policy
is daily becoming more obvious to seamen in all ports. These C.P.
leeches drain the strength of maritime workers who might other
wise be united.
Fundamentally they stand guilty of being the most prominent
finks that ever stuck their heads in the maritime industry. The tac
tics they employ run lower than the belly of a whale resting at the
bottom of the ocean. Their super-militancy is only a dodge—a pro
fessional front designed to pose them as working class leaders.
The commies have a very flexible line. "The end justifies the
means," these guys say. In other words, anything goes so long as
it serves to place them a little nearer their goal—control of the ma
rine industry.
Anything that will strengthen the position of the Soviet Union
immediately becomes the tactic of the communist party. Orders are
issued from Moscow for the local flunkeys to carry out the line. It
might be a strike that could be averted, it might be signing a con
tract for less dough than honest sailors would fight for. So long as
it succeeds in keeping an industry in chaos and the workers con
fused. Meanwhile the commie mouthpieces take advantage of their
carefully created situation and scream how only they can lead the
workers out of misery.
They're Hollering For Help
These are the people we are supposed to feel sorry for now. It
is these prostitutes who are now yelling for trade unionists to "come
to their aid." They are jumping around like a bunch of hens on a
hot griddle because their former bed partners, the Washington bu
reaucrats, have quit romancing with them and are now giving the
Moscow puppets a very bad time.
In line with the U.S. government's current anti-Russian policy,
the bureaucrats are blasting the hell out of their one-time buddies
with as much gusto as they blessed them during the C.P. sellout
period of the war.
It is regrettable from our point of view that the bureaucrats at
this time are cracking down on the communist party, for the aver
age seaman is hard against the bureaucrats and is almost automat
ically against anything the bureaucrats push for.
Ousting of the commies from the waterfront is strictly a job
for seamen—not the Washington fakers.
Before the commie line went into its latest zig-zag and changed
the commies from docile stooges for the shipowners into super-
duper militants, virtually all seamen in all unions were fully aware
of their sell-out hobnobbing with the War Shipping Administration
and the Coast Guard. Militant seamen duxdng the war felt the foul
blast of the commies' hatred and persecution.
It must be emphasized that because we don't like bureaucrats,
we cannot afford to be swayed one bit by crocodile tears dripping
from the waterfront section of the CP. We hate to see the bureau
crats persecute anybody, but the commies are getting the dose they
laid themselves open for by doing a shack up job with the W.S.A.
and Coast Guard, and we, as trade unionists, certainly don't intend
pitching in to make their load any lighter. These lying character
assassins and working class traitors rate every boot in the behind
they get. It is only ironic justice that the guys now working them
over are the very same people with whom they walked arm-in-arm
during their sell-out period.
Watch For The United Front
We can look now for the emergence of the CP "united front"—
the old war horse that's dragged out every time they're in a corner.
You'll hear screams about how we must unite to beat the "enemies
of labor" and all the rest of the CP slogan makers' la-de-Sa. Those
unions as well as individuals who don't fall in line with them will
be targets of the party's smear brush.
Their constant attacks on Harry Lundeberg, SlU president,
arc an example. Many are the malicious lies they have spread
about Lundeberg as they desperately sought to hang a bad name
on him, WHY? For the simple reason that he has always opposed
the commies and has pinned back their ears every time he got the
chance. He wouldn't let them get a foothold where fhey wanted it
badly, nor would he play their sell-out game of the seamen—at
any time.
Seafarers Will Be On Guard
Seafarers should be on guard to oppose attempts of the CP to
me^s around on the water-front anywhere. All hands should bear
in mind that the party assigned one of its hacks, a guy by the name
of A1 Rothbart, to "infiltrate" into the SlU by getting SlU men to
unwittingly aid in attempts at future smears and to introduce com
mie hogwash along the waterfront.
There is no need for us to be concerned about Rothbart or
phonies of his type. We know well the scab role of the communists
on the waterfront, and will always make it impossible for them to
infiltrate. But we must continue to mess up the plans of these don
keys by lighting them where we find them and continuing to expose
their linky record whenever we can.
Responsibilities Of Stewards DepL
Personnel On Passenger Vessels
By JACK (Aussie) SHRIMPTON
The SlU is now in fuU swing
operating several large passenger-
ships with the prospect of more
to follow, and it has become a
matter .' the greatest importance
both to the Union and the mem
bership to see that the right men
are shipped out in the right jobs
in the Stewards Department.
The purpose of this series of
articles is to summarize all the
many and various ratings that
are called for, so that each man
knows what is expected of him
directly ns he walks aboard a
passenger ship.
Now first of all, let me stress
the point that every company has
its own way of working its ships,
and that every Chief Steward
has his own pet way of running
his department, so that these
articles cannot be taken as a ir
refutable authority by which, if
things do not exactly correspond
with the job you have taken,
you have the right to go howling
to your Chief Steward brandish
ing this copy of the LOG with
a long spiel starting off "
it says hei-e."
However, you will find that "in
general principle it will give you
a working knowledge of the job
you have taken; and it might be
a good idea for those of you who
have never shipped passenger
ships to clip this out and have
it by you, so that when you
throw in you know what you are
in for.
Secondly, let me try right now
to overcome this deeply rooted
idea in the minds of some of our
younger members that there is
something degi-ading or menial
about waiting or serving passen
gers, and that the only way to
preserve your sturdy American
independence is to show them
that you are as good as they are.
Everyone, be he the President
of the United States or a plain
messboy, serves some one else.
The President serves Congress,
Congress serves the people (al
though sometimes we wonder
how when we see things like the
Taft-Hartley Bill becoming law);
the Master of a vessel serves his
company; the Chief Steward
(poor devil) serves both the
Master, the company
sengers and his Union; the Sec
ond Steward and key-man serves
the Chief Steward; and the
Messboy serves his ship mates.
It is all relative to the degree
of competency that we have ar
rived at, but each and every one
of us serves someone else, so.
therefore if your job calls for
you to serve a passenger do so
cheerfully and willingly, remem
bering that it is a service that
is bound to pay off good divi
dends at the end of the trip.
Politeness and courtesy cost
nothing but mean a hell of a lot,
and it is a big indictment on the
American Merchant Marine gen
erally that the American public
is normally the largest travelling
public in the world but only
travels in a very small percent
age of its own ships.
Why?' The answer lies in one
word, "service". It is not neces
sary to bow and scrape or in
any way H^emean yourself; clean-
(Co»tinned on Page 11)
Money In Your Pocket
By WALTER "SLUG" SIEKMANN
There have been a lot of in
stances where guys have lost leg
itimate dough due to their own
carelessness and neglect. The
principle reason, however, is that
they have not presented their
beefs in the proper manner.
For an example, we can use
the case of a member who ship
ped on a scow just a x.ort while
ago. He worked from four to
six hours overtime every day
on the first leg of the voyage.
Not being sure just what con
stituted overtime, and not taking
the trouble td study the agree
ment, he failed +c> list and turn
in the overtime.
Just to top things off and
really mess himself up in fine
style, he missed the ship on the
other side. Although missing the
ship was no fault of his, still it
left him in a hell of a shape.
Luckily for him a record had
been kept midships, and he was
able to collect with the aid of
a Patrolman.
He was the exception and
extra lucky, because thousands
of dollars are lost every year
through similar neglect. ^
A few points, that will insru-e
at least a reasonable chance of
settling beefs and collecting the
dough that should be in the
seaman's pocket rather than the
shipowners vaults, are:
(1) Be sure a Delegate is elect-
ed immediately upon boarding
the pas-1 the ship.
Qualifications For Office
Qualifications for office in the Seafarers International Union,
as provided for by the Constitution and By-laws, are as follows:
(a) Thai he be a citizen of the United States.
(b) That he be a full member of the Seafarers Intu.national
Union of North America, Atlantic and Gulf District, in continu
ous good standing for a period of two (2) years immediately
prior to date of nomination.
(c) Any candidate for Agent or joint patrolman must have
three years of sea service in any one of three departments. Any
candidate for departmental patrolman must have three years sea
service, as specified in this article, shall mean on merchant ves
sels in unlicensed capacity.
(d) That he has not misconducted himself previously while
employed as an officer of thei Union.
(e) That he be an active and full book member and show
four months discharges for the current year in an unlicensed
rating, prior to date of nomination, this provision shall not ap-
,ply to officials and other office holders working for the Union
during current year for period of four months or longer.
Any member who can qualify may nominate himself for
office by submitting, in writing, his intention to run for office,
naming the particular office and submitting the necessary
proof of qualification as listed above.
The notice of intention addressed to the Secretary-Treasurer
must be in his office not later than Oct. 15. 1947, together with
a recent passport photo and a short statement of the candidate's
Union history and activities.
(2) Keep an accurate record of
any overtime, both penalty and
extra-hour time. Don't depend
upon the Delegate or Department
Head, but keep the record your
self, making two copies — one
for yourself as a check and
counter check.
(3) Be sure that you write out
your overtime sheet briefly, but
always include the details —••
nature of work, hours worked,
etc.
(4) Be damn sure that all
overtime is turned in the same
day it is worked, and then any
questions about it can be ironed
out on the spot without any of
that old "I've forgotten" crap.
(5) Whenever or wherever
there is any doubt about whether
or not the work done is over
time, write it down anyway and
keep a complete record of it.
The Department Head doesn't
determine the legitimacy of over
time: that is done ashore. When
ever there is a doubt and if you
have an accurate record the bat
tle is half won before it starts.
! (6) Be sure and insist that
regular meetings are held aboard
ship. Meetings iron out a lot
of beefs and good discussion is
always liealthy. Make meetings
a must. The crewrnember has
no right to miss a meeting ex
cept when he is on watch.
ALL THE FACTS
By observing these few points
and taking a few minutes to
keep things in order, the board
ing Patrolman at the payoff will
be in possession of all the facts
and better able to settle the beef.
The main thing to remember
is that beefs should be settled at
the point of production, aboard
the ship.
Be sober at the payoff, even if
you get drunk as hell a little
later. Whenever beefs have to
go to the company office they
then are tied u"p, in miles of red
tape, and long delays cause a lot
of guys to lose dough that is
rightfully theirs.
Everyone on the ship should
always work together, and if
there is some beef that can't be
settled right way, then what the
hell does another day mean. Just
stand pat and'don't payoff until
the beef is settled.
Finally don't try to push a
bum beef. One bum beef may
cause a good legitimate beef to
be lost.
Summing it all up, it means:
always be a good shipmate, keep
records accurate, cooperate with
the Patrolman and be a good
Union man. That's the Seafar
ers way.
Page Four THE SEAFARERS LOG Friday, September 26, 1947
11^:. I
r I-
i--
Port New York 'Hit' By Hurricane
As Gulf Ships Hoid Up Sailing
By JOE ALGINA
NEW YORK — The weather
has been an important item in
the news during the past week
or so. The hurricane which hit
Florida and then whipped over
through New Orleans left its
mark on the cities and towns of
those areas and also indirectly
made itself felt way up here in
New York.
A lot of the ships heading for
New York from southern ports
held fast to their moorings until
the full fury of the storm passed.
None of our contracted ships
was damaged but it will mean
a slight slowdown in payoffs and
sign-ons for this port;
The weather here, while not
making the headlines, has pro
duced a change in clothing
among the boys around the New
York Hall.
Most of the sport-shirted Sea
farers are switching to woolen
shirts and sweaters. The heat
waves have gone and the nippy
days are with us.
FROSTY FUTURE
We spent the hot summer days
. beefing about the humidity, now
we'll turn our squawks to frost
bite and wet shoes.
Along with the good business
and shipping in this port, we had
a couple of very good payoffs.
The Hunter of South Atlantic
and the Theodore Parker of
Eastern came in clean and paid
off in real SIU style.
The Parker has made its last
trip as an SIU ship and will
^make a run to the boneyard
at a recent membership meet
ing, is now in the process of
being installed.
The installation crew is busy
at work on the third deck of the
New York Hall putting it in
working order. They expect to
have it in operation shortly and
at the latest, in time for the
World Series.
Seats should be at a premium
for the baseball event of the year
especially as it is strictly a New
York show.
ON REINSTATEMENTS
On another totally different
subject, that of reinstatements-
men seeking to reestablish them
selves in the SIU should bring
to the committee proof of their
inability to reach a Hall during
their absence. This, of course,
means a letter from a hospital
or such place of confinement.
The committee considering re
instatements meets once every
two weeks at 10 A.M. on the
Thursday following the regular
Wednesday night membership
along with three or four ships
of Bull Line. Their laying up
wiU add quite a few more men
to the New York beach.
On the Hilton, which paid off
this week, there was a dispute
in the Deck Department re
volving around the working of
Deckmen in the reefer holds.
The Patrolmen covering the
Deck Department settled the beef
and the-money is ready for the
men to collect.
Cabbage is now due Jose Ort-
iguerra, $100.43; Julio Rivera,
$25.91; Kenneth Marple, $34.56;
Marion Lubiezowski, $37.78; T.
NO NEWS??
Silence this week from the
Branch Agents of the follow
ing ports:
CLEVELAND
JACKSONVILLE --
MOBILE
MONTREAL
SAVANNAH
TOLEDO
ASHTABULA
TAMPA
SAN JUAN
CHICAGO
NEW ORLEANS
GALVESTON .
BUFFALO
The deadline for port re
ports, monies due, etc., is
the Monday proceeding pub
lication. While every effort
will be made to use in the
current issue material re
ceived after that date, space
commitments generally do
not permit us to do so.
Shipping And Business Booming
For Seafarers In Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA — Business
is booming here and. it sure
keeps us on the run. We have
had 28 ships in port in the last
ten days and shipped 145 men
in the same period of time. If
that isn't activity, I'd like to
know what is. *
Brother Bob Matthews was
in town, hot on the trail of the
SS Bull Run of the Petrol Tank
er Industries, Incorporated. He
was successful and we will
probably sign a contract in a
few days.
It has been whispered around
town that the New York meet
ing turned down our purchasing
a building here on the grounds
that insufficient data was sent
to them in the telegram.
Well, I guess we slipped up
on this and we will have to take
By EDDIE HIGDON
the blame for tiieir non-concur
ring. "
You can bet your sweet life
that we will be more specific in
the future.
Settling Of Beefs And Shipping
Make For A Hectic Week In Boston
By JOHN MOGAN
meeting. There is no other time
set aside for considering rein
statements.
Most Seafarers are acquainted
with the SIU Foc'sle Card. For
several months they have been
placed aboard ships at the sign-
on. If your ship does not have
one in the messroom, notify the
Union Hall or come in and pick
one up.
The information given on the
card is very helpful and makes
for a better trip with fewer mis
understandings.
From reports coming from the
Maritime Commission the prac-
MZn^Sr-;. tice"of"semi;6"sh7p7to''"tor;rg„
Melton, $20.74 and Eric Jensen,
$20.99.
They can pick up their dough
at the Bull Line offices, 115
Broad Street, New York, N.Y.
Here in the New York Hall the
television set, which was voted
governments is still going on at
a good pace.
This coupled with the, mount
ing number of ships entering the
boneyards does not present a
pretty picture to American sea
men.
BOSTON — A rather hectic
week has just been concluded in
the Port of Boston. Not too much
business but a lot of shipping and
not a few beefs.
In fact, it seemed as though
everybody and his shipmate had
a Mate, Skipper, or Steward that
he just couldn't get along with,
and expected the Patrolman to
have superhuman powers to re
move offending personalities top
side.
Not only that, but there seems
to be a "super-militant" minority
which is always ready to advo
cate tying up the ship.
In other words, let the very
last arrow in the shaft go at the
beginning of the beef. Indeed, d.
sometimes appears as if some of
the members are not too con
cerned whether or not they com
promise their Union, though in
the majority of cases it is doubt
less due to thoughtlessness.
Paying off here this past week
was the SS Maiden Creek, Wa
terman, with only about 15 of
the original crew to make the
Far East trip. Plenty of beefs on
this ship, with loggings galore—
even for the crewmembers on
board a week or eight days.
Sun Oil Tankermen Are Waiting For Eiection
By BLACKIE CARDULLO
MARCUS HOOK — We are
still waiting for word on the
Sun Oil petition which is in
Washington before the National
Labor Relations Board. It would
have gone through by now, but
Mister Taft and .Mister Hartley
fouled up the detail.
We're ready to hold the elect
ion anytime, that's how confident
we, are that the Sun Oil men
realize that only the Seafarers
International Union can gain for
thfem the good conditions and
wages that organized tankermen
already have.
All it will take, is an election,
and then those men will be rep
resented by the union of their
choice, the SIU.
We've had six ships in within
the last two weeks, including one
Isthmian. In the week to come,
however, it will probably be a
bit slow since it looks like we
will be by-passed.
very recently Pacific Tankers
started selling some of the scows
in this port. Two were sold last
week, the Gray's Harbor and the
New Echota.
WAITING, WAITING
The Casa Grande is still lay
ing at anchor out in the middle
of the Delaware River, and she's
going to stay there until she can
go into a yard for repairs.
found the Skipper, Captain Fox,
a good Joe. Although he's new
to the company, he's willing to
cooperate with the Union all the
way.
The Bartender Union is still
out on strike against one of the
local ginmills, and all the boys
on the beach are cooperating and
giving a hand when possible.
Could it be that they ace
thinking of free beers when the
bartenders settle the strike?
By the way, it is interesting
to report that every labor-backed
candidate in this county was
nominated in the primary. We
can learn a lesson from this, and
maybe do a real job, all over the
country, on the guys who sup-
I've been aljpard that ship and ported the Taft-Hartley law.
Many of these were cancelled
at payoff, and most of the dis
puted overtime was recovered;
but very few of the old gang
were willing to chance another
trip with the Captain and Mate.
BIG NOISE
Another payoff which took sev
eral days to straighten out was
the SS Peter Helms, Pope & Tal
bot. This one, with three differ
ent unlicensed unions, and three
more topside, was a real trouble
maker.
Boston was the final port of
discharge indisputably. But in
asmuch as the company was sell
ing her to the Greeks, with de
livery to take place in New York,
they wanted the crew to take
her to New Yoi'k on the same
articles. The crew said, no dice.
Still the argument went on,
and the ship finally paid off at
the end of the week, after a flock
of telephone calls to the com
pany and three Union Halls in
New York, plus a couple of de
cisive calls to the Shipping Com
missioner.
Otherwise, the crew hated to
see this old scow go, as all hands
conceded that she was a great
old ship, with complete harmony
aboard.
In the tanker field, we had the
SS Fort Erie, SS Cannon Beach
in Boston, plus the SS Sunset
paying off at Melville, R.I. Only
the Cannon Beach reported
everything shipshape; the other
two presented us with a shipload
of headaches.
Everything else in the port is
proceeding in good order, except
that every time that one of . the
staff starts planning a week's va
cation the pressure of business
knocks his plans into a cocked
hat. But we can keep hoping
anyway.
SEND IN REPORTS
I see by the LOG that lots
of ports are negligent in sub
mitting material for the LOG,
and in most cases the rank-and-
file resents this oversight. Well,
Brothers, I don't believe the
Editor would object if several
rank-and-filers from each port
would submit certain articles.
If this is done, each port will
be represented,in the Union's of
ficial paper and it might take a
little i-esponsibility off the shoul
ders of the Port Agent.
We seem to be having the
same old beef in the' Black
Gang. Firemen take off in for
eign ports and stick the other
Firemen for several watches.
I think the way to eliminate
this evil is for the Union to force
the absent man to pay $1.32'/^
per hour, plus a day's pay, to
the man who does his work.
In fact, it might not be a bad
idea to extend this to all the
Departments.
LOOK AT PRICES
Anyone who goes shopping
these days knows that prices
have gone skyhigh. And anyone
who reads the newspapers is
aware that prices will undoubt
edly go much higher within the
next few weeks.
Labor will have to go all-out
for more wages if the worldng-
man is to provide for himself and
MOiAJ, LET'S SEE... ALL
"mis ATGOMPOdMb iMTee-
EST APbS UP TO... HMMM..
DOZEN tG6S.'
his family. Prices have i-un far
ahead of wages, and the dollar
is not worth much more than
the paper it's printed on.
The guys who sit in Congress
can't figure out what to do about
it; or if they do know what to
do, they are to scared to try it
for fear of stepping on the toes
of the big businessmen. And so
everybody passes the blame and
the nation's economy goes to
hell in a hurry.
Profits are higher today than
at any time before in the his
tory of the United States. Prices
could come way down without
the bosses losing money.
But prices will stay up as long
as possible, because the fat boys
don't care who starves as long
as they can keep on stashing
laway the dough.
J.;,,
Friday. September 26. 1947 THE SEAFARERS LOG Page Five '
Shipping Fails
in Baltimore,
For Time Being
By WILLIAM RENTZ
BALTIMORE — It seems as
though few ships have been com
ing in here lately, and as a con
sequence, business has slowed
down. But you know Baltimore,
as soon as a slack period arrives
something happens to get every
thing hopping again.
Only four ships paid off last
week, and all were loaded to the
scuppers with beefs. We found
out that practically all the beefs
were justified and you can bet
they were settled before any man
paid off.
The workers at the Bethlehem
Steel Shipyards are still on strike
here, and it looks like they are
becoming stronger and more sol
id all the time.
The company tried to run
strikebreakers through the line,
and they had a little battle, but
the picketline proved too much
for the scabs and they beat it
without any more trouble.
We respect their picketline
and we're going to continue do
ing just that. We always do that
for any union man who fights
for his rights.
There are a lot of men down
here who want to ship out on un
organized scows. All they ask is
to be given a permit, and they
will do anything we ask them to
help our union. They know what
we stand for, and that we never
lose a beef once we start to fight.
The gashounds are giving Bal
timore a clear berth. It's a known
fact that we are on the lookout
for them, and we will not stand
for any performers in this port.
SW IN COPENHAGEN Unemployed Benefits Taken Away
From Michigan Merchant Seamen
By FRED FARNEN
With the SS Alexander H. Stephens as a background, these
crewmembers and friends pose for the wandering photographer.
Among the group are John Lorents. AB; Holdur Tanar. AB; John
Dimitriadis. AB; Arthur Marauder. Oiler; John R. Michaelis.
FWT; Albert Hatt. Oiler; John E. Clamp. Wiper; Jose Fernan
dez. Oiler; and John M. Kemitch. Wiper. The young ladies ere
not members of the SIU. and have probably never been to sea.
but they certainly dress up the picture. Oh. yes, this shot was
sent up from the Port of Baltimore, where the Stephens was
taken out of the boneyard and put in ship-shape condition for
the voyage.
Nothing Much Doing In Norfolk;
Cold Weather Quiets Waterfront
By RAY WHITE
NORFOLK — The weather is
turning cool, and that puts the
freeze on the waterfront and the
Last week we paid off the
Thomas Reed, the Peter Minuit
and the McKoski, Bernstein; the
labor situation. Of course, there Samuel Mclntire ^nd the Samuel
are still plenty of ships sailing
in and out of this port, but most
of them are clean and have no
beefs.
Unorganized Seamen On Lakes
Waiting For Chance To Vote SIU
By CARL GIBBS and FRANK MOHAN
DULUTH —Most of the ships
coming in here are in good shape
as far as the SIU is concemed.
Crewmembers on these unor
ganized Lakes vessels are
• anxiously waiting for the elec
tions which have been held up
for some time by Taft-Hartley
red tape.
Their main question is, "When
is our ship going to vote, so that
we can have an SIU contract
with SIU wages and conditions?"
Of course, we explain to all of
these Brothers that the elections
will be held just as soon as the
Department of Labor issues a
compliance number to the SIU
Great Lakes District.
In spite of the fact that Presi
dent John L. Lewis of the United
Mine Workers has refused to go
along with Taft-Hartley Act re-
In fact, a number of men who
joined the LSU in good faith
thought that they were joining a
bonafide union affiliated with the
SIU.
[ Since the SS Hood voted to af
filiate with the LSU several
weeks ago, a number of crew
members have come in and stat
ed that conditions aboard their-
vessel have not been changed.
Our answer to them is, "How
do you expect to get improved
conditions when you have an
outfit like the LSU representing
you? They have no shore side
i-epresentatives with the excep
tion of their attorney, Meyer
Cook."
It is expecting too much to
think that the LCA and Cleve
land-Cliffs dominated LSU will
go out and fight with any ship-
quirements regarding the filing owner^ t<^ i m p r o v e conditions
of non-communist affidavits, we
don't believe that this will hold
up any elections for very long.
According to various reports
reaching the Lakes, NLRB Gen
eral Counsel Denham will prob
ably "reverse his ruling regarding
the necessity for top AFL and
CIO officials filing non-commun
ist affidavits.
Quite a few men come into the
SIU Hall from time to time, ask
ing questions regarding member
ship in the SIU. A number of
these men, who know the score
as far as the Seafarers record is
concemed, claim that they had
never heard of the Lake Sailoi's
Union until this year.
aboard their vessels.
That's one reason why the
open LCA operators like the
LSU. They know that, with the
LSU on their ships, they don't
have to worry about paying over
time for unnecessary work done
after 5 P.M. and before 8 A.M.,
and they know that they don't
have to worry about putting
union conditions into effect on
their ships.
An SIU contract is the only
sure guarantee that Lakes sea
men will get a decent break as
far as wages, working and living
conditions are concerned. And
that's why the entire Great
Lakes, too, will soon be SIU.
Livermore, South Atlantic; and
the George Chaffee and the Topa
Topa, Waterman.
Some of them have already
signed on again and are at sea
on another voyage.
The Thomas B. Reed was one
of the cleanest ships to pay off
here in a long time. The Dele
gates did a fine job and had all
books checked and in order.
All disputed overtime was
written down and waiting for the
Patrolman, so it is no wonder
that all the beefs \vere' settled—
and damn fast.
Oldtimer Otis Manning paid off
here and headed for that land of
sunshine, Jacksonville. Salty
Rollins is still on the beach and
J. Porter is just about ready to
ship, all 275 pounds of him.-
DETROIT—A number of Lakes
.seamen who filed for unemploy
ment compensation in Michigan
last season are going to be dis
appointed this year. As a result
of certain changes in the Michi
gan Unemployment Compensa
tion Law, merchant seamen sail
ing on the Great Lakes have been
classified as seasonal employees.
According to the amended lav/,
which took effect as of July 1,
1947, the covered pei-iod of em
ployment for seamen on the
Great Lakes will be the 39-week
calendar period beginning with
the third Sunday of March in
each year. This means that Great
Lakes seamen will only be al
lowed to draw unemplojTOent
compensation for the time during
which they are unemployed in
this 39-week period.
Actually, it means that seamen
will have little or no unemploy
ment protection in the state of
Michigan because the 13-week
period, during which they ai-e e.x-
cluded from benefits, stretches
from the third Sunday in Decem
ber until the third Sunday in
March.
This is the period during which
most Great Lakes seamen are on
the beach.
LCA PRESSURE
Enormous pressure was exert
ed upon the Michigan legislature
by LCA lobbyists in order to pass
these crippling amendments to
the Michigan Unemployment
Law. As a result of that pres
sure, merchant seamen in the
state of Michigan have once more
become orphans as far as' unem
ployment coverage is concerned.
This is another vicious slap at
the rights of seamen to be the
same as other citizens in this
country.
This discriminatory legislation
is just another example of how
the various state legislature as
paid servants of the financial in
terests.
There is no such thing as rep
resentative government in the
.State of Michigan when such leg-
islaiion as this can dispossess cer
tain large groups in the com
munity.
It is about time that Great
Lakes seamen as well as other
larger organized labor groups in
this country do something dras
tic to halt the flood of anti-labor
legislation.
Michigan is no i.solated state.
Many other slates of the union
are as busy as the proverbial bea
vers passing the same kind of
discriminatory legislation.
What can we, as members of
the SIU, do to protect ourselves
from the deeds of our supposed
legislative representatives? Once
the answer to this was compara
tively easy.
We could see that it was the
duty of every union member to
exercise this fuU citizenship
rights by voting for decent repre
sentative congressmen.
Now it is a little bit more dif
ficult than that due to the fact
that both old parties, Democrats
and Republican.s, are the prison
ers of the vested interests in our
country.
This means that it is increas
ingly difficult to find a member
of either of these old parties who
is fair to organized labor.
Labor must not only become
politically conscious to the extent
of voting in all elections, but la
bor must become active in select
ing those men who are supposed
to represent the people in Con
gress and the various state legis
latures.
POrtT NEWS
We have a fast turnover here
and even the beachcombers don't
stay on the beach too long.
We used to have a lot of
trouble with gashounds here, but
lately the boys have quieted
down and seldom, if ever, get out
of line. They know that they
have an axe over their heads, and
that makes them very cautious.
All ships coming in to payoff
have been donating $10.00 per
man to defray the expenses of
the Isthmian Stidke. This was a
ruling of the Port Strike Com-
mitte, and the way the men are
accepting the ruling shows that
the SIU membership can take
care of its beefs without outside
aid, and without depleting our
treasury.
One last word on shipping: We
have plenty of job's oh the board,
and we can .always use rated
men, but don't come down to
this port looking for a job with
out first wiring or calling to find
out if there are any jobs open. A
telephone call can save a lot of
money in this case.
We are not advocating any pai'-
ticular political philosophy, but we
are urging that labor take an ac
tive part in either cleansing one
or both of the old parties, or see
ing to it that a representative la-
well as the national Congress are bor party is established in the
becoming more and more the United States.
Performers Still Causing Plenty
Of Trouble In San Francisco
By W. L. SIMMONS
SAN FRANCISCO—A brand-
new outfit, the Wilkerson Steam
ship Company, this week signed
a contract with the SIU, and the
SS Cavalier, the company's new
ship, took off on her first run
down south to load bananas.
Six more ships are expected by
this company, and the SIU A&G
District has it under .solid c-on-
tract.
I'm having a little bit of
trouble with some guys on Isth
mian ships and other vessels.
Those men know that they are
going against the rules of our
Union by acting up, but they in
sist on doing so, and then they
get belligerent when the Patrol
man or Agent forces them to stop
acting cute.
We are all seamen and we are
not expected to live like saints.
But when men endanger their
contracts just to get gassed up on
shipboard and fight among them
selves, then they must be way
off their rockers.
I don't know what the answer
is, but if these fellows insist on
fouling up, then they've got to
be prepared to take the conse
quences, and I'm sure that the
membership won't go easy on
guys who try to break down
what the Union has fought for so
long.
SHIPPING GOOD
Shipping is very good for the
Deck and Engine Departments,
but on the slow bell for the Stew
ards. We haven't had any pay
offs for the past ten days but,
now that I've put it in print,
there'll probably be a flood of
them from now on.
Few men hang out near the
Hall unless they want to ship.
The weather is fine, and so when,
an oldtimer comes around for a
visit, you can bet your bottom
dollar that he is looking for a
ship.
By the way, talking about the
weather, I wish we could export
some of it to you fellows who are
having the cold spell in New
York, or the winds along the
Gulf. Here it's never too hot or
too cold, too windy or too balmy,
too dry or too wet. In fact, it's
always just right.
•/
Page Six TBE SEAFARERS LOG Friday, September 26, 1947
SHIPS' MINUTES AND NEWS
IS;
/
UI'
Action By Moline Crew
Brings Needed Repairs
Determined that action at the point of production
would bring the desired results, the crew of the Moline
Victory, Robin Line, recently threatened refusal to sail the
ship unless a long list of repairs was immediately compliec
with. t
The crew's decision came after
the Moline Victory had return
ed from a three month trip to
South Africa only to have the
repair list given the quick brush
off in two U.S. ports. In Philly,
the crew decided to substitute
direct action for diplomacy and
sweet words.
Philadelphia Agent Eddie Hig
gon was called aboard to aid in
the matter and the Skipper was
presented with the crew's ulti
matum.
LONG LIST
The list of 15 repairs needing
immediate attention included 25
new mattresses, 36 new pillows,
screens for all portholes, 11 fans,
repair of all lockers and new
seats for the head. Every one
of the repairs demanded by the
crew was made before the ves
sel sailed.
The committee backing up the
demands, in addition to Brother
Higdon, included departmental
delegates Tony M. Fusco, Deck;
Earl Murphy, Engine and Robert
M. Douglas, Stewards.
When faced with the threat
of economic action by the fed-
up crew the Captain agreed to
go to work on the matter at
once. The crew, however, not
willing to play the waiting game
of promises, had the Skipper
draw up and sign an agreement
whereby he promised to have
all repairs made before embark
ing on another foreign voyage.
POSTS PENALT'i
Just to make the matter iron
clad the Sldpper agreed to pay
each crewmember $50 and first
class transportation to Philadel
phia from New York should he
fail to complete the repairs.
The agreement read in part
"If the repairs are not com
pleted by the time the ship is
to sail for a foreign voyage,
agree to give or pay said crew
members the amount of $50 and
first class transportation to each
man back to the Port of Phila
delphia."
In addition to the stated de
mands presented to the Skipper
Seafarer Andy Lorier, crew-
member aboard, summed up the
crew's sentiments in a cardoon
which appears on this page.
The drastic action pictured by
Brother Lorier wasn't necessary
but it showed the Skipper the
light and brought about the de
sired results.
Send Those Minutes
Send in the minutes of
your ship's meeting to the
New York Hall. Only in that
way can the membership act
on your recommendations,
and then the minutes can be
printed in the LOG for the
benefit of all other SIU
crews.
Hold those shipboard meet
ings regularly, and send
those minutes in as soon as
possible. That's the SIU way!
Barefoot Boy
Finished with washing down
the deck of the SS Arlyn, a
Bull line scow. Brother "Grum
py Ames pauses for picture by
James C. Barnette. Ames was a
fine shipmate, according to
Brother Barnette,
Master And Seaman Praised
For Aiding Stricken Oiler
Commending the Captain and one of the Ordinary
Seamen aboard ship for their diligence in aiding a
crewmember stricken with appendicitis, the crew of the
SS Venore unanimously gave* ^
them a vote of appreciation at
the September 7 shipboard meet-
4.
ing.
The .stricken crewmembei-, J.
Brake, Oiler, became ill while
the ship was off the west coast
of South America. While he
was ill, D. Reynolds, OS, gave
unstintingly of his time to make
Brake more at case until port
could be reached.
The skipper, Robert Mason,
kept in constant touch with the
sick man. When he saw the
man was too ill to remain
aboard until the regular port
was hit, he turned the vessel off
course and put in at Lima, Peru.
The foresight of the Captain
saved the life of the Seafarer
as an operation was immediately
pci-foi-mcd with success.
Moving for the vote of ap
preciation was Brother C. Davis
with the entire • crew in unan
imous approval.
Another vote of thanks for a
somewhat different reason, was
given the ship's Steward, Clar
ence Davis, who was praised for
good food, fast service and clean
me.ssrooms. The Steward in tuin
lauded the crew for being the
most friendly, jolly and helpful
to one another that he has had
the pleasure to work with
aboard ship.
The meeting aboard the Cal-
mar vessel was chaired by J. A.
Kels and recorded by E. Eriksen.
SIU Men Regale Stowaway On SS Hamilton;
Lad 'Arrives' In New Suit And Pot Belly
By AL BERNSTEIN
(Ed. note: The following human interest story was written by an SIU crewman aboard the
SS John B. Hamilton. There are many occurrences in the daily life of a seaman Which make
good reading matter. Items of this type axe earnestly solicited from the membership.)
PHILADELPHIA—When we arrived la.st week in this port on the SS John B.
-iamilton from Antwerp, Belgium, we had a 16-year-old Hungarian stowaway aboard.
dis name was George Kiss and he had been a displaced person in Europe.
When the lad was discovered *-
two days out at sea, he was
dressed in lags and had put
way th.xt: t-. anges and two
cups of water with which he
hoped to complete the voyage.
The crew and topside went
for the hungry looking boy in
•^4
: H.:
SW VICTORY AS SEEN BY A CREWMEMBER
inX/iruw a cJiAur
OAi, j
cormffia«das pc/tS.3.tr.
Andy Lorier, FWT, whose sketch of the SS Moline Victory beef is shown above, has been put
ting his impressions on paper or canvas for many years. Brother Loraer never hod any school
ing in the art. He picks up the brush or pen only because he "just gets a bang put of it."
The sketching Seafarer has been a member of the SIU for three years. He sailed this week
on a trip that will take him to South and West African ports.
such a way that when the im
migration authorities took him
away after we docked at Pier
179 Nortti, he was dressed in a
new suit, had a fistful of Amer
ican and Belgian money and had
a new suitcase filled with
clothes.
MULTI-LINGUAL
George spoke several langua
ges fluently. On the trip over
we taught him enough English
so that he could make himself
understood. He said that he
wanted to live in Philly, because
his parents had resided there
many years ago.
He was taken to Moyamensing
prison, where he will be held
in custody until ari'angements
are made for his return to the
other side. His home, before he
was placed in a concentration
camp by the Nazis, had been
in Budapest.
When George was discovered
out at sea. Captain Olaf Brie-
land Was so impressed with him
that he gave the lad the run
of the. ship. Playing no favorites,
George took turns steering the
ship and keeping a sharp eye on
the engines. Between mouth-
fuls of bubble gum George ex
pressed a "desire to be an en
gineer.
SIU FEEDING
Eddie Kasnowsky, Chief Stew
ard, really did a splendid job
of building up the half-starved
youngster. When the trip was
over, he was 15 pounds heavier
and was sporting a pot belly.
When the young stowaway is
returned to Europe, as he no
doubt will be, despite the fact
that several persons have al
ready tried to adopt him legally,
he will be a walking adverti.se-
merit for the excellent way we
were fed on that trip.
After George was taken into
custody, the Skipper sent me
as a delegation of one to see
how he was doing in the "hotel.''
When I saw the boy, he was
talking with an immigration in
terpreter in the Hungarian lan
guage. He claimed to be well
satisfied with the treatment.
Before I left him, he asked
me to thank the entire personnel
of the SS Hamilton, especially
Chief Steward Kasnowsky, for
the fine way he was treated by
all hands.
During the trip the lad was
nick-named "the Second Stew
ard," because he spent so much
time in the galley and the mess-
room.
A GOOD TRIP
^ «
Incidentally, the trip was a
good one. There were no logs
and no beefs, except against the
Purser, who got off. Prices in
Antwerp were very high and
the money was spent faster than
it could be drawn. Beer which
should have cost five francs,
cost 20 francs until we discover
ed the discrepancy. Cabs into
town from the dock charged 150
and 200 francs, until we discov
ered before we left for home
that the fare was less than 50
francs.
t- %
J.
•- c.
Friday. September 26, 1947 THE SEAFARERS LOG Page Seven
SlU Ships' Minutes In Brief
JOHN GIBBON. Aug. 24 —
Chairman Parrott; Secretary
Lancaster. New Business: Deck,
Engine and Stewards Depart
ment delegates reported every
thing running fine. Motion car
ried to see the Patrolman about
the slopchest prices. Motion by
Jackson to see about painting
foc'sles. Motion carried to clean
all foc'sles for c r e w coming
aboard.
4. 4. t
EMILIA, Aug. 16 — Chairman
Luigi Lombardi: Secretary Ed
win Marshall. Delegates reports
accepted. Education: Old books
to be given to the Steward who
will get new ones for the next
trip. A talk was given by a
bookmember to the tripcarders
to acquaint them with Union ac
tivities. One minute of silence
for Brothers lost at sea.
4. 4 4
WALTER E. RANGER, July 6
—Chairman John A. Ziereis: Sec
retary Chester F. Just. Delegates
reported everything okay. New
Business: Motion canried to have
Third Cook's duties clarified. Ed
ucation: Discussion as to strike
fund, what it is used for and
different rules and regulations
concerning it. Good and Welfare:
More variety in the night lunch.
To contact Chief Mate and Chief
Engineer in regard to having
quarters painted.
4 4 4
WALTER E. RANGER. Aug.
24—Chairman Chester F. Just;
Secretary John A. Ziereis. Dele
gates reported all running
smooth. Education: The matter
of agreements was discussed,
what they stand for and all re
solved to stand by and live up
to them at all times. Good and
Welfare: Unanimously lecom-
mended that Captain K. A. Mc
Carthy be given a vote of thanks
for making the voyage a pleasant
and satisfactoiy one.
4 4 4
CORNELIA. Sept. 1 — Chair-
man R. McQueen; Secretary John
F. Hisko. Delegates reported no
beefs in their departments. New
Business: Motion by Hasko sec
onded by Tistan to investigate
permitman Van DeHoven. Mo
tion by McQueen that three dele
gates go to the Hall and see
about Nielsen.
ROBERT STUART. Sept. 5—
Chairman H. E. Perkinson; Sec
retary Walter Doyle. Delegates
reported all in oi'der. New Busi
ness: Repair list made up and
approved by crew. Suggestion
made that library be put on ship
and men staying aboard see that
this is done. Hooks to be placed
on door to keep them from bang
ing. One minute of silence for
Brothers lo.st at sea.
4 4 4
FRANK NQRRIS. Aug. 24—
Chairman C. W. Little; Secretary
George M. Knai. Delegates re
ports accepted. New Business:
Discussion as to who would
clean the laundry one day a
week. Motion defeated to fine
men for making me.ss in the
messroorn. Motion carried to
ring dinner bell at mealtime.
Good and Welfare: It was agreed
for the three delegates to see
the Captain about the poor
drinking water. Brothers stood
in one minute's silence for Sea
farers lost at sea.
4 4 4
FLQRIDA. Aug. 24—Chairman
Major Coslello; Secretary Mel
Straiten. Deck and Stewards
delegates reported nothing new.
Engine Delegate i-eported diffi
culty in securing men for his
department and Tampa Patrol
man stated none available on the
beach. New Business: Motion
earned that any man getting off
the ship without proper replace
ment will be brought up on
charges. List of fines drawn up
with money to go to SEAFAR
ERS LOG. Education: Recom
mended that oldtimers educate
the new members in union ac
tivities whenever possible. Good
and Welfare: All Brothers as
good union men should respect
each others property.
4 4 4
MQRNING LIGHT, (Date not
given) Chairman S. H. Steele;
Secretary A. A. Kessen. Dele-
gates reported on number of
book and permit men in their
departments. New Business: De
cision to take up with Patrol
man the desire to have two fans
in.stalled in each room and an
awning on the fantail so men
can sleep there. All members
stood in silence for one minute
for lost Brothers.
4 4 4
JQHN HATHQRN, Aug. SO-
FAR ALLQN. Aug. 18—Chair
man Stephen Carr; Secretary H.
L. Brickell. Delegates reported
no tjeefs and overtime all okay.
Motion carried that ship be fu
migated upon return to States.
Good and Welfare: Messmen in
structed not to serve ciewmem-
bers not wearing shirt or 'T'
shirt. Suggestion that laundry
be kept clean. One minute of
silence for Brothers lost at sea.
4 44
ALCQA PARTNER. July 25—
Chairman M. A. McClinloc; Sec
retary W. P. Knight. Discussion
on the signing of a messman
who came aboard in Trinidad.
Crew objected .so ship's delegate
Fred Hartshorn threatened to re
sign, saying this was a violation
of the SIU constitution. Motion
cai-ried to accept the man as a
crewmember and to reject Hart
shorn's resignation.
Chairman W. E. Cautant; Secre
tary J. G. Brady. New Business:
Motion by D. D. Story that while
in port any member of deck de
partment performing on watch
be fined $10. Motion by Korolia
that Engine Delegate see Chief
Engineer about installing a fresh
water and steam line back aft
for washing clothes. Good and
Welfare: Suggestion that night
lunch be charged to avoid mon
otony. Korolia suggested that
empty milk cans be split in top
and placed in heads for old
razor blades. One minute of si
lence for Brothers lost at sea.
4 4 4
GEORGE BIBB. Aug. 4 —
Chairman M. T. Nolan; Secretary
L. Lavetick. Delegates reported
on books and permits in their
depai-tments. New Business:
Election held for ship's delegate
with Laverick elected. Discussion
about money to be withdrawn in
England. Ship's Delegate to see
Captain about drawing more cig
arettes. Education: All educa
tional material was passed out
from ship's delegate in order
that all might read such ma
terial provided in delegate's kit.
4 4 4
POLLOCK (Midland). Aug. 27
—Chairman Charles Griffin; Sec
retary Walter Harvek. Depart
ment delegate report things run
ning smoothly with no beefs. It
was brought up no perishables
could be left out for any length
of time. No small refrigerator
available to crew. Decided that
key to chill boxes be given to
one deck hand held responsible
for perishables being put out at
the changing of the watcheS.
Motions carried: that department
delegates keep list of men's union
standing regarding dues, thus
making it easier for Patrolman
to secure such information by
seeing delegates of respective de
partments; that non-union re
placements coming aboard have
unionism explained to them by
delegate of department, with di
plomacy and tact. Being unable
to ship a union man in Milwau
kee, a non-union deck hand was
sent in. He was much interested
in meeting and explanation of
unionism, and will join first pay.
Crew very cooperative and
union-minded. Take interest in
good and welfare of the ship
-and crew and voice opinions at
meetings. General discussion,
questions answered satisfactorily.
SAYS:
gf
KfY-RCCT/
(SeTURN YOUR.
POC'SLE KEYS
WHEN You PAYOFF
YOUR SHIP, SO
THAT THE NEW
CREW COMING-
A80ARD WitL
HAVE PROTECTION
FOR THEIR GEAR.
CVT and RUN
4 4 4
FRANKLIN K. LANE. Aug. 10
—Chairman Emile Degan; Secre
tary V. A. Lawsin. Emile Degan
elected ship's delegate. N e w
Business: Motion carried that
last trip fines be effective and
any money collected go to Bro
thers in hospitals. Motion car
ried that recreation room be
cleaned; change off between de
partments. Motion carried that
crew observe one minute of si
lence for Brothers lost at sea.
4 44
KNOX VICTORY. Aug. 17—
Chairman S. Furfado; Secretary
Hoy J. Turner. Delegates had
nothing to report. New Business:
Motion to see chief engineer
about Wiper pumping galley oil
on overtime. Motion by chief
steward to keep wa.shroom and
recreation room clean. Motion
made to put desks in every room
for writing purpo.ses. Motion
carried that Steward order more
milk in New York.
By HANK
With the cold weather setting into Our Town there won't be
many Brothers idle for too long a time. The shipping board will
look cleaner than a messhall's bulkhead. After all, another day,
another dollar; you grab a job, so you won't \hear yourself holler!
. . . "Coffee-drinking'' Willie West, whose favorite trips are to
South Africa, just came back from two trips to South Africa O.TI
the "Virginia City Victory. Brother West confesses that he'll be
looking for a ship lo^ the Far East—just for the change of scenery
and the air. Brother West's shipmate. "Coffee-drinking" Claude
Morgan, also made a trip to South Africa on another ship . . .
"Baltimore Ski" after some humorous negotiations- with his better
half did enough convincing to show that working ashore doesn't
pay—and that he'll be shipping soon. . . . Brother Pete King, the
Cook and citizen of Brooklyn, just sailed in from a trip—saying
hullo to all his shipmates . . . Joe Pilutis, who went back on his
home, sweet home, the Evangeline, says that his brother, Victor
Pilutis sailed to Europe recently. Brother Pilutis convinced his
shipmate. Brother Joe Presto, to grab a job on the Evangeline—*
Joe says that his shipmate Steve Carr will be surprised that this
happened so easily to Joe.
4 4 4
Brother Jimmy Millican just became a proud poppa of a .baby
boy. Congratulations, Jimmy, and the best of health to the wife
and the new little sailor! . . . Jimmy McCullough, the smiling
citizen of baseball-happy Brooklyn, just oame off the SS Evan
geline after a trip . . . Brother Thomas Melton says that his girl,
who works in a bank in Our Town, keeps wishing that he wouldn't
be shipping out so much—and just get married. Ah, maybe a
sailor just don't want to get rusty—so he keeps shipping out so
much . . . Brother Blackie Colucci and his wife, Marie, just became
the proud parents of a baby girl, their first child. They named her
Dawn. Congratulations to "Pop" Colucci and best of health all
around.
4 4 4
There are a few familiar Brothers still in town: Rusty
Swillinger. who probably will take another trip to South
Africa; little Carl Wayne, the electrician; and John Campbell,
the smiling oldtimer . . . Three new USS clubs were recently
opened up for merchant seamen down in South America; in
Santos. Brazil; in Rio de Janeiro. Brazil and in Buenaventura.
4 4 4
Brother Steve Di Girolmo just came in on the SS M. T. Hunt
er. He says his trip to France and a two-by-four port called
Dingwall, in Nova Scotia, was a swell one all around. In Dingwall,
they saw some small boats pulling in harpooned swordfish and
selling them later for forty-five to fifty cents a pound. Nice busi
ness—if you can get all that gear—and of course—the swordfish.
Just a few swordfish a day would very nicely take care of this
high cost of living. Steve says that the people of Dingwall sell the
swo.-d from a swordfish for five dollars apiece. A swell business,
indeed . . . Brother Aussie Shrimpton, the Steward and poet, sailed
in with his dignified mustache, and with a smile told us in his
crisp accent that he was staying aboard the SS Evangeline wait
ing for that day of the wedding bells!
4 4 4
There is an imporlant bill awaiting Congress which will
aid merchant seamen in regards to hospitalization: H.R. 4163.
introduced by Weichel (Republican from Ohio) before the
House Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee, this bill
amends the Public Health Act to give merchant seamen the
right to medical care at Marine Hospitals in spite of the 90-day
limitation when they are ilL aged or unemployed.
I
..'SI
4 I
-'T
"i
'11 ^
'ii •
lU*
•' • ''
i
/'•
t-
!t^-
^:;7
;;;j
•r.l'-)
I;/'
•- 'Iv
I
Page Eight THE SEAFARERS LOG Friday, September 26, li547
SIU's Aid To CIO Men Wins
Wide Praise On Waterfront
BEFORE THE BLOW OF F
To the Editor:
After hearing Paul Hall's talk
on the CIO shipyard workers
strike last Tuesday and his re
quest for us Seafarers to go out
and help them on the picketlines,
I thought it was swell the way
the members volunteered for this
duty.
I was detailed to go to Pier
29 with 25 other Seafarers. As
we walked down Broad Street
we were stopped by many sea
men who asked us what was do
ing.
, When we told them we were
SIU men going out on a CIO
picketline, they could hardly be
lieve it. Some of these guys were
NMU seamen.
When we arrived at Pier 29,
we found our white-capped SIU
men already doing their stuff in
—and those bars along the way
really emptied out pronto.
Arriving at the Bethlehem yard
gates, wc were gvcn a big wel
come by a CIO union official,
and a cheer went up from every
one of these shipyard men. We
took up picket duty in fyont of
the gates and immediately com
pany officials began popping
their heads out of the windows.
•You can imagine their amaze
ment at seeing a line of white-
capped sailors from the AFL pa
trolling in front of their yards.
Hundreds of people lined the
streets watching this demonstra
tion of labor solidarity.
JAVA IS FREE
I went into a restaurant for a
cup of coffee but was told I was
welcome to drink as much as I
wanted—and it would be on the
Log -A' Rhythms
By The Sea
By K. W. L.
rr-'TCrrraiL
As I watch the twilight's fading.
Soft and Muffled fall the sea
sounds.
Against the shore waves are
playing.
And with night's curtain, peace
comes down.
No longer do I think of toil or
labor.
For my dreams they know no
I bound.
Once again I taste the sea wind's
fla.vor.
And. at last, it's truth I have
found.
a real SIU way—orderly, busi-1, „
J • ,1 rs house. The people really appre-
ness-like and efficiently. Our . ^ ^ ^ , u i
group was dispatched up to 57th i
Street to picket the notoriously ®
anti-union Bethlehem Steel
yards, which as yet had no line
around it.
CAUSED A STIR
We caused quite a stir as we
travelled in the bus and subway
with people who were attracted
by the mass of snow-white caps
.—the traditional sign of Seafar
ers—asking us what we were do
ing. We told them we were out
to support the CIO shii^-ard
workers who had been out for
13 weeks.
As we came down the streets
toward the docks, the streets
were crowded with idle dock-
workers. The sight of all of us
white-capped Seafarers heading
for the docks brought crowds of
people rushing out of their houses
Okay, Brothers
Let Us In On it
€
Some secrets are to be
kept, but if you had an in
teresting trip, or if you met
a character who sent you,
let us in on it. That goes for
your views on the union, cur
rent events, or any sugges
tions you may have. All beefs
of general interest will be an
swered.
Seafarers who think in
terms of moon and June and
vine and wine can give vent
to their rhyme and rhythm
in Log-A-Rhythms. If you
have a camera we will give
prominence to your lens ef
forts.
The items sent to us will
be displayed before an ap
preciative audience of 60,-
000 readers from coast to
coast who read these pages
-every week.
Put down the highlights of
your experience including the
place, time and names and
send them to the SEAFAR
ERS LOG, 51 Beaver St«
N. Y. We wiU return all
snapshots, poems and stories,
if so desired.
Now is the right time, tool
elated our coming
striking men.
over to help
It made me
feel kind of good to be in there
with the rest of the boys.
That night I happened to be
working in the "doghouse" cafe
teria and was bussing the deck
when I overheard three NMU
men speaking about the SIU. One
of them said something I want
to pass along, and which I quote:
"I saw a bunch of SIU guys
today going down Whitehall
street and they were neatly
dressed and they all had white-
cap's and SlU-SUP badges. But
believe me, Bill, when I asked
them what they were up to, they
told me they were going out to
walk a CIO picket line."
So I spoke to these three NMU
guys and told them the complete
score on the beef. They said it
sure was a clean-looking bunch
of seamen they had seen. They
also said they had been hearing
a lot of talk lately along the
waterfront among organized and
unorganized men about the SIU
and how clean a bunch of pickets
we put out.
- 1
A cargo of lumber being loaded on the SS Marymar, a Cal-
mar vessel, before she lefl Ihe West Coast to come to New York.
Well-stocked with wood, the Marymar was short on food. In
New York. Union Patrolmen, backed by unified crew action won
a reversal of company policy. By the time the Marymar was
ready to pull out. foodstuffs were in ample supply.
This Fireman Couldn't Save
Anybody's Child—OrFirehouse
To the Editor:
1 have been attempting to
write this for the last five months
but have been putting it off.
Finally, looking over the recent
copy of the LOG, I decided to
send in a few lines.
You fellows are sure doing a
swell job of organizing those
tankers. I was particularly glad
to see Isthmian go SIU. I was
only sorry I couldn't be tliere to
do a little organizing myself.
ASKS ABOUT CLEARANCE
FEELS PROUD
The whole thing is something
to make us all proud, right from
the beginning when the CIO
asked us for aid on the lines to
stop scabs from being taken in
the yards and up to the end after
picketing was over and we heard
the comment on the waterfront.
Above all, these CIO shipyard
workers really stood up and took
notice. The job we did will re
flect to the credit of us seaman
of the real hard-hitting Seafar
ers International Union. -
Jim (Scoffie) Byrnes
\,
I met an old SIU boy last week
and he was saying something
about hSving strike clearance
cards, regardless of retirement or
not. I know that you're automat
ically brought out of retirement
during strikes but I wasn't there
and was in no position to get
LEMME KNOW IF
ANYTHINe BURNS.
there, since I am stationed over
here in Germany. I'd appreciate
it if you give me a little infor
mation on this matter.
occured to them that 1 knew
nothing about'putting out fires.
So they went ahead and classi
fied me as a Fireman and they
stiU haven't wised up.
I'm now running a fire station
in Deutschland and have quite a
record behind me: One fire house
burned to the ground, and one
fire truck wrapped around a tree.
If any of you fellows remem
ber me, I'd appreciate a letter
now and then. Hope to see you
all in time for the Taft-Hartley
squabble that should break next
year when the contracts run out.
"While we're on the subject,
wouldn't it be a good idea to
have a ten buck assessment with
the coming days in mind?
Sgt. Charles Bauer, 14087853
Hdqs. Co. 7717, QMSC
APO 175, c/o PM
New York, N. Y.
(Ed. Note: "When you're re
leased from the Army and you
bring your discharge to the
Hall for activating your Book,
you will be given strike clear
ance).
Seamen's Fight
Is Never-ending,
Says Brother
To the Editor:
The Seafarers International
Union has gained for seamen
benefits which at one time would
have been thought impossible.
"We have achieved decent wages,
fine condition, and have estab
lished the fact that seamen are
not slaves but are to be treated
like men..
But even so, the fight is not
over. There are moi-e comforts
which we should have to make
our weeks and months at sea
easier to take.
One of the things that would
add to our comfort is better
bunks with innerspring mattress
es, such as are furnished to of
ficers. A seaman has very little
recreation on board ship, and
therefore spends quite a bit of
his free time in the sack.
GOOD REST ESSENTIAL
Many ships still have bunks
and mattresses that are back-
breakers. A man can't do a good
job if he doesn't get a good rest.
Sinks in rooms, larger mess-
rooms, more ventilation; these
are all comforts which seamen
deserve and need.
It's time we got down to brass
tacks on matters of comforts, and
told the shipowners that we ex
pect conditions for seamen to
keep pace with wages and gen
eral rules and working rules.
Johnny While
THE BEEF BOX
QUESTION RAISED ON DIVISION OF WAGES
FOR SUNDAY WORK AT SEA
"When I came in this army and
had their wonderful classification
system set to work on me, I con
tinued my career as a Fireman.
They figured that as long as I
was a member of the Black Gang
when I went to sea, I should be
a Fireman in the army. It never
We sailed shorthanded when one of "the crewmembers missed
the ship. Up to the present two deck men have been dividing the
wages of the missing man. The Purser has sent a letter asking
the company for a ruling as to whether or not Sundays at sea are
considered as wages and whether or not the two men are entitled
to a division on this time. Please advise us what the score is on
this matter.
John Ziereis. Deck Delegate
SS Walter E. Ranger
ANSWER:—Tbe two men doing the missing seaman's work
are entilleil..fo division of the wages for all Sunday work at sea.
Friday, September 26. 1947 THE SEAFARERS LOG Page
TWO SHIPMATES AND A SHRINE
Photo at right shows the interior of the Chinese temple Ayer Itam at Penang, Malayan Straits.
Escorted through the temple by an English speaking guide, crewmembers of the Andrew Jack
son were told the alter was to the virgin girls and the scroll-flanked idol was made of alabaster
and trimmed in gold. ^
At the left, Jerry Palmer, AB, and Red Dineen, AH. pose a smile for the shutterbug. Must be
a good feeding ship as the shot was taken after the boys had just slowed away a hearty
lunch. Photos were submitted to the LOG by Brother Palmer.
Ex-Seafarer Atkins Offers
Top Service In N.O. Hotel
To the Editor:
I am herewith enclosing an ap
plication for the privileg'c of hav
ing the LOG mailed to the An
chor Hotel each week. We wish
to place copies of the LOG in
our rooms for the benefit of^oui
guests, who ane predominatelv
SIU-SUP.
The balance are also AFL be
ing members of the Musicians
Union.
My wife and I were very sur
prised to read in the August 15
issue that some brothers had
• seen fit to write us up in the
Laying It On Thick
All set to give the bulkhead
a new coat of paint. Brother
Riley, AB, pulls his can of
paint onto the scaffold. Photo
was taken aboard the Earl A.
Bloomquist by Bud Walterman.
Thanks Men Who Gave
Blood To Brother Earth
To the Editor:
I wish to thank the members
of the Seafarers International
Union who donated blood to Wil
liam Barth, formerly Steward on
the SS City of Alma, who is now
in the Staten Island Marine Hos
pital.
Mrs. Peggy Barth
Philadelphia
LOG; however, the brother did
not sign his name and we would
like if possible to learn who he
is so we could personally thank
him.
After all, appreciation like that
makes us feel thankful that our
efforts to make the boys feel at
home while they are with us, are
not being wasted.
Incidentally, during the recent
Isthmian Strike we offered a 17t
bed rooming house complete with
a large kitchen to Bull Sheppard
and Buck Stephens for the strik
ers here in N. O.
GET SERVICE
Believe it or not, we offer the
following additional services to
Attention Members
Each man who makes a
donation to the LOG should
receive a receipt in return.
If the Union official to whom
a contribution is given does
not make out a receipt for
the money, call this to the
attention of the Secretary-
Treasurer. J. P. Shuler, im
mediately.
Send the name of the of
ficial and the name of the
port in which the occurence
took place to the New York
Hall, 51 Beaver Street, New
York 4, N. Y.
the SlU boys when they drop an
chor here:
1. Safety deposit—The boys
leave their papers, discharges
and money with us when they
payoff. They take out their
dough, so much per day.
2. No locked doors here—when
the boys hit the sack they do not
have to worry about being rolled
while asleep. They just clo.se
their screen doors and rest con
tented.
"3. No chippies—Chippies and
all parasites who pry on seamen
are absolutely barred; they are
not allowed inside the doors.
4. Promenade Deck—We have
beautiful patio containing an
18 foot awning, and 8 foot picnic
table, a barbecue pit, 18 banana
trees beaidng fruit, and a fish
pond complete with 68 goldfish.
Thanks again for the praise.
Scotty Aikins
Anchor Hotel
New Orleans, La.
LAHAINA VICTORY
MEN TAKES ISSUE
WITH SWAN CRITIC
To the Editor:
In the last LOG we read dated
July 18, there was a statement
by a fellow Union member of
the Robin Hood, which we of*^the
SS Lahaina Victory find to be
false.
Our brother member states
that the owner of the Swan Bar
in Beira sends out folders adver
tising his place as elegant and
de luxe. But it doesn't say that
the place is small and that the
owner will do small favors for
seamen, which he does.
Swan goes out of his way for
seamen. Everytime a new bunch
of LOGS arrive he takes them
down to our ship and it sure is
good to receive them.
We, the members of the crew
aboard the Lahaina Victory, feel
that if this fellow has a private
beef with Swan he should keep
it to himself. Swan has done
everything possible to make us
feel at home here in Beira. We
have been here five weeks now
and he has done us many favors
without receiving any compensa
tion.
We are all members of the
same Union and the crew of this
ship doesn't think it right to con
demn the place because it has
certainly given us a fair deal in
this town.
Eugene Dore,
Ships Delegate I
Quality Seamanship Called
Factor In Union's Strength
To the Editor: i know how to tackle it, thejy
! should ask the Bosun for advice
Probably "the most important' help, instead of saying to
factor giving weight to a nego-, ground for
tiating committees arguments next watch to take over.
for improved contracts is proof I , , . „ ,
' ^ u u- . When a deck man is called for
of an efficient membership cap-, , , . -, i watch, he shoulci report promptly
able ol performing a first-class • , , . , , . T . , and not hang extra work on ma
lob aboard ship. In that regard , . ^ , ° , .
, .u- I I .shipmates by making the men
there are .severed things which , , . on deck or the whe-tl wait until
1 should like to point out. , , . u , he gets ready to .show up.
Sanitary conditions are the;
• , , , TIT . 1,; Several .ciiggestion.s are in or-
first to be tackled. We must call: .u TP • i . * , ^ I der for the Engine department
a halt to some of the filthy condi-^ ^ , , , , . ,, .... .men, too. Wipers .should under-
tions in some-galleys ano effort . ...
. , . . , , stand that thev are not cadets,
must he put out to keep tno, .u i- i , , , ! Thev are there for any general
washrooms and the foe sles .spic, i ^ , .u , i work that is assigned, whether n
and span. These three places arc i. , . . .
,, , , . , , be cleaning, sougeeing, etc. If •
the keystone of our home at sea,^. . . ,
, ' , , , , , . , , . ' thev yvant to learn operatmna
and they should be kept looking
... ^ n . 1 they can go back to the engine
like a home. On tropical runs,! .u • rr
... I room on their time off on the
especiallv, .some messimoms are i . . ,
. ' , various watches,
in poor shape. i
This condition is due in large! LEARNED AND EARNED
1 know of several ambitious,
serious young Seafarers who
have come up that way. 1 recall
particularly one chaft a Wiper,
part to too much playing around
and not enough attention to
work. There is a time and place
for everything. In my opinion,
the good times are over and we | who years ago spent a great deal
ought to knuckle down. | of time in the engine room when
I he was free. He got all tne help
NOT FOR LOAFERS { and advice he wanted. Tocay he
In the deck department there •. sails as a Deck Engineer. Any
are some fellows who turn to guy with the desire and willing-
whenever they feel like it. This ness can do the same thing,
attitude must stop. You have a | There are cases where Fire-
job to do and are not supposed' men are not leaving their various
to act like a passenger. If a guy j stations clean for the next watch,
wants a real easj' life, 1 would! or the equipment in actual use,
suggest that he stay ashore. ^ like the burners and strainers,
Nowadays deck gang men .etc. Nor have some Oilers been
mut know their work. When they telling the relieving watch about
are assigned to a job and don't
PIONEER CREW
GOT QUICK ACTION
ON SHIP'S BEEF
To the Editor:
We, as a group, wish to thank
the New York Branch office for
the quick response and quick ac
tion we received on a beef that
existed on this ship during the
last trip, June 16 to Sept. 4.
We also wish to call attention
to the readers of the LOG that if
the general condition of the en
gine room, whether there is some
thing wrong with the equipment.
Do not leave your station and
let the ne.xt guy run around in
search of the trouble. Tell the
I engineer right away. This will
save the guys time and yvork.
BUILD TOGETHER
This Union was built "oy -.he
c-ooperative effort of all hands
and not by any single individuals.
That spirit must continue.. If yoa
happen to know more about your
particular job than the ne.xt man.
any of them put in at Montreal i your knowledge along. It'll
with any beefs, they should con
tact Gene Markey and his staff.
make it easier all around and
benefit v'ou. too.
as they will really take care of! By pitching in together, well
the matter without any question.^ I be developing a better qualified
or doubts. ! membership and consequently a
Crewmembers
SS Alcoa Pioneer
stronger SlU.
P. Podolsky
AT THE DOCK IN MASONLOC
This shot taken in Masonloc, P. 1. shows hand carts filled
with chrome ore being pushed to the Andrew Jackson, Water
man. Masonloc. which has one of the world's largest deposits of
chrome ore. is visited by a Waterman ship almost every week.
Photo was taken from the fantail of fhe Jackson by Jerry Pal
mer. Ship's Delegate.
fi-
-is
Page Ten THE SEAFARERS LOG Friday, September 26, 1947
1 I
(i
ON THIRD
BY PI^ENGHY MieHELET
The Building Superintendent's
desk here on the third deck is
a very hot corner, indeed.
Most of the members who hap
pen into the Hall in the course
of the day find occasion to trot
up here for some sort of service
or other, and we are consequent
ly in a position to get a line on
what's cookin' from the Indian
Ocean to the Bering Sea, so we
propose to pass it along to you
from time to time in these
columns.
For instance, Johnny Cowl,
connoisseur of fine liquors and
globe-trotter extraordinary, lug
ged in a pair of heavy bags the
other A.M. that awakened a host
of pleasant memories.
The bags were of the sturdy,
heavy leather kind that are of
fered for sale in the motley
bazaars of lower Calcutta. (It
still ain't kosher to bring in the
more attractive variety that fre
quent the incense-laden cribs of
the Princess Dock area, worse
luck!)
Johnny says that you can get
a good bag again for about fifty
rupees. So don't buy that keister
til you get around to making a
Bay of Bengal port, Joe.
While on the subject of the
fascinating Far East, does any
one know if the Japs knocked off
good old Sew-Sew who used to
lug her sewing kit aboard every
scow that made Singapore?
Sew-Sew darned more seafar
ing gear in her time than Jake
Kanil ever sold in his. She was
a right gal, if ever there was
one.
She was good for a double
sawbuck for any beachcomber
she knew. The real oldtimers
say she was around in sailing
ship days.
We can weU believe it, for her
wizened old puss suggests that
she might have been taking
hitches in Norsemen's dungarees
when Eric the Red was roving
the chartless seas.
GOOD DEAL
Brother Paul Hall called us
topside for a discussion about
the games and other services
rendered the membership on the
third deck, and he came up with
what we consider an excellent
suggestion for disposing of the
profits realized from the coke
machine and the soon-to-be-in-
staUed pin ball machine.
Henceforth, any profits arising
from the sale of articles on this
floor will be turned over to
Headquarters for distribution to
the men in the hospitals.
We think this an excellent
idea, and propose to make a reg
ularly weekly report of all mon
ies collected from here on out
in these columns.
Just about everybody up here
is beefing about the Taft-Hartley
Act and worrying about its ef
fect on us next year.
We think that labor would do
well to start the ball rolling for
revival of the OPA and use the
threat as a lever to pry some
concessions from the National
Assn. of Manufacturers which is
directly responsible for the pres
sure that resulted in passage of
the unworkable law.
If the NAM were forced to
choose between the T-H law and
revival of OPA, there's no ques
tion but that the monied interests
they represent would choose to
let the T-H mess slide.
The
Patrolmen
Say—
Credit Due
OARD IF if^
ONLV AIICGPT-/ J
WE WANT A
CoNTfV\CT/
Strike Clearances
All members are urged to
obtain strike clearance for
the period covered by the
Isthmian beef, at the earliest
possible moment. This ap
plies to all Seafarers whether
or not they participated in
the strike.
Clearance may be obtain
ed at any of the ports in the
Atlantic and Gulf District.
In New York, the commit
tee handling clearances is lo
cated on the 8th floor, 51
Beaver Street.
We of labor know that an open
shop is no shop at all. There
are too many freeloaders in the
industry to permit us to main
tain our hard-won gains under
the open shop. There are too
many guys with a let-George-do
it attitude to make the open
shop workable.
The Seafarers International
Union has considerably moi-e
than doubled seamen's wages
and immeasurably improved the
conditions under which they
work and live in its brief his
tory.
Every single improvement was
wrested from the reluctant ship
owner and anyone who main
tains otherwise is simply ignor
ing the evident facts.
Had the operator been per
mitted to follow his own inclin
ations, you would still be bat
tling cockroaches for a meager
share of mouldy food, bedbugs
for a squalid Bowcry-type flop,
and the whole damn world to
stretch your miserable $47.50 a
month pay far enough to pay
your family's way through it.
FINK HALL DAYS
The open shop means pre-SIU
conditions. The open shop means
a revival of the fink hall. And
do you know that, as late as the
thirties, the United States Gov
ernment was the biggest fink
herder of them all?
It was the US Shipping Board
which maintained a fink hall in
every port that was run by ship
ping masters who shipped you
only if you pieced him off with
a sawbuck, or came up with a
letter from some punk in the
operator's office.
No maritime union can sur
vive under an open shop. There
are enough renegade gashounds
in the social register alone to
man every ship afloat today.
The operators are ruthless and
plan to use those men to break
the spirit of any man who dares
stand up for decent wages and
conditions under the open shop.
It is up to us to devise ways
and means to maintain the clos
ed shop come 1948. One of these
ways that might well merit care
ful consideration by our top
labor officials is the threat of
the revival of the OPA.
BALTIMORE — For a long
time we have been giving the
striking shipyard workers at the
Bethlehem yards all of our sup
port. Now it appears that a
break is due in their three-
month old strike.
They really deserve credit for
sticking out their fight in the
manner in which they have. No
income and long hours of picket
duty sap the strength of the
strongest men, but these men
stuck it through.
The SIU membership in this
port turned several tricks on the
shipyard workers picketline. We
were after no glory or thanks
when we turned out_ to help
them — we were just doing a job
we would do for any honest trade
union having a beef.
WE'RE READY
If they don't wind up their
strikd in- the near future, as they
expect, we will turn out again
whenever they request assistance.
We cannot let brother unionists
fight a lone battle, as we're all
in this fight together.
We had the Alexander H.
Stephens, Bull Line, in this week.
At the payoff she spaikled like
a new penny, but according to
the crew she was really in sad
shape when they took over.
They worked hard and put it in
fine shape.
The crew itself was one of
the best I've seen. They were all
present and sober at the payoff.
Here's wishing them the best
in sailing.
Johnnie Hatgimisios
X X
Fine At Figures
NEW YORK — For over eight
months the SS Hilton, Bull Lines,
hauled meat between Argentina
and Spain. This week she fin
ally hit her home port for a long
awaited payoff.
Being away from U.S. ports
for the best part of a year, it
would be easy to expect a lot
of beefs and grievances but such
was not the case on the Hilton.
There were a few minor beefs
but nothing like we expected.
In the Stewards Department
(Continued on Page 11)
>13®
By JOSEPH VOLPIAN
Special Services Representative
From time to time, the Special
Services Department of the
Union receives inquiries regard
ing the various" privately man
aged group hospitalization plans,
with recommendations that the
Union investigate the advisabil
ity of enrolling the membership
as a unit.
In view of these inquiries, we
have made a rather careful study
of several of the prominent
group plans.
We have found that, as a
group, merchant seamen gener
ally would benefit less than other
workingmen by enrolling in
these plans, since seamen have
the use of the facilities of the
U.S. Marine Hospitals, which
include treatment as well as
hospitalization.
Although there is still room
for improvement of the services
offered to seamen by the Marine
Hospitals, what they offer is of
greater advantage than what
could be had from the group
hospitalization plan, where the
only possible attraction appears
to be the fact that the patient
can select his own hospital.
For the average non-seafaring
worker who does not have ac
cess to Marine Hospitals, the
private plan is something of an
necessity.
There are several striking com
parisons which serve to show the
Marine Hospitals as more suited
for the seamen, his pocketbook
and his needs.
HOSPITALIZATION IS COSTLY
For one thing, treatment in
the Marine Hospitals is absolute
ly free. The group hospital plan
costs approximately $18 a year
for each individual.
Moreover, a seamen patient
may remain in a Marine Hospital
as long as he is in need of hos-
pitilization, whereas group in
surance plans onjy cover sub
scribers for 21 days each year.
If their condition requires
Petrol Tanker Wage Stale
DECK DEPARTMENT
Rating Monthly Rate .of Pay
Boatswain $ 245.00
Carpenter 245.00
Storekeeper 220.00
Able Bodied Seamen 205.00
AB Maintenance Man 220.00
Ordinary Seaman 175.00
O.S. Maintenance Man 185.00
ENGINE DEPARTMENT
Rating Monthly Rate of Pay
Electrician $328.00
Chief Pumpman 285.00
Engine Maintenance 245.00
Engine Utility 220,00
Oiler 205.00
Fireman-Watertender 205.00
Wiper 195.00
STEWARDS DEPARTMENT
Rating Monthly Rate of Pay
Steward $265.00
Chief Cook 245.00
Second Cook 215.00
Galleyman : 175.00
Messman 170.00
Utilityman 170.00
OVERTIME
Men earning less than $210.00 $1.10 per hour
Men earning $210.00 and over $1.40 per hour
longer periods of hospitalization,
they must pay out of their own
pockets for each day over 21
days. And in these days almost
all hospitals charge at least $10
per day. In many cases these
sums would be prohibitive for
seamen.
In the Marine Hospitals, all
medical attention is provided
without cost, while the hospital
ization insurance does not in
clude doctor's fees, laboratory
and x-ray costs and other
charges, all of which must be
borne by the patient.
Nor is the unused tinle in each
year under the hospitalization
plan cumulative. In other words,
if during the first year a tnan
enrolled in the plan does not
enter the hospital at all, the 21
days are not added to the next
year's entitlement, 21 days being
the maximum allowed during
any one year imder any circum
stances.
TOP TREATMENT GIVEN-
Besides all these considerations,
seamen have complete access
to the entire facilities of the
Marine Hospitals, most of which
are equipped with the latest in
medical equipment and among
the first to adopt new, proven
methods of treatment.
All are adequately staffed with
top specialists in every field of
medical endeavor, who are called
in for consolation whenever nec
essary.
For similar service under the
private plan, services of similarly
qualified specialists would be
out of reach of the average
working man.
True, there are some com
plaints against Marine Hospitals,
principal of which is the one
stemming fi-om the rule that
men on the beach over 60 days
are sometimes excluded on the
grounds that they ai-e not active
seamen.
We expect this condition to be
corrected, however, by a bill
which is now before Congress.
The proposed bill will do away
with the time limit on discharges,
when a man can prove that his
occupation is that of a seaman.
Passage of the bill will remove
what is possibly the outstanding
beef of seamen against the Ma
rine Hospital setup.
As far as a comparison of ser
vices offered in the private hos
pitals with those of the Marine
Hospitals is concerned, there is,
in the main, very little difference
certainly none that would war
rant the seamen paying for what
they get free in -the government,
operated institutions.
COMPLAINTS ARE GENERAL
Complaints of unappetizing
foods being served cold is gen
eral, even in the best hospitals,
where the food is brought around
on tray-bearing wagons. Since,
quite naturally, sick people lack
good appetites, kicks about food
are registered in all hospitals.
Overall, then, the cost of sea
men for private hospitalization,
even under group plan, would
(Continued on Page 11}
Friday, September 26, 1947 THE SEAFARERS LOG Page Eleven
Let's Look
At The Law
(Continued from Page 10)
be so high that it would become
'impractical.
Considering that a seaman does
not work 12 full months of the
year, and that about 20 per cent
of his pay is reduced by taxes,
the added expense of hospital
insurance payments would work
a hardship on many of our
members.
Besides Wiey can get the very
same thing — and more — for
no charge.
A lull in .shipping would jeop
ardize subscriptions in the plan
because default of one payment
could cause the subscriber to
lose all ins benefits.
COST IS PROHIBITIVE
And were the Union to under
take to enroll the members.hip
in one of these hospitalization
plans and finance the costs, the
expenditure would be so great
a dram that dues would have to
be raised, thus rendering the
plan as of no practical value at
all.
This is not to say that the
hospitalization plans are not ef
fective forms of protection. They
are — but not for seamen. They
arc all right for the non-seafar
ing worker.
Summing up then, it appears,
that, despite the fact that there
is still much to be desii'ed in the
Marine Hospitals there is no
reason why the seamen should
junk its facilities and pay out
their hard-earned dough for
much less under private aus
pices.
If they did, the government
might feel that its responsibility
in providing treatment and care
for them is no longer necessary
and might move to withdraw its
."service.
Unclaimed Wages — Moran Towing Co.
17 BATTERY PLACE, NEW YORK
MV BALD HEAD
Victor Heintz 3.26
MV BLACK ROCK
Engel V. Hoff 7.46
Leslie E. Wing 1.40
Hildong Palmquist 93
Robert Coen 93
June Sandstrom 47
William F. Wells 3.73
George E. Bleigh 12.60
John F. Kozar 12.13
William G. Storms 13.0'
Gustaz Edel 12.60
Frank Woznik 12.60
MV CUBITS GAP
Gale Hanke 23.14
Brit G. Graham 94
Stanley K. Engleman 22.58
James A. Poweis 37.70
James H. Benjamin 3.89
John W. Tomich 15.12
Reuben R. Roth 38.42
Oscar Pooschke 22.26
Harry A. Noorigan 14.58
Gustaz A. Wirta 20.74
William Siegel 21.52
Lloyd W. McDonnell ......... 43.05
Manuel E. Gomino 22.42
Mate Konti 44.41
Gordon Jensen 22.58
Albert A. Hodgson 24.64
NOTICEI
SlU HALLS
JOHN WIIK
Contact R. F. Weaver, Paymas
ter, Overlakcs Freight Corpora
tion, 19 Rector Street, Room 700,
New York 4, N. Y. He has some
papers belonging to you.
i i
SB WACOSTA
Crewmembers from the
Wacosta, voyage of October
1941, to January 2, 1942, are re
quested to write to M. H. Con
nelly, 56 Atwood Street, Pi'ovi-
dence, R. I. This pertains to col
lection of war bonus for him
and other crewmembers of the
ship.
SS
18,
Chalmer E. Derrer 21.68
Edwin R. Beatty 32.06
Saul N. Golden 36.14
Cecil W. Brown 39.61
Donald L. Auman 22.98
Carl D. Walker 12.44
Kenneth L. Slusher 3.73
Joseph B. O'Gorman 14.28
Robert C. Blair 13.99
Elmore B. Travis 7.65
John P. Duncan 10.94
MV GAY HEAD
Earl B. Kinney 53.70
James F. Thrasher 57.45
Raymond F. Bade 57.29
Charles L. Hardin 51.14
Val A. Andrade 2.34
Roy Morris 56.65
Henry Daley G8.49
Roland E. Harris 61.78
Howard B. Dallman 59:69
William V. Campbell 51.14
Jim L. Schulz ..' 58.25
Richard E. Johnson 58.34
MONTAUK POINT
Ernest Miller ^ 46.82
Buerl Rollins 22.88
John McDaniells 47.90
William S. Sims 25.08
James T. Bradsher 23.44
James C. Powell 12.77
Olin T. Corbelt 16.10
Phil Acree ,. 1.99
Robert E. Able 14.32
James A. Fales 1.36
John Bradshaw 1.14
Lloyd M. Beale 1.14
Woodrow J. Downs 14.16
Norman Power 26.75
John Partyka 27.76
Hubert H. Keech 3t41
Russell Hopkins 6.02
Clarcnc.e Reynolds 4.58
Elmer G. Bowling 11.94
Dan W. McLendon 9.24
Eddis M. Jones 40.11
George Harris 15.60
Rudolph Kayfus 39.39
John G. Wattman 10.19
Dewey Bordeaux 41.00
William V. Rowe 5.31
ASHTABULA 1027 West Fifth St.
Phone 5523
BALTIMORE 14 North Gay St.
Calvert 4539
BOSTON 276 State St.
Boudoin 4455
BUFFALO 10 Exchange St.
Cleveland 7391
CHICAGO 24 W. Superior Ave.
Superior 5175
CLEVELAND ...1014 E. SL Clair Ave.
Main 0147
DETROIT 1038 Third St.
Cadillac 6857
DULUTH 531 W. Michigan St.
Melrose 4110
GALVESTON 308Vi—23rd St.
Phone 2-8448
HONOLULU 16 Merchant St.
Phone 58777
JACKSONVILLE 920 Main St.
Phone 5-5919
MARCUS HOOK W. 8th St.
Chester 5-3110
MOBILE 1 South Lawrence St.
Phone 2-1754
MONTREAL 1440 Bleury St.
NEW ORLEANS 339 Chartres St.
Magnolia 6112-6113
NEW YORK 51 Beaver St.
HAnover 2-2784
NORFOLK 127-129 Bank St.
Phone 4-1083
PHILADELPHIA 9 South 7th St.
LOmhard 3-7651
PORTLAND Ill W. Bumsido St.
Beacon 4336
RICHMOND, CaU; 257 5th St.
Phono 2500
SAN FRANCISCO 105 Market St.
Douglas 25475
SAN JUAN, P. R. • .252 Ponce do Leon
Sfln Juan 2-5996
SAVANNAH 220 East Bay St.
Plfone 8-1728
SEATTLE 86 Seneca St.
Main 0290
TAMPA 1809-1811 N. Franklin St.
Phoni M-1323
TOLEDO 615 SuiHmit St.
Garfirtd 2112
WILMINGTON 440 Avalcn Blvd.
Terminal 4-3131
VICTORIA, B.C. .....602 Boug^ton St.
GarJ«n SS3I
VANCOUVER ....144 W. Hagtings St.
Pacific 7824
Stewards Dept Responsibilities
On Board Passenger Vessels
(Continued from Page 3)
liness, tidiness, politeness and
cheerful smile are about all that
are required, and they make all
the difference in the world to
a passenger who has paid good
cabbage to get them and finds
them lacking.
The essence of good service is
the obvious desire to please
coupled with that personal pride
of manner that only comes with
the knowledge that you know
your job and no one can beat
you at it.
KEEP YOUR TEMPER
Of course, there are many
occasions when you need iron
self-control to keep your temper.
The old order of "the customer
is always right" is back again.
You will find passengers who are
arrogant, bullying, querulous, and
unreasonable, and even when
you ai'e completely in the right
it does you no good to blow your
top; in fact, you will find that
it pays good dividends to just
shrug your shoulders and walk
away, or, if it be very serious,
just go and get your Second
Steward.
You gain an unspoken vote of
thanks from your Chief Steward
for not having involved him. in
an 'incident'; you gain a pat on
the back from your Second Stew
ard who will mai'k you for pro
motion for your tact as a "good
steamboat man", you will gain
the sympathy of any other of
your passengers who are witness
to the incident, and, strange as
it may seem, you will more times
than not gain the eventual ad
miration of the passenger who
has insulted you, which will
take the form of either a com
plete apology or an extra large
tip at the end of the trip, which
from a person of that sort is his
way of saying "I'm sorry."
When you feel your temper
rising, count ten and remember
those clarion lines of Santayana,
"Perhaps the only true dignity
of man is his ability to accept
an unmerited rebuke."
SALESMEN OF SHIP
The success of any passenger
ship depends entirely upon hei
Stewards department who are
always the salesmen of the ship.
The finest food in ' the world
becomes a "mouthful of mould"
if it is served by a grouchy or
untidy waiter; the finest state
room afloat becomes an untidy
pig-sty if it is not cleaned up
eaily in the morning — and so
on right down the line to the
messboy who is always getting
the hell bawled out of him by
the crew for messing up a good
brew of coffee by not rinsing out
the coffee bag.
Again, remember we all sei-ve.
Serve cheerfully, serve cleanly,
serve willingly and thereby serve
yourself to extra cash and the re
spect of your Union, your ship
mates, the passengers and the
company.
(To Be Continued)
Joseph. L. Thomas 7.81
William Gorman 12.04
Alex Valinski 12.10
Claude O. Stroud 7.94
Melvin Hoy 7-49
Charles H. Jones 2.95
Benjamin Balcer 23.53
Robori James 2.18
Heal O. Meyer 8.64
Arthur Cummings Ji" 2.02
Patsy Franco 2.10
V/ill H. Bickford 49.28
Henry Frick 32.20
Corban M. McClure 2.62
William Lieberman 12.78
Ralph S. Sherratt 8.78
James E. Cobb 28.25
Jack B. Ritter 22.35
Norman Pratt 30.67
Junius H. Evans 18.71
James O. Dasher 16.85
Neal A. Greer 40.22
Herman Moore 30.65
John L. Sikes 66.71
James N. Willetts 32.03
J. W. Short 6.44
John H. Johnson Jr 10.57
Gunther Schlesinger 40.44
Lorie L. Owens 14.18
Arnold Krotenberg 17.04
James A. Sparrow 17.46
Weston B. Howe 5.70
Clyde Garner 25.67
William H. Vanderberg .... 3.93
Vic Milazzo 11.26
Martin Brabham 2.40
John L. Arnold 18.18
Allis T. Lovett 23.36
Fritz W. Brandenberg 1.53
Robei't Lynch 11.84
Henry E. West 2.85
James Harrell 2.77
Charles W. Bradley 44.22
James J. Bentley 5.31
Arthur M. Stever 5.51
Harry J. Miller 6.08
Dennis H. Brazell 1.29
Neil G. Shaw 49.21
Melvin E. Jones 10.61
Ralph Smith 2.62
Francisco Ramos 8.34
William R. Odom 1.88
Harold W. Simmons 8.36
J. R. Willetts 17.61
Hans Nermoen 88
Allen L. Bloom 6.12
William L. Smith 4.76
Robert E. Kennedy 3.20
Chorles Hansen 4.80
Charles M. Dowling 16.00
A1 Merlino 16.00
Jack Killman 38.94
Lawrence L. Dugan 1.34
Thomas Pitti 1.07
Robert W. Tatum 29.60
Kainith J. Lucas 21,87
James F. Gilbert 2.67
Harley Larson 20.80
J. A. Sharkey 22.00
Furman Harbson 3.20
Herman Moore 16.00
Sidney J. Muckenfuss 5.20
PERSONALS
TOM COLLINS
John Stone states he waited for
you at the Hall on Saturday.
Send pictures to him at 132 Fifth
Avenue, Brooklyn 17, N. Y.
TORN A.^HONTER
W. L. May has your billfold at
12th Street and Avenue A.
i i S.
ROBERT H. MAUPIN
You are requested to contact
Miss Marcella Yandt, 131 South
19th Street, LaCrosse, Wisconsin.
The Patrolmen Say—
{Continued from Page 10)
there was only one hour of dis
puted overtime. In the Engin»
Room there was a beef over the
Oilers cleaning the floor plates.
Both were settled.
Also in the Engine Department
there was a beef over the First
Assistant having the Wipers
working in the refigerator holds
without a Wiper left in the
Engine Room. For this the men
claimed 72 hours overtime and
collected.
BOOKS IN ORDER
The amazing thing about the
payoff was the manner in which
the Delegates kept track of the
months and months of overtime.
They did a fine job in all De
partments.
The Black Gang Delegate had
a secretary — one of the Oilers
kept his books in order and all
overtime was made up in a
manner that would make a
bookkeeping teacher bust hYS
buttons.
When overtime is as well item
ized and listed as it was aboard
the Hilton, a ship could be out
for ten years and the payoff
would be a simple matter.
The crew of the Hilton owae
their Delegates a real vote of
thanks for a fine job.
Here's a salute fi-om the Par
trolmen who paid off the ship,
we know a fine job when we
see it.
Jim Drawdy
Howard Guinier
Louis Goffin
Notice To All SlU Members
The SEAFARERS LOG as the official publication of the Sea-
taiecs International Union is available to aU members who wish
to have it sent to their home free of charge for the enjoyment ©f
their families and themselves when ashore. If you desire to have
the LOG sent to you each week address cards are on hand at every
SIU branch for this purpose.
However, for those who are at sea or at a distance from a SlU
hall, the LOG reproduces below the form used to request the
LOG, which you can fiU out, detach and send to: SEAFARERS
LOG, 51 Beaver Street, New York 4, N. Y.
PLEASE PRINT INFORMATION
To the Editor:
I would like the SEAFARERS LOG mailed to the
iddress below:
Name
Street Address
City State.„.
Signed
Book No.
Page Twelve THE SEAFARERS LOG Friday. September 26. 1947
Seafarer Retarns Home
After Year In Hellhole
(Ed. note: The life of a merchant seamen is never dull. His
experiences in the many ports of the world are often exciting,
sometimes harrowing. As a plain, honest-to-goodness working man
he often finds himself the victim of a maze of red tape and in
flexible laws, in the administration of which, in many nations,
sympathy is never a factor.
One such victim in the past year was a Brother from the SUP.
In April 1946 he shipped from the New York Hall as an AB bound
for a South American country, to see his wife and child.
At the first port of call in that country, he received permis
sion from the Skipper to visit them. His wife was ill when he
arrived.
On the way back to the ship, local police officers asked him
for credentials. All he had with him were his seaman's papers and
Ihe note of permission to leave the ship given him by the Skipper.
"Consequently, says the Brother, "I was charged with violat
ing the immigration laws and thrown in the clink for a stretch of
one year in the country's interior.
"I realize that ignorance of the law is no excuse, so I took my
medicine without beefing," he said in a letter to New York SUP
officials.
Last week, his penalty completed, the Brother arrived in New
York. One of the letters written in the last days of his confinement
is published below, with his permission.)
In this very moment, I'm writ-t
VEPC^/
rrii ^ V.ll 111 kV • • I •.,_
By J. P. SHULER. Secretary-Treasurer
Books and Permits
I Good old "Sol" finally dhsap-
pear.s behind the horizon and
then tranquility reigns within
within the jungle lands of jthe.se prison jungles—not a word
miles and kilometers apart from is uttered, because it is a crime
seaports or coasts.
ing this letter by the flame of a
candle — here electricity is un
known. The prison is situated
Gathered around me are curi
ous native inmates watching me
like vultures while I'm writing
these strange words in English.
to one another after
crime punishable with
to speak
dark—a
the lash*
Beds with mattresses are un-
I known—the deck with a bamboo
the vessels now contracted to the
two candles per night. When they
burn out, your books die out al
so. I still have a candle and a
half to go before I complete this
j letter of misery,
i During the long weary nights,
I one has plenty of miserable com-
I pany to contend with—lice and
jlice, more contemptible lice, and
i more.
I I'd rather serve five years in a
I pen in the good old United States
j than to serve one year here with
j these hoi-rible lice. One spends
I the night, not in the arms of
They are harmless enough when! Morpheus, but with handsful of
not aroused, but beware when | g''Jddam, biting lice—they appear
they're arousedl '
I'm carrying a knife wound | My entire body reveals the
from one of these so-called harm- i horrible experience of this jungle
less indians but what's a scar be
tween ainigos in the same pris
on yard.
Here one must learn to bear
hardships with a false smile; here |
one must be patient and under- j
standing; in short, one must be a ,
fatalist — or else the "prison;
bulls" will swoop down like;
hawks and make short order of
one.
Our meals, or slo'^ps. consist of
rice and a variety of rotten ox-
head; in the morning a cup of
so-called "cafe" with a ball of
rice. From six to twelve, work
(without the dear old coffee-
time) .
Cutting down bamboos, sugar
cane and palms; slave until ex
haustion overwhelms the body,
but the slave-driving bulls revive
one with a bucket of .scummy
water, and at times, with a kick
here in the interior.
As you know I am married to
I a girl hero. She is very loyal
'and pleasant; every month she
visits me in this hell-hole; she
travels three days by muls and
carries with her cigarettes and
necessities for me.
My wife is smuggling this letter-
out for me, because if the auth-
in the ribs — all depending onjorities here translate this letter.
As per recommendations made
in the last Headquarter:; Report
and concurred in by the member
ship on a coastwise basis, the
books will be opened beginning
September 25 for new members.
Since the permit .system has
been inaugurated, there have
been 12,000 permits issued. The
last check-up taken on book
members showed just a little
bbtter than 12,000 book members
in good standing.
There are not enough book
members to man all the jobs on
the vessel now contracted to the
SIU. A few book members were
taken in fi'om the Isthmian fleet
after they had signed the interim
agreement.-
The number of books issued
should be held to a minimum in
order to insure jobs for all men
holding books;
To make this possible, all
members should take the jobs
off the shipping board so that
permits will not have to be is
sued indiscriminately.
At this time no .permit men
can be reinstated after he is 3
months in arrears in dues and
assessments. Such a rule is build
ing our Social Register im
mensely.
Therefore, it is recommended
that the limit put on permit men
should be six months in arrears
in dues and assessments.
Buildings and Halls
At the last regular meeting,
the membership went on record
to purchase a new building in
the Port of New Orleans. We
now have an old building there
which does not have adequate
facilities to take care of the
membership in that port.
The new Hall will be purchas
ed before the next regular meet
ing. The Agent in that Port is
looking around so as to make
a good sale on the old building
before disposing of it.
The building in Mobile has
been purchased by the Union as
per the membership's wishes.
The membership committee
in that port. The prospective
building there is being investig
ated and further details will be
given to the membership at a
later date.
Performers
Performers in this Organiza
tion are not only bringing the
Union to ill-repute aboard ves
sels, but also a financial burden
to the Organization.
For example, the incident that
happened in the New York Hall
with one performer who has
been kicked out of the-Union
caused quite a disturbance, and
also brought about legal ex
penses which will cost a consid
erable amount of the member
ship's money before it is fin
ally settled.
All members should be on the
lookout for such characters and
they should be eliminated from
the Organization before they
have a chance to cause as much
friction as was brought about
by this incident.
Television
Installing the television set
apparently is not as simple as
it seemed. However, the set that
the membership went on record
to buy for the New York Hall is
now in the Union Hall and will
be installed before tly? next reg
ular meeting.
Negotiations
Negotiations are going on with
several new companies which
will not be mentioned here for
obvious reasons; but as soon as
they are completed, a report will
be made to the membership.
The Negotiating Committee for
the Union is now meeting with
Isthmian Steamship Company
and although negotiations are
going along very slowly, an
agreement should soon be reach
ed with Isthmian Steamship
Company. As soon as the gen
eral l ules are completed we will
get down to departmental work
ing rules.
The St. Lawrence Navigation
Company and the Crosby Trans
portation Company are still box
ing the compass, but a little job
action will take care of that
matter and bring them around
to see the light.
He's An Isthmian Authority
After Three Years In Fleet
Six ships and three years of
sailing Isthmian makes Eddie
Ditmars an authority on the sub
ject of organizing.
This week he hit New York on
the Steel 'Vendor, due to payoff
in Philadelphia next week, and
came up with some observations
he has made during his long, and
sometimes discouraging, career
as a volunteer SIU organizer.
Sailing as Carpenter, Brother
Ditmars compared the conditions
on his first ships with those
aboard the Vendor. The Vendor-
was clean and the payoff is ..ex
pected to come off without any
trouble. The Skipper was a fine
guy and even had a few words
from Philadelphia has recom- of praise for the SIU men aboard.
mended that a Hall be purchased
their moods.
They would have made fine
I will be hanged at sunrise and
shot sundown; consequently
material for the Nazis — cruel,! .she is sending it to you on the
unmerciful, ruthless and ignor- QT. ,
ant brutes. j I'm leaving this hole in a few
Twelve o'clock finally drifts days; my wife shall escort me to
around; two bells bang, and alii and there I shall part
hands drop their tools with an-1 from her for a period of a year
imalistic delight and rush for and a half — that's my orders
their portions of slops—rice and from the authorities. My candle.
'the inevitable ox-heads. faithful old candle, is about to
Frankly I, too, eat with gusto, pass out, so I'll end my letter,
because hunger is a horrible | Within three weeks I'll be see-
pain—one cannot afford to be , ing you in person at the Hall; I
ritzy in this God-forsaken jungle
of the living dead—a penal col
ony similar to Devil's Island in
Venezuela.
am desperately anxious for a
ship, any ship even the Katrina
Luckenback with "Pineapple
Joe."
Frisco Baggage
The USS club in San Fran
cisco will soon close. Seafar
ers who have baggage there
are urged to claim it as soon
as possible.
Baggage which was check
ed before August 1st, 1946
has been disposed of; that
checked since that date,
either at the club at 439
JMarket Street, or in the Lin
coln Hotel is now at the bag
gage room of the Lincoln
Hotel, 115 Market Street.
The baggage now being
held must be claimed by
October 1st and if not claim
ed by that date it will be
stored in the Army-Navy
YMCA, 166 Embarcadero, at'
the regular baggage checking
rate.
In contrast to the early days
of organizing, sailing an Isthmian
ship is not too difficult nor does
it entail the sacrifices which
marked the early days of the
campa-ign.
Naturally, some of the change
is due to the fact that the SIU
became the recognized bargain
ing agent and later the holder of
a contract with the company; but
too, some of the change. Brother
Ditmars feels, is due to the fact
that Union men aboard the ships
conduct themselves much better
than the men hired from gin
mills and off the piers.
SIU MEN DEPENDABLE
The SIU men aboard the ships
were always dependable and
knew {heir jobs. Ditmars noticed
that the officers became accus
tomed to telling an SIU man
what he wanted done and let him
go ahead with the task. Others,
he stood over until they finished
the job.
Before the ship left the U.S.
the Skipper hired three guys out
EDDIE DITMARS
of the shipyard as Ordinary sea
men. They had never been to
sea before and the.y soon showed
their worth. They didn't know
the first thing about working on
deck and naturally, the bulk of
the work was thrown on the rest
of the men. The Captain learned
a lesson on that score.
He told Ditmars that Union
crews were okay with him as
long as reliable men were sent
to the ship. Ditmars informed
him that all union men are re
liable.
To that the Captain had no
reply inasmu-." as at the mom
ent he was looking at the three
hopeless guys he had hired.
With the progress already
made aboard Isthmian vessels,
Brother Ditmars feels it won't be
too long before these vessels will
rank among the best.
If that is true, the Union has
men :;uch as Eddie Ditmars to
thank tor it. Three years and six
Isthmian ships is a record any
organizer can be proud of and
one that is hard to beat.
'Official Organ of the Seafarers International Union of North America
VOL. IX NEW YORK. N. Y.. FRIDAY. SEPTEMBER 26. 1947 No. 39
Nominations
For Election
Reach Office
According to an announcement
by Secretary-Treasurer, J. P.
Shuler, nominations-for 1948 of
ficials for the Atlantic and Gulf
District, accompanied by qualifi
cations, have started to come in
to his office.
A total of 38 posts are to be
filled, r comprising twelve Port
Agents, twenty - two Patrolmen,
one Secretary - Treasurer, and
three Assistant Secretary-Treas
urers.
The two additional Secretary-
Ticasurcr posts, created in the
resolution calling for the election,
will be for carrying out ceidain
duties which have been previous
ly assigned to appointed officials.
Qualifications for these new
jobs are the same as for Port
Agent.
By unanimous consent of the
Branches, up and down the coast
New York will be granted a
Joint Patrolman, which position
will also be on the ballot in the
upcoming elections.
(Qualifications for elective
office in the Seafarers Interna
tional Union. Atlantic and Gulf
District, appear on page 3.)
In addition to meeting the
qualifications, each candidate is
also directed by the resolution
to fuinish a passport photo of
himself plus a statement of not
more than 100 words, giving a
brief summarj' of the candidate's
Union record and history.
These pictures and statements
will be run in the LOG after
nominations have closed, and will
enable each member to know
for whom he is voting.
Seafarers, Huron Reach Agreement
DETROIT. Sept. 24—The Seafarers International Union.
Great Lakes District, successfully wound up today contract ne
gotiations with the Huron Transportation Company. The pro
posed agreement now goes before the membership f.or discus
sion and vote. ^
Details of the Huron contract were not available at LOG
press time but will be published in next week's issue.
Negotiations for the SIU were conducted by Fred Farnen.
Secretary-Treasurer of the Great Lakes District, and Russell
Smith. Organizational Director on the Lakes.
The agreement signed today climaxes the drive among the
company's unlicensed personnel which got under way last
April. Following the SIU's petition to the National Labor Re
lations Board, balloting was conducted on the company's ves
sels on June 4 and June 6.
Results of the election gave the Seafarers an overwhelm
ing majority of the votes cast and the NLRB announced certi
fication of the Seafarers as collective bargaining agent for the
Huron seamen on June IS.
Negotiations for the contract consummated today began in
mid-July.
Petrol Tankers Signs
Part With Seafarers
ITF Council Admits
350,000 German
Transport Workers
WASHINGTON—The strength
of the powerful International
Transport workers Federation, to
which the SIU is affiliated, was
considerably augmented here
this week, when more than 350,-
000 German railway and trans
port workers in the U. S.; French
and British zones of Germany
were readmitted to the world
wide oi-ganization.
Readmission of the German
workers was granted by the ITF
executive committee at the first
meeting in its history to be held
in this country.
The ITF committee unan
imously decided to readmit the
German workers after it was
demonstrated that they are now
democratically controlled and
free from Nazi influence.
,
PHILADELPHIA -r- Another
tanker company, this time the
Petrol Tankers Industries, Incor
porated, joined the growing list
of tankship companies holding
contracts with the Seafarers In
ternational Union.
The agreement was signed this
week and embodies all the fea
tures which were contained in
the contract with Tanker Sag
Harbor (Mathiasen) Corporation.
That contract, it will be re
membered, called for the highest
wages and best rates of over
time in the entire industry.
(New wage scale for Pelrol
Tankers appears on Page 10.)
Although the agreement was
signed for one year. It contains
the exclusive SIU provision that
the wage question may be re
opened by the Union at any time.
This protects the membership in
case the cost-of-living rises.
Other features include 28 days
vacation per year, all holidays at
sea to be paid for at the over
time rate, and any work per
formed in port after 5 P.M. and
before 8 A.M. also to be counted
as overtime.
NEGOTIATORS
Representing the SIU in the
negotiating were Eddie Higdon,
Philadelphia Agent; Ernest Til-
ley, Patrolman; and Harry Col
lins, Dispatcher. Robert Mat
thews, Headquarters Representa
tive, assisted the Philadelphia
officials in pushing through the
new contract.
Negotiations started with this
company soon after the first ship,
the Bull Run, was purchased.
More tankers are on order for
this company, and the agreement
will be extended for every ship
which the company will own or
operate. All of this means more
jobs for Seafarers members, and
added insurance against a ship
ping slump.
Signing of this agreement will
give added impetus to the Sea
farers' drive to organize tankers.
Each tanker conti-act signed so
far has proved to be outstanding
and a major gain for the men
manning the vessels.
These gains are being noticed
by unoiganized men, and are
part of the reason that pledge
cards from Cities Service and
Tidewater men are being signed
in increasing numbers.
The other part of the reason
is the reputation of the SIU, and
its ability to protect its mem
bership.
Send Fix
Every candidate for office
in the A&G election sched
uled to begin on November
1st. must submit with his
qualifications a passport pic-
lure of himself and a short
biography of no more than
100 words, dealing only with
the candidate's Union record
and activities.
These pictures and biogra
phical notes will be carried
in the SEAFARERS LOG in
order to familiarize the mem
bership with all candidates.
Send your qualifications,
picture, and short biography
to: Secretary-Treasurer, Sea
farers International Union, 51
Beaver St., New York 4. N. Y.
Sailors Union Assurod
Of Union Hiring Hail
In Its New Contracts
SAN FRANCISCO —Taft-Hartley Act or no
Taft-Hartley Act, the Sailors Union of the Pacific
has been assured that Hiring Halls, won after
bloody struggles, will not be abolished in the new
contracts which are now being negotiated. Faced
with the assurance by Harry Lundeberg that West
Coast seamen would strike on September 30 unless
guaranteed the 'protection of the Hiring Halls, the
Pacific American Shipowners
Association agreed to a clause
whereby all hiring would be
by seniority in point of serv
ice on West Coast ships.
Union officials expressed satis
faction over the provision, stat
ing that it was the same as the
Closed s^op since the Union
would be in charge of dispatch
ing men to the ships.
With this big obstacle over
come, both Union and Associa
tion spokesmen took the position
that no strike would occur since
wage matters were still t» be ne
gotiated and progress was being
made.
TERRIFIC VICTORY
Maintenance of the Hiring
Halls constitutes a major victory
for the SUP since it had been
the feeling of observers that the
shipowners would stand firmly
against the Hiring Halls and de
pend on the Taft-Hartley Law to
back them up.
However, even Senator Taft,
co-author of the law, was not
sure whether or not the new legis
lation would work in the mari
time industry. This may have
had some bearing on the willing
ness of the shipowners to sign.
The Seafarers International
Union, Atlantic and Gulf Dis
trict, was assured of hiring
through Union Halls when its
contracts with the operators were
extended before the T-H Law
went into effect.
Even the Isthmian Steamship
Company, long-time opponent of
Union Hiring, had to give in
when the SIU struck that com
pany's ships to insure a Hiring
Hall clause in the contract on
'vhich the company was stalling.
It is labor's hope that the en
tire Taft-Hartley Act will soon
be repealed. But until that takes
place, the East and West Coast
sections of the SIU are in good
positions, and this has been
achieved through collective bar
gaining with the shipowners,
without govei-nment interference.
They Got Us, Bud!
Labor papers have been
engaged in a hard fight, for
the past year, to get enough
newsprint to insure publica
tion each week.
Every week the LOG has
been faced with the possibil
ity that the printer wouldn't
be able to beg. borrow, or
buy enough paper. And this\
week the possibility came
true. For that reason the
LOG this week is only 12
pages.
We hope next week to go
back to regular size.
Currait, Commies
Fight For Power
At NMU Meet
NEW YORK—It is certain that
ihe Sixth NMU Convention, now
in session in Manhattan Center,
will accomplish very little for the
membership. After three full
days of wrangling^ at the rate of
$10,000 a day, the Credentials
Committee has been chosen, but
little else has even been at
tempted.
The first day's session was
marked by a brawl between the
communists and the Curran fol
lowers. The second day was de
voted to electing a Credentials
Committee, which the commies
control, 9-to-6.
Curran is engaged in a fight
for life, and if the commies are
successful in controlling this
convention, the last traces of the •
movement to return the NMU to
the rank-and-file will go down
the drain.
So far it appears that the com
mies dominate the proceedings.
As a nose-thumbing gesture to
the anti-commies, party-line Con
gressman Vito Marcantonio ad
dressed the convention, on the
invitation of the Red-controlled
NMU National Council.
mi
Page Two THE SEAFARERS LOG Friday, Sepiember 26, 1947
SEAFARERS LOG
Published Weekly by the
SEAFARERS INTERNATIONAL UNION
OF NORTH AMERICA
Atlantic and Gulf District
Aifilialed wilh the American Federation of Labor
At 51 Beaver Street, New York 4, N. Y.
HAnover 2-2784
International Officers
HARRY LUNDEBERG President
105 Market St., San Francisco, Calif,
PAUL HALL First Vice-President
51 Beaver St., New York 4, N. Y.
MORRIS WEISBERGER Vice-President
105 Broad St., New York 4, N, Y.
CAL TANNER Vice-President
1 South Lawrence St., Mobile, Ala.
EDWARD COESTER Vice-President
86 Seneca St., Seattle, Wash.
JOHN HAWK Secy.-Treasurer
105 Market St., San Francisco, Calif.-
District Officials
J. P;- SHULER - - - Secy.-Treas. Atlantic & Gulf District
P. O. Box 25, Bowling Green Station, New York, N, Y.
HARRY LUNDEBERG - Sec.-Treas. Sailors Union of the Pacific
59 Clay Street, San Francisco, Calif.
FRED FARNEN - - - - Secy.-Treas. Great Lakes District
1038 Third Street, Detroit, Michigan
HUGH MURPHY Secy.-Treas. Canadian District
144 W. Hastings St., Vancouver, B. C.
Entered as second class matter June 15, 1945, at the Post Office
in New Y'ork, N. Y., under the Act of August 24, 1912.
GEORGE K. NOVICK, Editor
267
1. -wr
jt uur Beit"
The fat boys have plenty of good ideas for ending
the inflation that has put food, clothing, and rents almost
out of the reach of the man who works for a living.
One Senator, Taft, the well-known labor-baiter from
Ohio, gave as his solution that people should eat less.
And another Senator, Flanders of Vermont, said that
what the United States needs to bring down prices is a
*'small depression."
That's what the masterminds have as an answer to
the sky-rocketing prices that have forced many families
to tighten their belts and do without much needed new
clothing.
During the depression it was not uncommon to hear
of people being evicted or doing without food. But, today,
when we have more workers employed than at any other
time in our history, excluding the peak days of the war,
it is strange to read of people suffering from lack of food,
or of families being dispossessed because they could not
meet the exorbitant rentals. *
These stories grace the front pages of many news
papers, but it is the financial pages that make much more
interesting reading. There one finds notices of corpora
tion profits, and those prove that big business is making
money hand over fist.
There is only one conclusion to draw from the way
the Senators and Representatives try to mislead the work
ers by giving them false reasons for the inflation. They arc
.serving their masters, the bosses, and they use any means
at their disposal to place the blame on the people, instead
of where it rightly belongs.
A famous French queen, when told that her subjects
had no bread to eat, said, ''Let them eat cake."
The words of the Senator Taft and Senator Flanders
are equally as brutal.
If the men who are supposed to represent us in the
Halls of Congress are really interested in halting runaway
prices, let them advise big business to "profit less." If that
fails, they can take steps to limit profits, and thereby
drive down prices.
But you can rest assured that the Coi^ress, which
tumbled all over itself to do the National Association of
Manufacturers' bidding in passing the Taft-Hartley Ac^
is not going to bite the hand that owns it by doing some- •
thing so necessary to the well-being of the masses of pecjple.
Tighten your belts, folks. The wise men in Wash
ington have spoken.
Seafarers Members Now In The Marine Hospitals
BRIGHTON HOSPITAL
J. TRAVAGLINI
E. FALVEY
J. BARRON
R. LORD
E. DELLAMANO
H. SCHWARTZ
J, NICKERSON
W. MAPLES
E. JOHNSTON
J. HANSIL
D. BOYCE
R. GREENWOOD
J. FLEMING
J. TAYLOR
C. Gill
1. NAPPI
t 4. t -
STATEN ISLAND HOSPITAL
E. JOFFRIAN
J. MCNEELY
J. A. DYKES
T. MUSCOVAGE
W. SATTERFIELD
J. GERMANO
J. BLANCO
C. J. BISCUP-
J. O'MALLEY
J. E. WILLIAMS
E. T. BROWN
STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP
STATEMENT OF THE OWNERSHIP,
MANAGEMENT. CIRCULATION. ETC..
REQUIRED BY THE ACTS OF CON
GRESS OF AUGUST 24. 1912. AND
MARCH 3. 1933 of THE SEAFARERS
LOG published weekly at General Post
Office, New York I. N. Y.. for Septem
ber 26, 1947.
State of New York.
County of New York, ss
Before me. a Notary Public in and for
the State and county aforesaid, per
sonally appeared George Novick, who.
having been duly sworn according to
law, deposes and says that he is the
Editor of the SEAFARERS LOG and that
the following is. to .the best of his know
ledge and belief, a true statement of the
ov/nership, management (and if a daily
paper, the circulation), etc., of.the afore
said publication for the date shown in
the above caption, required by the Act
of August 24. 1912, as amended by the
Act of March 3. 1933. embodied in sec
tion 5 3 7. Postal Laws and Regulations,
printed on the reverse of this form, to
wit:
1. That the names dnd addresses of
the publisher, editor, managing editor,
and business managers are: Publisher
Seafarers International Union of North
America. Atlantic & Gulf District. 51
Beaver St., New York 4, N. Y. Editor.
George Novick, 51 Beaver St,. New York,
N. Y. Managing Editor (none) Business
Managers (none).
2. That the owner is; (If owned by a
corporation, its name and address must
be stated and also immediately there
under the names and addresses of stock
holders owning or holding one per cent
of more of total amount of stock. If not
owned by a corportion, the names and
addresses of the individual owners must
be given. If owned by a firm, company,
or other unincorporated concern, its
name and address, as well as those of
each individual member, must be given.)
Seafarers International Union of North
America. Atlantic & Gulf District. 51
Beaver St.. New York 4. N. Y. J. P.
Shuler. Secretary-Treasurer, 51 Beaver
St., New York 4, N. Y.
3. That the known bondholders, mort
gagees. and other sceurity holders own
ing or holding I per cent of more of
total amount of bonds, mortgages, or
other securities are: (if there are none,
so state,) None,
4. That the two paragraphs next
above giving the names of the owners,
stockholders, and security holders, if
any. contain not only the list of stock
holders and security holders as they
appear upon the books of the company
but also, in cases where the stockholder
or security holder appears upon the
books of the company as trustee or in
any other fiduciary relation, the name
of the person or corporation for whom
such trustee is acting, is given: also
that the said two paragraphs contain
statements embracing affiant's full
knowledge and belief as to the circum
stances and conditions under which
stockholders and security holders who
do not appear upon the books of the
company as trustees, hold stock and se
curities in a capacity other than fhat of
a bona fide owner; and this affiant has
no reason to believe that any other
person, assosiation, or corporation has
any interest direct or indirect in the said
stock, bonds, or other securities than
as so stated by him,
5. That the average number of copies
of each issue of this publication sold or
distributed, through the mails or other
wise, to paid subscribers during the
twelve months preceding the date shown
above is 3 7.200,
(Signed) GEORGE NOVICK, Editor
Sworn to and subscribed before me
this 26th day of September. 1947. ROSE
S, ELDRIGE, Notary Public. (My com
mission expires March 30, 1948)
J. E. BRWN
F. J. SCHUTZ
R, L. ALLEN
A, CAUDRA
J, BURGRAVE
W. R. HALL
I, WHITNEY
L, W. ROBERTS
» 4, 1
ELLIS ISLAND HOSPITAL
D. MCDONALD
J. KOSLUSKY
M. MORRIS
E. GOOSLEY ;
% X X
NEPONSET HOSPITAL
J. S. CAMPBELL
E, FERRER
J, R. HANCHEY
C. LARSEN
L, L. LEWIS
J. R. LEWIS
R, A, BLAKE
L, TORRES
C. SCHULTZ
H, BELCHER
J. T, EDWARDS
L. BALLESTERO
C. C. MOSS
D. TULL
J. SILLAK
T. WADSWORTH
M, GOME^
X X t
NORFOLK HOSPITAL
J. PORTER
RALPH STURGIS
B. CUTHRELL
J. BULLARD
A. DESOUZA
L. BARSH
H. KEECH
XXX
SAN FRANCISCO HOSPITAL
J. HODO
J. B. KREWSON
A. COHEN
Friday, September 26, 1947 THE SEAFARERS LOG Pagei Three
By: PAUL HALL
In every attack on seamen's wages and conditions, the ship
owner has had one consistent ady. The ally of the bosses is none
other than the communist party, whose waterfront wrecking policy
is daily becoming more obvious to seamen in all ports. These C.P.
leeches drain the strength of maritime workers who might other
wise be united.
Fundamentally they stand guilty of being the most prominent
finks that ever stuck their heads in the maritime industry. The tac
tics they employ run lower than the belly of a whale resting at the
bottom of the ocean. Their super-militancy is only a dodge—a pro
fessional front designed to pose them as working class leaders.
The commies have a very flexible line. "The end justifies the
means," these guys say. In other words, anything goes so long as
it serves to place them a little nearer their goal—control of the ma
rine industry.
Anything that will strengthen the position of the Soviet Union
immediately becomes the tactic of the communist party. Orders are
issued from Moscow for the local flunkeys to carry out the line. It
might be a strike that could be averted, it might be signing a con
tract for less dough than honest sailors would fight for. So long as
it succeeds in keeping an industry in chaos and the workers con
fused. Meanwhile the commie mouthpieces take advantage of their
carefully created situation and scream how only they can lead the
workers out of misery.
They're Hollering For Help
These are the people we are supposed to feel sorry for now. It
is these prostitutes who are now yelling for trade unionists to "come
to their aid." They are jumping around like a bunch of hens on a
hot griddle because their former bed partners, the Washington bu
reaucrats, have quit romancing with them and are now giving the
Moscow puppets a very bad time.
In line with the U.S. government's current anti-Russian policy,
the bureaucrats are blasting the hell out of their one-time buddies
with as much gusto as they blessed them during the C.P. sellout
period of the war.
It is regrettable from our point of view that the bureaucrats at
this time are cracking down on the communist party, for the aver
age seaman is hard against the bureaucrats and is almost automat
ically against anything the bureaucrats push for.
Ousting of the commies from the waterfront is strictly a job
for seamen—not the Washington fakers.
Before the commie line went into its latest zig-zag and changed
the commies from docile stooges for the shipowners into super-
duper militants, virtually all seamen in all unions were fully aware
of their sell-out hobnobbing with the War Shipping Administration
and the Coast Guard. Militant seamen duxdng the war felt the foul
blast of the commies' hatred and persecution.
It must be emphasized that because we don't like bureaucrats,
we cannot afford to be swayed one bit by crocodile tears dripping
from the waterfront section of the CP. We hate to see the bureau
crats persecute anybody, but the commies are getting the dose they
laid themselves open for by doing a shack up job with the W.S.A.
and Coast Guard, and we, as trade unionists, certainly don't intend
pitching in to make their load any lighter. These lying character
assassins and working class traitors rate every boot in the behind
they get. It is only ironic justice that the guys now working them
over are the very same people with whom they walked arm-in-arm
during their sell-out period.
Watch For The United Front
We can look now for the emergence of the CP "united front"—
the old war horse that's dragged out every time they're in a corner.
You'll hear screams about how we must unite to beat the "enemies
of labor" and all the rest of the CP slogan makers' la-de-Sa. Those
unions as well as individuals who don't fall in line with them will
be targets of the party's smear brush.
Their constant attacks on Harry Lundeberg, SlU president,
arc an example. Many are the malicious lies they have spread
about Lundeberg as they desperately sought to hang a bad name
on him, WHY? For the simple reason that he has always opposed
the commies and has pinned back their ears every time he got the
chance. He wouldn't let them get a foothold where fhey wanted it
badly, nor would he play their sell-out game of the seamen—at
any time.
Seafarers Will Be On Guard
Seafarers should be on guard to oppose attempts of the CP to
me^s around on the water-front anywhere. All hands should bear
in mind that the party assigned one of its hacks, a guy by the name
of A1 Rothbart, to "infiltrate" into the SlU by getting SlU men to
unwittingly aid in attempts at future smears and to introduce com
mie hogwash along the waterfront.
There is no need for us to be concerned about Rothbart or
phonies of his type. We know well the scab role of the communists
on the waterfront, and will always make it impossible for them to
infiltrate. But we must continue to mess up the plans of these don
keys by lighting them where we find them and continuing to expose
their linky record whenever we can.
Responsibilities Of Stewards DepL
Personnel On Passenger Vessels
By JACK (Aussie) SHRIMPTON
The SlU is now in fuU swing
operating several large passenger-
ships with the prospect of more
to follow, and it has become a
matter .' the greatest importance
both to the Union and the mem
bership to see that the right men
are shipped out in the right jobs
in the Stewards Department.
The purpose of this series of
articles is to summarize all the
many and various ratings that
are called for, so that each man
knows what is expected of him
directly ns he walks aboard a
passenger ship.
Now first of all, let me stress
the point that every company has
its own way of working its ships,
and that every Chief Steward
has his own pet way of running
his department, so that these
articles cannot be taken as a ir
refutable authority by which, if
things do not exactly correspond
with the job you have taken,
you have the right to go howling
to your Chief Steward brandish
ing this copy of the LOG with
a long spiel starting off "
it says hei-e."
However, you will find that "in
general principle it will give you
a working knowledge of the job
you have taken; and it might be
a good idea for those of you who
have never shipped passenger
ships to clip this out and have
it by you, so that when you
throw in you know what you are
in for.
Secondly, let me try right now
to overcome this deeply rooted
idea in the minds of some of our
younger members that there is
something degi-ading or menial
about waiting or serving passen
gers, and that the only way to
preserve your sturdy American
independence is to show them
that you are as good as they are.
Everyone, be he the President
of the United States or a plain
messboy, serves some one else.
The President serves Congress,
Congress serves the people (al
though sometimes we wonder
how when we see things like the
Taft-Hartley Bill becoming law);
the Master of a vessel serves his
company; the Chief Steward
(poor devil) serves both the
Master, the company
sengers and his Union; the Sec
ond Steward and key-man serves
the Chief Steward; and the
Messboy serves his ship mates.
It is all relative to the degree
of competency that we have ar
rived at, but each and every one
of us serves someone else, so.
therefore if your job calls for
you to serve a passenger do so
cheerfully and willingly, remem
bering that it is a service that
is bound to pay off good divi
dends at the end of the trip.
Politeness and courtesy cost
nothing but mean a hell of a lot,
and it is a big indictment on the
American Merchant Marine gen
erally that the American public
is normally the largest travelling
public in the world but only
travels in a very small percent
age of its own ships.
Why?' The answer lies in one
word, "service". It is not neces
sary to bow and scrape or in
any way H^emean yourself; clean-
(Co»tinned on Page 11)
Money In Your Pocket
By WALTER "SLUG" SIEKMANN
There have been a lot of in
stances where guys have lost leg
itimate dough due to their own
carelessness and neglect. The
principle reason, however, is that
they have not presented their
beefs in the proper manner.
For an example, we can use
the case of a member who ship
ped on a scow just a x.ort while
ago. He worked from four to
six hours overtime every day
on the first leg of the voyage.
Not being sure just what con
stituted overtime, and not taking
the trouble td study the agree
ment, he failed +c> list and turn
in the overtime.
Just to top things off and
really mess himself up in fine
style, he missed the ship on the
other side. Although missing the
ship was no fault of his, still it
left him in a hell of a shape.
Luckily for him a record had
been kept midships, and he was
able to collect with the aid of
a Patrolman.
He was the exception and
extra lucky, because thousands
of dollars are lost every year
through similar neglect. ^
A few points, that will insru-e
at least a reasonable chance of
settling beefs and collecting the
dough that should be in the
seaman's pocket rather than the
shipowners vaults, are:
(1) Be sure a Delegate is elect-
ed immediately upon boarding
the pas-1 the ship.
Qualifications For Office
Qualifications for office in the Seafarers International Union,
as provided for by the Constitution and By-laws, are as follows:
(a) Thai he be a citizen of the United States.
(b) That he be a full member of the Seafarers Intu.national
Union of North America, Atlantic and Gulf District, in continu
ous good standing for a period of two (2) years immediately
prior to date of nomination.
(c) Any candidate for Agent or joint patrolman must have
three years of sea service in any one of three departments. Any
candidate for departmental patrolman must have three years sea
service, as specified in this article, shall mean on merchant ves
sels in unlicensed capacity.
(d) That he has not misconducted himself previously while
employed as an officer of thei Union.
(e) That he be an active and full book member and show
four months discharges for the current year in an unlicensed
rating, prior to date of nomination, this provision shall not ap-
,ply to officials and other office holders working for the Union
during current year for period of four months or longer.
Any member who can qualify may nominate himself for
office by submitting, in writing, his intention to run for office,
naming the particular office and submitting the necessary
proof of qualification as listed above.
The notice of intention addressed to the Secretary-Treasurer
must be in his office not later than Oct. 15. 1947, together with
a recent passport photo and a short statement of the candidate's
Union history and activities.
(2) Keep an accurate record of
any overtime, both penalty and
extra-hour time. Don't depend
upon the Delegate or Department
Head, but keep the record your
self, making two copies — one
for yourself as a check and
counter check.
(3) Be sure that you write out
your overtime sheet briefly, but
always include the details —••
nature of work, hours worked,
etc.
(4) Be damn sure that all
overtime is turned in the same
day it is worked, and then any
questions about it can be ironed
out on the spot without any of
that old "I've forgotten" crap.
(5) Whenever or wherever
there is any doubt about whether
or not the work done is over
time, write it down anyway and
keep a complete record of it.
The Department Head doesn't
determine the legitimacy of over
time: that is done ashore. When
ever there is a doubt and if you
have an accurate record the bat
tle is half won before it starts.
! (6) Be sure and insist that
regular meetings are held aboard
ship. Meetings iron out a lot
of beefs and good discussion is
always liealthy. Make meetings
a must. The crewrnember has
no right to miss a meeting ex
cept when he is on watch.
ALL THE FACTS
By observing these few points
and taking a few minutes to
keep things in order, the board
ing Patrolman at the payoff will
be in possession of all the facts
and better able to settle the beef.
The main thing to remember
is that beefs should be settled at
the point of production, aboard
the ship.
Be sober at the payoff, even if
you get drunk as hell a little
later. Whenever beefs have to
go to the company office they
then are tied u"p, in miles of red
tape, and long delays cause a lot
of guys to lose dough that is
rightfully theirs.
Everyone on the ship should
always work together, and if
there is some beef that can't be
settled right way, then what the
hell does another day mean. Just
stand pat and'don't payoff until
the beef is settled.
Finally don't try to push a
bum beef. One bum beef may
cause a good legitimate beef to
be lost.
Summing it all up, it means:
always be a good shipmate, keep
records accurate, cooperate with
the Patrolman and be a good
Union man. That's the Seafar
ers way.
Page Four THE SEAFARERS LOG Friday, September 26, 1947
11^:. I
r I-
i--
Port New York 'Hit' By Hurricane
As Gulf Ships Hoid Up Sailing
By JOE ALGINA
NEW YORK — The weather
has been an important item in
the news during the past week
or so. The hurricane which hit
Florida and then whipped over
through New Orleans left its
mark on the cities and towns of
those areas and also indirectly
made itself felt way up here in
New York.
A lot of the ships heading for
New York from southern ports
held fast to their moorings until
the full fury of the storm passed.
None of our contracted ships
was damaged but it will mean
a slight slowdown in payoffs and
sign-ons for this port;
The weather here, while not
making the headlines, has pro
duced a change in clothing
among the boys around the New
York Hall.
Most of the sport-shirted Sea
farers are switching to woolen
shirts and sweaters. The heat
waves have gone and the nippy
days are with us.
FROSTY FUTURE
We spent the hot summer days
. beefing about the humidity, now
we'll turn our squawks to frost
bite and wet shoes.
Along with the good business
and shipping in this port, we had
a couple of very good payoffs.
The Hunter of South Atlantic
and the Theodore Parker of
Eastern came in clean and paid
off in real SIU style.
The Parker has made its last
trip as an SIU ship and will
^make a run to the boneyard
at a recent membership meet
ing, is now in the process of
being installed.
The installation crew is busy
at work on the third deck of the
New York Hall putting it in
working order. They expect to
have it in operation shortly and
at the latest, in time for the
World Series.
Seats should be at a premium
for the baseball event of the year
especially as it is strictly a New
York show.
ON REINSTATEMENTS
On another totally different
subject, that of reinstatements-
men seeking to reestablish them
selves in the SIU should bring
to the committee proof of their
inability to reach a Hall during
their absence. This, of course,
means a letter from a hospital
or such place of confinement.
The committee considering re
instatements meets once every
two weeks at 10 A.M. on the
Thursday following the regular
Wednesday night membership
along with three or four ships
of Bull Line. Their laying up
wiU add quite a few more men
to the New York beach.
On the Hilton, which paid off
this week, there was a dispute
in the Deck Department re
volving around the working of
Deckmen in the reefer holds.
The Patrolmen covering the
Deck Department settled the beef
and the-money is ready for the
men to collect.
Cabbage is now due Jose Ort-
iguerra, $100.43; Julio Rivera,
$25.91; Kenneth Marple, $34.56;
Marion Lubiezowski, $37.78; T.
NO NEWS??
Silence this week from the
Branch Agents of the follow
ing ports:
CLEVELAND
JACKSONVILLE --
MOBILE
MONTREAL
SAVANNAH
TOLEDO
ASHTABULA
TAMPA
SAN JUAN
CHICAGO
NEW ORLEANS
GALVESTON .
BUFFALO
The deadline for port re
ports, monies due, etc., is
the Monday proceeding pub
lication. While every effort
will be made to use in the
current issue material re
ceived after that date, space
commitments generally do
not permit us to do so.
Shipping And Business Booming
For Seafarers In Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA — Business
is booming here and. it sure
keeps us on the run. We have
had 28 ships in port in the last
ten days and shipped 145 men
in the same period of time. If
that isn't activity, I'd like to
know what is. *
Brother Bob Matthews was
in town, hot on the trail of the
SS Bull Run of the Petrol Tank
er Industries, Incorporated. He
was successful and we will
probably sign a contract in a
few days.
It has been whispered around
town that the New York meet
ing turned down our purchasing
a building here on the grounds
that insufficient data was sent
to them in the telegram.
Well, I guess we slipped up
on this and we will have to take
By EDDIE HIGDON
the blame for tiieir non-concur
ring. "
You can bet your sweet life
that we will be more specific in
the future.
Settling Of Beefs And Shipping
Make For A Hectic Week In Boston
By JOHN MOGAN
meeting. There is no other time
set aside for considering rein
statements.
Most Seafarers are acquainted
with the SIU Foc'sle Card. For
several months they have been
placed aboard ships at the sign-
on. If your ship does not have
one in the messroom, notify the
Union Hall or come in and pick
one up.
The information given on the
card is very helpful and makes
for a better trip with fewer mis
understandings.
From reports coming from the
Maritime Commission the prac-
MZn^Sr-;. tice"of"semi;6"sh7p7to''"tor;rg„
Melton, $20.74 and Eric Jensen,
$20.99.
They can pick up their dough
at the Bull Line offices, 115
Broad Street, New York, N.Y.
Here in the New York Hall the
television set, which was voted
governments is still going on at
a good pace.
This coupled with the, mount
ing number of ships entering the
boneyards does not present a
pretty picture to American sea
men.
BOSTON — A rather hectic
week has just been concluded in
the Port of Boston. Not too much
business but a lot of shipping and
not a few beefs.
In fact, it seemed as though
everybody and his shipmate had
a Mate, Skipper, or Steward that
he just couldn't get along with,
and expected the Patrolman to
have superhuman powers to re
move offending personalities top
side.
Not only that, but there seems
to be a "super-militant" minority
which is always ready to advo
cate tying up the ship.
In other words, let the very
last arrow in the shaft go at the
beginning of the beef. Indeed, d.
sometimes appears as if some of
the members are not too con
cerned whether or not they com
promise their Union, though in
the majority of cases it is doubt
less due to thoughtlessness.
Paying off here this past week
was the SS Maiden Creek, Wa
terman, with only about 15 of
the original crew to make the
Far East trip. Plenty of beefs on
this ship, with loggings galore—
even for the crewmembers on
board a week or eight days.
Sun Oil Tankermen Are Waiting For Eiection
By BLACKIE CARDULLO
MARCUS HOOK — We are
still waiting for word on the
Sun Oil petition which is in
Washington before the National
Labor Relations Board. It would
have gone through by now, but
Mister Taft and .Mister Hartley
fouled up the detail.
We're ready to hold the elect
ion anytime, that's how confident
we, are that the Sun Oil men
realize that only the Seafarers
International Union can gain for
thfem the good conditions and
wages that organized tankermen
already have.
All it will take, is an election,
and then those men will be rep
resented by the union of their
choice, the SIU.
We've had six ships in within
the last two weeks, including one
Isthmian. In the week to come,
however, it will probably be a
bit slow since it looks like we
will be by-passed.
very recently Pacific Tankers
started selling some of the scows
in this port. Two were sold last
week, the Gray's Harbor and the
New Echota.
WAITING, WAITING
The Casa Grande is still lay
ing at anchor out in the middle
of the Delaware River, and she's
going to stay there until she can
go into a yard for repairs.
found the Skipper, Captain Fox,
a good Joe. Although he's new
to the company, he's willing to
cooperate with the Union all the
way.
The Bartender Union is still
out on strike against one of the
local ginmills, and all the boys
on the beach are cooperating and
giving a hand when possible.
Could it be that they ace
thinking of free beers when the
bartenders settle the strike?
By the way, it is interesting
to report that every labor-backed
candidate in this county was
nominated in the primary. We
can learn a lesson from this, and
maybe do a real job, all over the
country, on the guys who sup-
I've been aljpard that ship and ported the Taft-Hartley law.
Many of these were cancelled
at payoff, and most of the dis
puted overtime was recovered;
but very few of the old gang
were willing to chance another
trip with the Captain and Mate.
BIG NOISE
Another payoff which took sev
eral days to straighten out was
the SS Peter Helms, Pope & Tal
bot. This one, with three differ
ent unlicensed unions, and three
more topside, was a real trouble
maker.
Boston was the final port of
discharge indisputably. But in
asmuch as the company was sell
ing her to the Greeks, with de
livery to take place in New York,
they wanted the crew to take
her to New Yoi'k on the same
articles. The crew said, no dice.
Still the argument went on,
and the ship finally paid off at
the end of the week, after a flock
of telephone calls to the com
pany and three Union Halls in
New York, plus a couple of de
cisive calls to the Shipping Com
missioner.
Otherwise, the crew hated to
see this old scow go, as all hands
conceded that she was a great
old ship, with complete harmony
aboard.
In the tanker field, we had the
SS Fort Erie, SS Cannon Beach
in Boston, plus the SS Sunset
paying off at Melville, R.I. Only
the Cannon Beach reported
everything shipshape; the other
two presented us with a shipload
of headaches.
Everything else in the port is
proceeding in good order, except
that every time that one of . the
staff starts planning a week's va
cation the pressure of business
knocks his plans into a cocked
hat. But we can keep hoping
anyway.
SEND IN REPORTS
I see by the LOG that lots
of ports are negligent in sub
mitting material for the LOG,
and in most cases the rank-and-
file resents this oversight. Well,
Brothers, I don't believe the
Editor would object if several
rank-and-filers from each port
would submit certain articles.
If this is done, each port will
be represented,in the Union's of
ficial paper and it might take a
little i-esponsibility off the shoul
ders of the Port Agent.
We seem to be having the
same old beef in the' Black
Gang. Firemen take off in for
eign ports and stick the other
Firemen for several watches.
I think the way to eliminate
this evil is for the Union to force
the absent man to pay $1.32'/^
per hour, plus a day's pay, to
the man who does his work.
In fact, it might not be a bad
idea to extend this to all the
Departments.
LOOK AT PRICES
Anyone who goes shopping
these days knows that prices
have gone skyhigh. And anyone
who reads the newspapers is
aware that prices will undoubt
edly go much higher within the
next few weeks.
Labor will have to go all-out
for more wages if the worldng-
man is to provide for himself and
MOiAJ, LET'S SEE... ALL
"mis ATGOMPOdMb iMTee-
EST APbS UP TO... HMMM..
DOZEN tG6S.'
his family. Prices have i-un far
ahead of wages, and the dollar
is not worth much more than
the paper it's printed on.
The guys who sit in Congress
can't figure out what to do about
it; or if they do know what to
do, they are to scared to try it
for fear of stepping on the toes
of the big businessmen. And so
everybody passes the blame and
the nation's economy goes to
hell in a hurry.
Profits are higher today than
at any time before in the his
tory of the United States. Prices
could come way down without
the bosses losing money.
But prices will stay up as long
as possible, because the fat boys
don't care who starves as long
as they can keep on stashing
laway the dough.
J.;,,
Friday. September 26. 1947 THE SEAFARERS LOG Page Five '
Shipping Fails
in Baltimore,
For Time Being
By WILLIAM RENTZ
BALTIMORE — It seems as
though few ships have been com
ing in here lately, and as a con
sequence, business has slowed
down. But you know Baltimore,
as soon as a slack period arrives
something happens to get every
thing hopping again.
Only four ships paid off last
week, and all were loaded to the
scuppers with beefs. We found
out that practically all the beefs
were justified and you can bet
they were settled before any man
paid off.
The workers at the Bethlehem
Steel Shipyards are still on strike
here, and it looks like they are
becoming stronger and more sol
id all the time.
The company tried to run
strikebreakers through the line,
and they had a little battle, but
the picketline proved too much
for the scabs and they beat it
without any more trouble.
We respect their picketline
and we're going to continue do
ing just that. We always do that
for any union man who fights
for his rights.
There are a lot of men down
here who want to ship out on un
organized scows. All they ask is
to be given a permit, and they
will do anything we ask them to
help our union. They know what
we stand for, and that we never
lose a beef once we start to fight.
The gashounds are giving Bal
timore a clear berth. It's a known
fact that we are on the lookout
for them, and we will not stand
for any performers in this port.
SW IN COPENHAGEN Unemployed Benefits Taken Away
From Michigan Merchant Seamen
By FRED FARNEN
With the SS Alexander H. Stephens as a background, these
crewmembers and friends pose for the wandering photographer.
Among the group are John Lorents. AB; Holdur Tanar. AB; John
Dimitriadis. AB; Arthur Marauder. Oiler; John R. Michaelis.
FWT; Albert Hatt. Oiler; John E. Clamp. Wiper; Jose Fernan
dez. Oiler; and John M. Kemitch. Wiper. The young ladies ere
not members of the SIU. and have probably never been to sea.
but they certainly dress up the picture. Oh. yes, this shot was
sent up from the Port of Baltimore, where the Stephens was
taken out of the boneyard and put in ship-shape condition for
the voyage.
Nothing Much Doing In Norfolk;
Cold Weather Quiets Waterfront
By RAY WHITE
NORFOLK — The weather is
turning cool, and that puts the
freeze on the waterfront and the
Last week we paid off the
Thomas Reed, the Peter Minuit
and the McKoski, Bernstein; the
labor situation. Of course, there Samuel Mclntire ^nd the Samuel
are still plenty of ships sailing
in and out of this port, but most
of them are clean and have no
beefs.
Unorganized Seamen On Lakes
Waiting For Chance To Vote SIU
By CARL GIBBS and FRANK MOHAN
DULUTH —Most of the ships
coming in here are in good shape
as far as the SIU is concemed.
Crewmembers on these unor
ganized Lakes vessels are
• anxiously waiting for the elec
tions which have been held up
for some time by Taft-Hartley
red tape.
Their main question is, "When
is our ship going to vote, so that
we can have an SIU contract
with SIU wages and conditions?"
Of course, we explain to all of
these Brothers that the elections
will be held just as soon as the
Department of Labor issues a
compliance number to the SIU
Great Lakes District.
In spite of the fact that Presi
dent John L. Lewis of the United
Mine Workers has refused to go
along with Taft-Hartley Act re-
In fact, a number of men who
joined the LSU in good faith
thought that they were joining a
bonafide union affiliated with the
SIU.
[ Since the SS Hood voted to af
filiate with the LSU several
weeks ago, a number of crew
members have come in and stat
ed that conditions aboard their-
vessel have not been changed.
Our answer to them is, "How
do you expect to get improved
conditions when you have an
outfit like the LSU representing
you? They have no shore side
i-epresentatives with the excep
tion of their attorney, Meyer
Cook."
It is expecting too much to
think that the LCA and Cleve
land-Cliffs dominated LSU will
go out and fight with any ship-
quirements regarding the filing owner^ t<^ i m p r o v e conditions
of non-communist affidavits, we
don't believe that this will hold
up any elections for very long.
According to various reports
reaching the Lakes, NLRB Gen
eral Counsel Denham will prob
ably "reverse his ruling regarding
the necessity for top AFL and
CIO officials filing non-commun
ist affidavits.
Quite a few men come into the
SIU Hall from time to time, ask
ing questions regarding member
ship in the SIU. A number of
these men, who know the score
as far as the Seafarers record is
concemed, claim that they had
never heard of the Lake Sailoi's
Union until this year.
aboard their vessels.
That's one reason why the
open LCA operators like the
LSU. They know that, with the
LSU on their ships, they don't
have to worry about paying over
time for unnecessary work done
after 5 P.M. and before 8 A.M.,
and they know that they don't
have to worry about putting
union conditions into effect on
their ships.
An SIU contract is the only
sure guarantee that Lakes sea
men will get a decent break as
far as wages, working and living
conditions are concerned. And
that's why the entire Great
Lakes, too, will soon be SIU.
Livermore, South Atlantic; and
the George Chaffee and the Topa
Topa, Waterman.
Some of them have already
signed on again and are at sea
on another voyage.
The Thomas B. Reed was one
of the cleanest ships to pay off
here in a long time. The Dele
gates did a fine job and had all
books checked and in order.
All disputed overtime was
written down and waiting for the
Patrolman, so it is no wonder
that all the beefs \vere' settled—
and damn fast.
Oldtimer Otis Manning paid off
here and headed for that land of
sunshine, Jacksonville. Salty
Rollins is still on the beach and
J. Porter is just about ready to
ship, all 275 pounds of him.-
DETROIT—A number of Lakes
.seamen who filed for unemploy
ment compensation in Michigan
last season are going to be dis
appointed this year. As a result
of certain changes in the Michi
gan Unemployment Compensa
tion Law, merchant seamen sail
ing on the Great Lakes have been
classified as seasonal employees.
According to the amended lav/,
which took effect as of July 1,
1947, the covered pei-iod of em
ployment for seamen on the
Great Lakes will be the 39-week
calendar period beginning with
the third Sunday of March in
each year. This means that Great
Lakes seamen will only be al
lowed to draw unemplojTOent
compensation for the time during
which they are unemployed in
this 39-week period.
Actually, it means that seamen
will have little or no unemploy
ment protection in the state of
Michigan because the 13-week
period, during which they ai-e e.x-
cluded from benefits, stretches
from the third Sunday in Decem
ber until the third Sunday in
March.
This is the period during which
most Great Lakes seamen are on
the beach.
LCA PRESSURE
Enormous pressure was exert
ed upon the Michigan legislature
by LCA lobbyists in order to pass
these crippling amendments to
the Michigan Unemployment
Law. As a result of that pres
sure, merchant seamen in the
state of Michigan have once more
become orphans as far as' unem
ployment coverage is concerned.
This is another vicious slap at
the rights of seamen to be the
same as other citizens in this
country.
This discriminatory legislation
is just another example of how
the various state legislature as
paid servants of the financial in
terests.
There is no such thing as rep
resentative government in the
.State of Michigan when such leg-
islaiion as this can dispossess cer
tain large groups in the com
munity.
It is about time that Great
Lakes seamen as well as other
larger organized labor groups in
this country do something dras
tic to halt the flood of anti-labor
legislation.
Michigan is no i.solated state.
Many other slates of the union
are as busy as the proverbial bea
vers passing the same kind of
discriminatory legislation.
What can we, as members of
the SIU, do to protect ourselves
from the deeds of our supposed
legislative representatives? Once
the answer to this was compara
tively easy.
We could see that it was the
duty of every union member to
exercise this fuU citizenship
rights by voting for decent repre
sentative congressmen.
Now it is a little bit more dif
ficult than that due to the fact
that both old parties, Democrats
and Republican.s, are the prison
ers of the vested interests in our
country.
This means that it is increas
ingly difficult to find a member
of either of these old parties who
is fair to organized labor.
Labor must not only become
politically conscious to the extent
of voting in all elections, but la
bor must become active in select
ing those men who are supposed
to represent the people in Con
gress and the various state legis
latures.
POrtT NEWS
We have a fast turnover here
and even the beachcombers don't
stay on the beach too long.
We used to have a lot of
trouble with gashounds here, but
lately the boys have quieted
down and seldom, if ever, get out
of line. They know that they
have an axe over their heads, and
that makes them very cautious.
All ships coming in to payoff
have been donating $10.00 per
man to defray the expenses of
the Isthmian Stidke. This was a
ruling of the Port Strike Com-
mitte, and the way the men are
accepting the ruling shows that
the SIU membership can take
care of its beefs without outside
aid, and without depleting our
treasury.
One last word on shipping: We
have plenty of job's oh the board,
and we can .always use rated
men, but don't come down to
this port looking for a job with
out first wiring or calling to find
out if there are any jobs open. A
telephone call can save a lot of
money in this case.
We are not advocating any pai'-
ticular political philosophy, but we
are urging that labor take an ac
tive part in either cleansing one
or both of the old parties, or see
ing to it that a representative la-
well as the national Congress are bor party is established in the
becoming more and more the United States.
Performers Still Causing Plenty
Of Trouble In San Francisco
By W. L. SIMMONS
SAN FRANCISCO—A brand-
new outfit, the Wilkerson Steam
ship Company, this week signed
a contract with the SIU, and the
SS Cavalier, the company's new
ship, took off on her first run
down south to load bananas.
Six more ships are expected by
this company, and the SIU A&G
District has it under .solid c-on-
tract.
I'm having a little bit of
trouble with some guys on Isth
mian ships and other vessels.
Those men know that they are
going against the rules of our
Union by acting up, but they in
sist on doing so, and then they
get belligerent when the Patrol
man or Agent forces them to stop
acting cute.
We are all seamen and we are
not expected to live like saints.
But when men endanger their
contracts just to get gassed up on
shipboard and fight among them
selves, then they must be way
off their rockers.
I don't know what the answer
is, but if these fellows insist on
fouling up, then they've got to
be prepared to take the conse
quences, and I'm sure that the
membership won't go easy on
guys who try to break down
what the Union has fought for so
long.
SHIPPING GOOD
Shipping is very good for the
Deck and Engine Departments,
but on the slow bell for the Stew
ards. We haven't had any pay
offs for the past ten days but,
now that I've put it in print,
there'll probably be a flood of
them from now on.
Few men hang out near the
Hall unless they want to ship.
The weather is fine, and so when,
an oldtimer comes around for a
visit, you can bet your bottom
dollar that he is looking for a
ship.
By the way, talking about the
weather, I wish we could export
some of it to you fellows who are
having the cold spell in New
York, or the winds along the
Gulf. Here it's never too hot or
too cold, too windy or too balmy,
too dry or too wet. In fact, it's
always just right.
•/
Page Six TBE SEAFARERS LOG Friday, September 26, 1947
SHIPS' MINUTES AND NEWS
IS;
/
UI'
Action By Moline Crew
Brings Needed Repairs
Determined that action at the point of production
would bring the desired results, the crew of the Moline
Victory, Robin Line, recently threatened refusal to sail the
ship unless a long list of repairs was immediately compliec
with. t
The crew's decision came after
the Moline Victory had return
ed from a three month trip to
South Africa only to have the
repair list given the quick brush
off in two U.S. ports. In Philly,
the crew decided to substitute
direct action for diplomacy and
sweet words.
Philadelphia Agent Eddie Hig
gon was called aboard to aid in
the matter and the Skipper was
presented with the crew's ulti
matum.
LONG LIST
The list of 15 repairs needing
immediate attention included 25
new mattresses, 36 new pillows,
screens for all portholes, 11 fans,
repair of all lockers and new
seats for the head. Every one
of the repairs demanded by the
crew was made before the ves
sel sailed.
The committee backing up the
demands, in addition to Brother
Higdon, included departmental
delegates Tony M. Fusco, Deck;
Earl Murphy, Engine and Robert
M. Douglas, Stewards.
When faced with the threat
of economic action by the fed-
up crew the Captain agreed to
go to work on the matter at
once. The crew, however, not
willing to play the waiting game
of promises, had the Skipper
draw up and sign an agreement
whereby he promised to have
all repairs made before embark
ing on another foreign voyage.
POSTS PENALT'i
Just to make the matter iron
clad the Sldpper agreed to pay
each crewmember $50 and first
class transportation to Philadel
phia from New York should he
fail to complete the repairs.
The agreement read in part
"If the repairs are not com
pleted by the time the ship is
to sail for a foreign voyage,
agree to give or pay said crew
members the amount of $50 and
first class transportation to each
man back to the Port of Phila
delphia."
In addition to the stated de
mands presented to the Skipper
Seafarer Andy Lorier, crew-
member aboard, summed up the
crew's sentiments in a cardoon
which appears on this page.
The drastic action pictured by
Brother Lorier wasn't necessary
but it showed the Skipper the
light and brought about the de
sired results.
Send Those Minutes
Send in the minutes of
your ship's meeting to the
New York Hall. Only in that
way can the membership act
on your recommendations,
and then the minutes can be
printed in the LOG for the
benefit of all other SIU
crews.
Hold those shipboard meet
ings regularly, and send
those minutes in as soon as
possible. That's the SIU way!
Barefoot Boy
Finished with washing down
the deck of the SS Arlyn, a
Bull line scow. Brother "Grum
py Ames pauses for picture by
James C. Barnette. Ames was a
fine shipmate, according to
Brother Barnette,
Master And Seaman Praised
For Aiding Stricken Oiler
Commending the Captain and one of the Ordinary
Seamen aboard ship for their diligence in aiding a
crewmember stricken with appendicitis, the crew of the
SS Venore unanimously gave* ^
them a vote of appreciation at
the September 7 shipboard meet-
4.
ing.
The .stricken crewmembei-, J.
Brake, Oiler, became ill while
the ship was off the west coast
of South America. While he
was ill, D. Reynolds, OS, gave
unstintingly of his time to make
Brake more at case until port
could be reached.
The skipper, Robert Mason,
kept in constant touch with the
sick man. When he saw the
man was too ill to remain
aboard until the regular port
was hit, he turned the vessel off
course and put in at Lima, Peru.
The foresight of the Captain
saved the life of the Seafarer
as an operation was immediately
pci-foi-mcd with success.
Moving for the vote of ap
preciation was Brother C. Davis
with the entire • crew in unan
imous approval.
Another vote of thanks for a
somewhat different reason, was
given the ship's Steward, Clar
ence Davis, who was praised for
good food, fast service and clean
me.ssrooms. The Steward in tuin
lauded the crew for being the
most friendly, jolly and helpful
to one another that he has had
the pleasure to work with
aboard ship.
The meeting aboard the Cal-
mar vessel was chaired by J. A.
Kels and recorded by E. Eriksen.
SIU Men Regale Stowaway On SS Hamilton;
Lad 'Arrives' In New Suit And Pot Belly
By AL BERNSTEIN
(Ed. note: The following human interest story was written by an SIU crewman aboard the
SS John B. Hamilton. There are many occurrences in the daily life of a seaman Which make
good reading matter. Items of this type axe earnestly solicited from the membership.)
PHILADELPHIA—When we arrived la.st week in this port on the SS John B.
-iamilton from Antwerp, Belgium, we had a 16-year-old Hungarian stowaway aboard.
dis name was George Kiss and he had been a displaced person in Europe.
When the lad was discovered *-
two days out at sea, he was
dressed in lags and had put
way th.xt: t-. anges and two
cups of water with which he
hoped to complete the voyage.
The crew and topside went
for the hungry looking boy in
•^4
: H.:
SW VICTORY AS SEEN BY A CREWMEMBER
inX/iruw a cJiAur
OAi, j
cormffia«das pc/tS.3.tr.
Andy Lorier, FWT, whose sketch of the SS Moline Victory beef is shown above, has been put
ting his impressions on paper or canvas for many years. Brother Loraer never hod any school
ing in the art. He picks up the brush or pen only because he "just gets a bang put of it."
The sketching Seafarer has been a member of the SIU for three years. He sailed this week
on a trip that will take him to South and West African ports.
such a way that when the im
migration authorities took him
away after we docked at Pier
179 Nortti, he was dressed in a
new suit, had a fistful of Amer
ican and Belgian money and had
a new suitcase filled with
clothes.
MULTI-LINGUAL
George spoke several langua
ges fluently. On the trip over
we taught him enough English
so that he could make himself
understood. He said that he
wanted to live in Philly, because
his parents had resided there
many years ago.
He was taken to Moyamensing
prison, where he will be held
in custody until ari'angements
are made for his return to the
other side. His home, before he
was placed in a concentration
camp by the Nazis, had been
in Budapest.
When George was discovered
out at sea. Captain Olaf Brie-
land Was so impressed with him
that he gave the lad the run
of the. ship. Playing no favorites,
George took turns steering the
ship and keeping a sharp eye on
the engines. Between mouth-
fuls of bubble gum George ex
pressed a "desire to be an en
gineer.
SIU FEEDING
Eddie Kasnowsky, Chief Stew
ard, really did a splendid job
of building up the half-starved
youngster. When the trip was
over, he was 15 pounds heavier
and was sporting a pot belly.
When the young stowaway is
returned to Europe, as he no
doubt will be, despite the fact
that several persons have al
ready tried to adopt him legally,
he will be a walking adverti.se-
merit for the excellent way we
were fed on that trip.
After George was taken into
custody, the Skipper sent me
as a delegation of one to see
how he was doing in the "hotel.''
When I saw the boy, he was
talking with an immigration in
terpreter in the Hungarian lan
guage. He claimed to be well
satisfied with the treatment.
Before I left him, he asked
me to thank the entire personnel
of the SS Hamilton, especially
Chief Steward Kasnowsky, for
the fine way he was treated by
all hands.
During the trip the lad was
nick-named "the Second Stew
ard," because he spent so much
time in the galley and the mess-
room.
A GOOD TRIP
^ «
Incidentally, the trip was a
good one. There were no logs
and no beefs, except against the
Purser, who got off. Prices in
Antwerp were very high and
the money was spent faster than
it could be drawn. Beer which
should have cost five francs,
cost 20 francs until we discover
ed the discrepancy. Cabs into
town from the dock charged 150
and 200 francs, until we discov
ered before we left for home
that the fare was less than 50
francs.
t- %
J.
•- c.
Friday. September 26, 1947 THE SEAFARERS LOG Page Seven
SlU Ships' Minutes In Brief
JOHN GIBBON. Aug. 24 —
Chairman Parrott; Secretary
Lancaster. New Business: Deck,
Engine and Stewards Depart
ment delegates reported every
thing running fine. Motion car
ried to see the Patrolman about
the slopchest prices. Motion by
Jackson to see about painting
foc'sles. Motion carried to clean
all foc'sles for c r e w coming
aboard.
4. 4. t
EMILIA, Aug. 16 — Chairman
Luigi Lombardi: Secretary Ed
win Marshall. Delegates reports
accepted. Education: Old books
to be given to the Steward who
will get new ones for the next
trip. A talk was given by a
bookmember to the tripcarders
to acquaint them with Union ac
tivities. One minute of silence
for Brothers lost at sea.
4. 4 4
WALTER E. RANGER, July 6
—Chairman John A. Ziereis: Sec
retary Chester F. Just. Delegates
reported everything okay. New
Business: Motion canried to have
Third Cook's duties clarified. Ed
ucation: Discussion as to strike
fund, what it is used for and
different rules and regulations
concerning it. Good and Welfare:
More variety in the night lunch.
To contact Chief Mate and Chief
Engineer in regard to having
quarters painted.
4 4 4
WALTER E. RANGER. Aug.
24—Chairman Chester F. Just;
Secretary John A. Ziereis. Dele
gates reported all running
smooth. Education: The matter
of agreements was discussed,
what they stand for and all re
solved to stand by and live up
to them at all times. Good and
Welfare: Unanimously lecom-
mended that Captain K. A. Mc
Carthy be given a vote of thanks
for making the voyage a pleasant
and satisfactoiy one.
4 4 4
CORNELIA. Sept. 1 — Chair-
man R. McQueen; Secretary John
F. Hisko. Delegates reported no
beefs in their departments. New
Business: Motion by Hasko sec
onded by Tistan to investigate
permitman Van DeHoven. Mo
tion by McQueen that three dele
gates go to the Hall and see
about Nielsen.
ROBERT STUART. Sept. 5—
Chairman H. E. Perkinson; Sec
retary Walter Doyle. Delegates
reported all in oi'der. New Busi
ness: Repair list made up and
approved by crew. Suggestion
made that library be put on ship
and men staying aboard see that
this is done. Hooks to be placed
on door to keep them from bang
ing. One minute of silence for
Brothers lo.st at sea.
4 4 4
FRANK NQRRIS. Aug. 24—
Chairman C. W. Little; Secretary
George M. Knai. Delegates re
ports accepted. New Business:
Discussion as to who would
clean the laundry one day a
week. Motion defeated to fine
men for making me.ss in the
messroorn. Motion carried to
ring dinner bell at mealtime.
Good and Welfare: It was agreed
for the three delegates to see
the Captain about the poor
drinking water. Brothers stood
in one minute's silence for Sea
farers lost at sea.
4 4 4
FLQRIDA. Aug. 24—Chairman
Major Coslello; Secretary Mel
Straiten. Deck and Stewards
delegates reported nothing new.
Engine Delegate i-eported diffi
culty in securing men for his
department and Tampa Patrol
man stated none available on the
beach. New Business: Motion
earned that any man getting off
the ship without proper replace
ment will be brought up on
charges. List of fines drawn up
with money to go to SEAFAR
ERS LOG. Education: Recom
mended that oldtimers educate
the new members in union ac
tivities whenever possible. Good
and Welfare: All Brothers as
good union men should respect
each others property.
4 4 4
MQRNING LIGHT, (Date not
given) Chairman S. H. Steele;
Secretary A. A. Kessen. Dele-
gates reported on number of
book and permit men in their
departments. New Business: De
cision to take up with Patrol
man the desire to have two fans
in.stalled in each room and an
awning on the fantail so men
can sleep there. All members
stood in silence for one minute
for lost Brothers.
4 4 4
JQHN HATHQRN, Aug. SO-
FAR ALLQN. Aug. 18—Chair
man Stephen Carr; Secretary H.
L. Brickell. Delegates reported
no tjeefs and overtime all okay.
Motion carried that ship be fu
migated upon return to States.
Good and Welfare: Messmen in
structed not to serve ciewmem-
bers not wearing shirt or 'T'
shirt. Suggestion that laundry
be kept clean. One minute of
silence for Brothers lost at sea.
4 44
ALCQA PARTNER. July 25—
Chairman M. A. McClinloc; Sec
retary W. P. Knight. Discussion
on the signing of a messman
who came aboard in Trinidad.
Crew objected .so ship's delegate
Fred Hartshorn threatened to re
sign, saying this was a violation
of the SIU constitution. Motion
cai-ried to accept the man as a
crewmember and to reject Hart
shorn's resignation.
Chairman W. E. Cautant; Secre
tary J. G. Brady. New Business:
Motion by D. D. Story that while
in port any member of deck de
partment performing on watch
be fined $10. Motion by Korolia
that Engine Delegate see Chief
Engineer about installing a fresh
water and steam line back aft
for washing clothes. Good and
Welfare: Suggestion that night
lunch be charged to avoid mon
otony. Korolia suggested that
empty milk cans be split in top
and placed in heads for old
razor blades. One minute of si
lence for Brothers lost at sea.
4 4 4
GEORGE BIBB. Aug. 4 —
Chairman M. T. Nolan; Secretary
L. Lavetick. Delegates reported
on books and permits in their
depai-tments. New Business:
Election held for ship's delegate
with Laverick elected. Discussion
about money to be withdrawn in
England. Ship's Delegate to see
Captain about drawing more cig
arettes. Education: All educa
tional material was passed out
from ship's delegate in order
that all might read such ma
terial provided in delegate's kit.
4 4 4
POLLOCK (Midland). Aug. 27
—Chairman Charles Griffin; Sec
retary Walter Harvek. Depart
ment delegate report things run
ning smoothly with no beefs. It
was brought up no perishables
could be left out for any length
of time. No small refrigerator
available to crew. Decided that
key to chill boxes be given to
one deck hand held responsible
for perishables being put out at
the changing of the watcheS.
Motions carried: that department
delegates keep list of men's union
standing regarding dues, thus
making it easier for Patrolman
to secure such information by
seeing delegates of respective de
partments; that non-union re
placements coming aboard have
unionism explained to them by
delegate of department, with di
plomacy and tact. Being unable
to ship a union man in Milwau
kee, a non-union deck hand was
sent in. He was much interested
in meeting and explanation of
unionism, and will join first pay.
Crew very cooperative and
union-minded. Take interest in
good and welfare of the ship
-and crew and voice opinions at
meetings. General discussion,
questions answered satisfactorily.
SAYS:
gf
KfY-RCCT/
(SeTURN YOUR.
POC'SLE KEYS
WHEN You PAYOFF
YOUR SHIP, SO
THAT THE NEW
CREW COMING-
A80ARD WitL
HAVE PROTECTION
FOR THEIR GEAR.
CVT and RUN
4 4 4
FRANKLIN K. LANE. Aug. 10
—Chairman Emile Degan; Secre
tary V. A. Lawsin. Emile Degan
elected ship's delegate. N e w
Business: Motion carried that
last trip fines be effective and
any money collected go to Bro
thers in hospitals. Motion car
ried that recreation room be
cleaned; change off between de
partments. Motion carried that
crew observe one minute of si
lence for Brothers lost at sea.
4 44
KNOX VICTORY. Aug. 17—
Chairman S. Furfado; Secretary
Hoy J. Turner. Delegates had
nothing to report. New Business:
Motion to see chief engineer
about Wiper pumping galley oil
on overtime. Motion by chief
steward to keep wa.shroom and
recreation room clean. Motion
made to put desks in every room
for writing purpo.ses. Motion
carried that Steward order more
milk in New York.
By HANK
With the cold weather setting into Our Town there won't be
many Brothers idle for too long a time. The shipping board will
look cleaner than a messhall's bulkhead. After all, another day,
another dollar; you grab a job, so you won't \hear yourself holler!
. . . "Coffee-drinking'' Willie West, whose favorite trips are to
South Africa, just came back from two trips to South Africa O.TI
the "Virginia City Victory. Brother West confesses that he'll be
looking for a ship lo^ the Far East—just for the change of scenery
and the air. Brother West's shipmate. "Coffee-drinking" Claude
Morgan, also made a trip to South Africa on another ship . . .
"Baltimore Ski" after some humorous negotiations- with his better
half did enough convincing to show that working ashore doesn't
pay—and that he'll be shipping soon. . . . Brother Pete King, the
Cook and citizen of Brooklyn, just sailed in from a trip—saying
hullo to all his shipmates . . . Joe Pilutis, who went back on his
home, sweet home, the Evangeline, says that his brother, Victor
Pilutis sailed to Europe recently. Brother Pilutis convinced his
shipmate. Brother Joe Presto, to grab a job on the Evangeline—*
Joe says that his shipmate Steve Carr will be surprised that this
happened so easily to Joe.
4 4 4
Brother Jimmy Millican just became a proud poppa of a .baby
boy. Congratulations, Jimmy, and the best of health to the wife
and the new little sailor! . . . Jimmy McCullough, the smiling
citizen of baseball-happy Brooklyn, just oame off the SS Evan
geline after a trip . . . Brother Thomas Melton says that his girl,
who works in a bank in Our Town, keeps wishing that he wouldn't
be shipping out so much—and just get married. Ah, maybe a
sailor just don't want to get rusty—so he keeps shipping out so
much . . . Brother Blackie Colucci and his wife, Marie, just became
the proud parents of a baby girl, their first child. They named her
Dawn. Congratulations to "Pop" Colucci and best of health all
around.
4 4 4
There are a few familiar Brothers still in town: Rusty
Swillinger. who probably will take another trip to South
Africa; little Carl Wayne, the electrician; and John Campbell,
the smiling oldtimer . . . Three new USS clubs were recently
opened up for merchant seamen down in South America; in
Santos. Brazil; in Rio de Janeiro. Brazil and in Buenaventura.
4 4 4
Brother Steve Di Girolmo just came in on the SS M. T. Hunt
er. He says his trip to France and a two-by-four port called
Dingwall, in Nova Scotia, was a swell one all around. In Dingwall,
they saw some small boats pulling in harpooned swordfish and
selling them later for forty-five to fifty cents a pound. Nice busi
ness—if you can get all that gear—and of course—the swordfish.
Just a few swordfish a day would very nicely take care of this
high cost of living. Steve says that the people of Dingwall sell the
swo.-d from a swordfish for five dollars apiece. A swell business,
indeed . . . Brother Aussie Shrimpton, the Steward and poet, sailed
in with his dignified mustache, and with a smile told us in his
crisp accent that he was staying aboard the SS Evangeline wait
ing for that day of the wedding bells!
4 4 4
There is an imporlant bill awaiting Congress which will
aid merchant seamen in regards to hospitalization: H.R. 4163.
introduced by Weichel (Republican from Ohio) before the
House Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee, this bill
amends the Public Health Act to give merchant seamen the
right to medical care at Marine Hospitals in spite of the 90-day
limitation when they are ilL aged or unemployed.
I
..'SI
4 I
-'T
"i
'11 ^
'ii •
lU*
•' • ''
i
/'•
t-
!t^-
^:;7
;;;j
•r.l'-)
I;/'
•- 'Iv
I
Page Eight THE SEAFARERS LOG Friday, September 26, li547
SIU's Aid To CIO Men Wins
Wide Praise On Waterfront
BEFORE THE BLOW OF F
To the Editor:
After hearing Paul Hall's talk
on the CIO shipyard workers
strike last Tuesday and his re
quest for us Seafarers to go out
and help them on the picketlines,
I thought it was swell the way
the members volunteered for this
duty.
I was detailed to go to Pier
29 with 25 other Seafarers. As
we walked down Broad Street
we were stopped by many sea
men who asked us what was do
ing.
, When we told them we were
SIU men going out on a CIO
picketline, they could hardly be
lieve it. Some of these guys were
NMU seamen.
When we arrived at Pier 29,
we found our white-capped SIU
men already doing their stuff in
—and those bars along the way
really emptied out pronto.
Arriving at the Bethlehem yard
gates, wc were gvcn a big wel
come by a CIO union official,
and a cheer went up from every
one of these shipyard men. We
took up picket duty in fyont of
the gates and immediately com
pany officials began popping
their heads out of the windows.
•You can imagine their amaze
ment at seeing a line of white-
capped sailors from the AFL pa
trolling in front of their yards.
Hundreds of people lined the
streets watching this demonstra
tion of labor solidarity.
JAVA IS FREE
I went into a restaurant for a
cup of coffee but was told I was
welcome to drink as much as I
wanted—and it would be on the
Log -A' Rhythms
By The Sea
By K. W. L.
rr-'TCrrraiL
As I watch the twilight's fading.
Soft and Muffled fall the sea
sounds.
Against the shore waves are
playing.
And with night's curtain, peace
comes down.
No longer do I think of toil or
labor.
For my dreams they know no
I bound.
Once again I taste the sea wind's
fla.vor.
And. at last, it's truth I have
found.
a real SIU way—orderly, busi-1, „
J • ,1 rs house. The people really appre-
ness-like and efficiently. Our . ^ ^ ^ , u i
group was dispatched up to 57th i
Street to picket the notoriously ®
anti-union Bethlehem Steel
yards, which as yet had no line
around it.
CAUSED A STIR
We caused quite a stir as we
travelled in the bus and subway
with people who were attracted
by the mass of snow-white caps
.—the traditional sign of Seafar
ers—asking us what we were do
ing. We told them we were out
to support the CIO shii^-ard
workers who had been out for
13 weeks.
As we came down the streets
toward the docks, the streets
were crowded with idle dock-
workers. The sight of all of us
white-capped Seafarers heading
for the docks brought crowds of
people rushing out of their houses
Okay, Brothers
Let Us In On it
€
Some secrets are to be
kept, but if you had an in
teresting trip, or if you met
a character who sent you,
let us in on it. That goes for
your views on the union, cur
rent events, or any sugges
tions you may have. All beefs
of general interest will be an
swered.
Seafarers who think in
terms of moon and June and
vine and wine can give vent
to their rhyme and rhythm
in Log-A-Rhythms. If you
have a camera we will give
prominence to your lens ef
forts.
The items sent to us will
be displayed before an ap
preciative audience of 60,-
000 readers from coast to
coast who read these pages
-every week.
Put down the highlights of
your experience including the
place, time and names and
send them to the SEAFAR
ERS LOG, 51 Beaver St«
N. Y. We wiU return all
snapshots, poems and stories,
if so desired.
Now is the right time, tool
elated our coming
striking men.
over to help
It made me
feel kind of good to be in there
with the rest of the boys.
That night I happened to be
working in the "doghouse" cafe
teria and was bussing the deck
when I overheard three NMU
men speaking about the SIU. One
of them said something I want
to pass along, and which I quote:
"I saw a bunch of SIU guys
today going down Whitehall
street and they were neatly
dressed and they all had white-
cap's and SlU-SUP badges. But
believe me, Bill, when I asked
them what they were up to, they
told me they were going out to
walk a CIO picket line."
So I spoke to these three NMU
guys and told them the complete
score on the beef. They said it
sure was a clean-looking bunch
of seamen they had seen. They
also said they had been hearing
a lot of talk lately along the
waterfront among organized and
unorganized men about the SIU
and how clean a bunch of pickets
we put out.
- 1
A cargo of lumber being loaded on the SS Marymar, a Cal-
mar vessel, before she lefl Ihe West Coast to come to New York.
Well-stocked with wood, the Marymar was short on food. In
New York. Union Patrolmen, backed by unified crew action won
a reversal of company policy. By the time the Marymar was
ready to pull out. foodstuffs were in ample supply.
This Fireman Couldn't Save
Anybody's Child—OrFirehouse
To the Editor:
1 have been attempting to
write this for the last five months
but have been putting it off.
Finally, looking over the recent
copy of the LOG, I decided to
send in a few lines.
You fellows are sure doing a
swell job of organizing those
tankers. I was particularly glad
to see Isthmian go SIU. I was
only sorry I couldn't be tliere to
do a little organizing myself.
ASKS ABOUT CLEARANCE
FEELS PROUD
The whole thing is something
to make us all proud, right from
the beginning when the CIO
asked us for aid on the lines to
stop scabs from being taken in
the yards and up to the end after
picketing was over and we heard
the comment on the waterfront.
Above all, these CIO shipyard
workers really stood up and took
notice. The job we did will re
flect to the credit of us seaman
of the real hard-hitting Seafar
ers International Union. -
Jim (Scoffie) Byrnes
\,
I met an old SIU boy last week
and he was saying something
about hSving strike clearance
cards, regardless of retirement or
not. I know that you're automat
ically brought out of retirement
during strikes but I wasn't there
and was in no position to get
LEMME KNOW IF
ANYTHINe BURNS.
there, since I am stationed over
here in Germany. I'd appreciate
it if you give me a little infor
mation on this matter.
occured to them that 1 knew
nothing about'putting out fires.
So they went ahead and classi
fied me as a Fireman and they
stiU haven't wised up.
I'm now running a fire station
in Deutschland and have quite a
record behind me: One fire house
burned to the ground, and one
fire truck wrapped around a tree.
If any of you fellows remem
ber me, I'd appreciate a letter
now and then. Hope to see you
all in time for the Taft-Hartley
squabble that should break next
year when the contracts run out.
"While we're on the subject,
wouldn't it be a good idea to
have a ten buck assessment with
the coming days in mind?
Sgt. Charles Bauer, 14087853
Hdqs. Co. 7717, QMSC
APO 175, c/o PM
New York, N. Y.
(Ed. Note: "When you're re
leased from the Army and you
bring your discharge to the
Hall for activating your Book,
you will be given strike clear
ance).
Seamen's Fight
Is Never-ending,
Says Brother
To the Editor:
The Seafarers International
Union has gained for seamen
benefits which at one time would
have been thought impossible.
"We have achieved decent wages,
fine condition, and have estab
lished the fact that seamen are
not slaves but are to be treated
like men..
But even so, the fight is not
over. There are moi-e comforts
which we should have to make
our weeks and months at sea
easier to take.
One of the things that would
add to our comfort is better
bunks with innerspring mattress
es, such as are furnished to of
ficers. A seaman has very little
recreation on board ship, and
therefore spends quite a bit of
his free time in the sack.
GOOD REST ESSENTIAL
Many ships still have bunks
and mattresses that are back-
breakers. A man can't do a good
job if he doesn't get a good rest.
Sinks in rooms, larger mess-
rooms, more ventilation; these
are all comforts which seamen
deserve and need.
It's time we got down to brass
tacks on matters of comforts, and
told the shipowners that we ex
pect conditions for seamen to
keep pace with wages and gen
eral rules and working rules.
Johnny While
THE BEEF BOX
QUESTION RAISED ON DIVISION OF WAGES
FOR SUNDAY WORK AT SEA
"When I came in this army and
had their wonderful classification
system set to work on me, I con
tinued my career as a Fireman.
They figured that as long as I
was a member of the Black Gang
when I went to sea, I should be
a Fireman in the army. It never
We sailed shorthanded when one of "the crewmembers missed
the ship. Up to the present two deck men have been dividing the
wages of the missing man. The Purser has sent a letter asking
the company for a ruling as to whether or not Sundays at sea are
considered as wages and whether or not the two men are entitled
to a division on this time. Please advise us what the score is on
this matter.
John Ziereis. Deck Delegate
SS Walter E. Ranger
ANSWER:—Tbe two men doing the missing seaman's work
are entilleil..fo division of the wages for all Sunday work at sea.
Friday, September 26. 1947 THE SEAFARERS LOG Page
TWO SHIPMATES AND A SHRINE
Photo at right shows the interior of the Chinese temple Ayer Itam at Penang, Malayan Straits.
Escorted through the temple by an English speaking guide, crewmembers of the Andrew Jack
son were told the alter was to the virgin girls and the scroll-flanked idol was made of alabaster
and trimmed in gold. ^
At the left, Jerry Palmer, AB, and Red Dineen, AH. pose a smile for the shutterbug. Must be
a good feeding ship as the shot was taken after the boys had just slowed away a hearty
lunch. Photos were submitted to the LOG by Brother Palmer.
Ex-Seafarer Atkins Offers
Top Service In N.O. Hotel
To the Editor:
I am herewith enclosing an ap
plication for the privileg'c of hav
ing the LOG mailed to the An
chor Hotel each week. We wish
to place copies of the LOG in
our rooms for the benefit of^oui
guests, who ane predominatelv
SIU-SUP.
The balance are also AFL be
ing members of the Musicians
Union.
My wife and I were very sur
prised to read in the August 15
issue that some brothers had
• seen fit to write us up in the
Laying It On Thick
All set to give the bulkhead
a new coat of paint. Brother
Riley, AB, pulls his can of
paint onto the scaffold. Photo
was taken aboard the Earl A.
Bloomquist by Bud Walterman.
Thanks Men Who Gave
Blood To Brother Earth
To the Editor:
I wish to thank the members
of the Seafarers International
Union who donated blood to Wil
liam Barth, formerly Steward on
the SS City of Alma, who is now
in the Staten Island Marine Hos
pital.
Mrs. Peggy Barth
Philadelphia
LOG; however, the brother did
not sign his name and we would
like if possible to learn who he
is so we could personally thank
him.
After all, appreciation like that
makes us feel thankful that our
efforts to make the boys feel at
home while they are with us, are
not being wasted.
Incidentally, during the recent
Isthmian Strike we offered a 17t
bed rooming house complete with
a large kitchen to Bull Sheppard
and Buck Stephens for the strik
ers here in N. O.
GET SERVICE
Believe it or not, we offer the
following additional services to
Attention Members
Each man who makes a
donation to the LOG should
receive a receipt in return.
If the Union official to whom
a contribution is given does
not make out a receipt for
the money, call this to the
attention of the Secretary-
Treasurer. J. P. Shuler, im
mediately.
Send the name of the of
ficial and the name of the
port in which the occurence
took place to the New York
Hall, 51 Beaver Street, New
York 4, N. Y.
the SlU boys when they drop an
chor here:
1. Safety deposit—The boys
leave their papers, discharges
and money with us when they
payoff. They take out their
dough, so much per day.
2. No locked doors here—when
the boys hit the sack they do not
have to worry about being rolled
while asleep. They just clo.se
their screen doors and rest con
tented.
"3. No chippies—Chippies and
all parasites who pry on seamen
are absolutely barred; they are
not allowed inside the doors.
4. Promenade Deck—We have
beautiful patio containing an
18 foot awning, and 8 foot picnic
table, a barbecue pit, 18 banana
trees beaidng fruit, and a fish
pond complete with 68 goldfish.
Thanks again for the praise.
Scotty Aikins
Anchor Hotel
New Orleans, La.
LAHAINA VICTORY
MEN TAKES ISSUE
WITH SWAN CRITIC
To the Editor:
In the last LOG we read dated
July 18, there was a statement
by a fellow Union member of
the Robin Hood, which we of*^the
SS Lahaina Victory find to be
false.
Our brother member states
that the owner of the Swan Bar
in Beira sends out folders adver
tising his place as elegant and
de luxe. But it doesn't say that
the place is small and that the
owner will do small favors for
seamen, which he does.
Swan goes out of his way for
seamen. Everytime a new bunch
of LOGS arrive he takes them
down to our ship and it sure is
good to receive them.
We, the members of the crew
aboard the Lahaina Victory, feel
that if this fellow has a private
beef with Swan he should keep
it to himself. Swan has done
everything possible to make us
feel at home here in Beira. We
have been here five weeks now
and he has done us many favors
without receiving any compensa
tion.
We are all members of the
same Union and the crew of this
ship doesn't think it right to con
demn the place because it has
certainly given us a fair deal in
this town.
Eugene Dore,
Ships Delegate I
Quality Seamanship Called
Factor In Union's Strength
To the Editor: i know how to tackle it, thejy
! should ask the Bosun for advice
Probably "the most important' help, instead of saying to
factor giving weight to a nego-, ground for
tiating committees arguments next watch to take over.
for improved contracts is proof I , , . „ ,
' ^ u u- . When a deck man is called for
of an efficient membership cap-, , , . -, i watch, he shoulci report promptly
able ol performing a first-class • , , . , , . T . , and not hang extra work on ma
lob aboard ship. In that regard , . ^ , ° , .
, .u- I I .shipmates by making the men
there are .severed things which , , . on deck or the whe-tl wait until
1 should like to point out. , , . u , he gets ready to .show up.
Sanitary conditions are the;
• , , , TIT . 1,; Several .ciiggestion.s are in or-
first to be tackled. We must call: .u TP • i . * , ^ I der for the Engine department
a halt to some of the filthy condi-^ ^ , , , , . ,, .... .men, too. Wipers .should under-
tions in some-galleys ano effort . ...
. , . . , , stand that thev are not cadets,
must he put out to keep tno, .u i- i , , , ! Thev are there for any general
washrooms and the foe sles .spic, i ^ , .u , i work that is assigned, whether n
and span. These three places arc i. , . . .
,, , , . , , be cleaning, sougeeing, etc. If •
the keystone of our home at sea,^. . . ,
, ' , , , , , . , , . ' thev yvant to learn operatmna
and they should be kept looking
... ^ n . 1 they can go back to the engine
like a home. On tropical runs,! .u • rr
... I room on their time off on the
especiallv, .some messimoms are i . . ,
. ' , various watches,
in poor shape. i
This condition is due in large! LEARNED AND EARNED
1 know of several ambitious,
serious young Seafarers who
have come up that way. 1 recall
particularly one chaft a Wiper,
part to too much playing around
and not enough attention to
work. There is a time and place
for everything. In my opinion,
the good times are over and we | who years ago spent a great deal
ought to knuckle down. | of time in the engine room when
I he was free. He got all tne help
NOT FOR LOAFERS { and advice he wanted. Tocay he
In the deck department there •. sails as a Deck Engineer. Any
are some fellows who turn to guy with the desire and willing-
whenever they feel like it. This ness can do the same thing,
attitude must stop. You have a | There are cases where Fire-
job to do and are not supposed' men are not leaving their various
to act like a passenger. If a guy j stations clean for the next watch,
wants a real easj' life, 1 would! or the equipment in actual use,
suggest that he stay ashore. ^ like the burners and strainers,
Nowadays deck gang men .etc. Nor have some Oilers been
mut know their work. When they telling the relieving watch about
are assigned to a job and don't
PIONEER CREW
GOT QUICK ACTION
ON SHIP'S BEEF
To the Editor:
We, as a group, wish to thank
the New York Branch office for
the quick response and quick ac
tion we received on a beef that
existed on this ship during the
last trip, June 16 to Sept. 4.
We also wish to call attention
to the readers of the LOG that if
the general condition of the en
gine room, whether there is some
thing wrong with the equipment.
Do not leave your station and
let the ne.xt guy run around in
search of the trouble. Tell the
I engineer right away. This will
save the guys time and yvork.
BUILD TOGETHER
This Union was built "oy -.he
c-ooperative effort of all hands
and not by any single individuals.
That spirit must continue.. If yoa
happen to know more about your
particular job than the ne.xt man.
any of them put in at Montreal i your knowledge along. It'll
with any beefs, they should con
tact Gene Markey and his staff.
make it easier all around and
benefit v'ou. too.
as they will really take care of! By pitching in together, well
the matter without any question.^ I be developing a better qualified
or doubts. ! membership and consequently a
Crewmembers
SS Alcoa Pioneer
stronger SlU.
P. Podolsky
AT THE DOCK IN MASONLOC
This shot taken in Masonloc, P. 1. shows hand carts filled
with chrome ore being pushed to the Andrew Jackson, Water
man. Masonloc. which has one of the world's largest deposits of
chrome ore. is visited by a Waterman ship almost every week.
Photo was taken from the fantail of fhe Jackson by Jerry Pal
mer. Ship's Delegate.
fi-
-is
Page Ten THE SEAFARERS LOG Friday, September 26, 1947
1 I
(i
ON THIRD
BY PI^ENGHY MieHELET
The Building Superintendent's
desk here on the third deck is
a very hot corner, indeed.
Most of the members who hap
pen into the Hall in the course
of the day find occasion to trot
up here for some sort of service
or other, and we are consequent
ly in a position to get a line on
what's cookin' from the Indian
Ocean to the Bering Sea, so we
propose to pass it along to you
from time to time in these
columns.
For instance, Johnny Cowl,
connoisseur of fine liquors and
globe-trotter extraordinary, lug
ged in a pair of heavy bags the
other A.M. that awakened a host
of pleasant memories.
The bags were of the sturdy,
heavy leather kind that are of
fered for sale in the motley
bazaars of lower Calcutta. (It
still ain't kosher to bring in the
more attractive variety that fre
quent the incense-laden cribs of
the Princess Dock area, worse
luck!)
Johnny says that you can get
a good bag again for about fifty
rupees. So don't buy that keister
til you get around to making a
Bay of Bengal port, Joe.
While on the subject of the
fascinating Far East, does any
one know if the Japs knocked off
good old Sew-Sew who used to
lug her sewing kit aboard every
scow that made Singapore?
Sew-Sew darned more seafar
ing gear in her time than Jake
Kanil ever sold in his. She was
a right gal, if ever there was
one.
She was good for a double
sawbuck for any beachcomber
she knew. The real oldtimers
say she was around in sailing
ship days.
We can weU believe it, for her
wizened old puss suggests that
she might have been taking
hitches in Norsemen's dungarees
when Eric the Red was roving
the chartless seas.
GOOD DEAL
Brother Paul Hall called us
topside for a discussion about
the games and other services
rendered the membership on the
third deck, and he came up with
what we consider an excellent
suggestion for disposing of the
profits realized from the coke
machine and the soon-to-be-in-
staUed pin ball machine.
Henceforth, any profits arising
from the sale of articles on this
floor will be turned over to
Headquarters for distribution to
the men in the hospitals.
We think this an excellent
idea, and propose to make a reg
ularly weekly report of all mon
ies collected from here on out
in these columns.
Just about everybody up here
is beefing about the Taft-Hartley
Act and worrying about its ef
fect on us next year.
We think that labor would do
well to start the ball rolling for
revival of the OPA and use the
threat as a lever to pry some
concessions from the National
Assn. of Manufacturers which is
directly responsible for the pres
sure that resulted in passage of
the unworkable law.
If the NAM were forced to
choose between the T-H law and
revival of OPA, there's no ques
tion but that the monied interests
they represent would choose to
let the T-H mess slide.
The
Patrolmen
Say—
Credit Due
OARD IF if^
ONLV AIICGPT-/ J
WE WANT A
CoNTfV\CT/
Strike Clearances
All members are urged to
obtain strike clearance for
the period covered by the
Isthmian beef, at the earliest
possible moment. This ap
plies to all Seafarers whether
or not they participated in
the strike.
Clearance may be obtain
ed at any of the ports in the
Atlantic and Gulf District.
In New York, the commit
tee handling clearances is lo
cated on the 8th floor, 51
Beaver Street.
We of labor know that an open
shop is no shop at all. There
are too many freeloaders in the
industry to permit us to main
tain our hard-won gains under
the open shop. There are too
many guys with a let-George-do
it attitude to make the open
shop workable.
The Seafarers International
Union has considerably moi-e
than doubled seamen's wages
and immeasurably improved the
conditions under which they
work and live in its brief his
tory.
Every single improvement was
wrested from the reluctant ship
owner and anyone who main
tains otherwise is simply ignor
ing the evident facts.
Had the operator been per
mitted to follow his own inclin
ations, you would still be bat
tling cockroaches for a meager
share of mouldy food, bedbugs
for a squalid Bowcry-type flop,
and the whole damn world to
stretch your miserable $47.50 a
month pay far enough to pay
your family's way through it.
FINK HALL DAYS
The open shop means pre-SIU
conditions. The open shop means
a revival of the fink hall. And
do you know that, as late as the
thirties, the United States Gov
ernment was the biggest fink
herder of them all?
It was the US Shipping Board
which maintained a fink hall in
every port that was run by ship
ping masters who shipped you
only if you pieced him off with
a sawbuck, or came up with a
letter from some punk in the
operator's office.
No maritime union can sur
vive under an open shop. There
are enough renegade gashounds
in the social register alone to
man every ship afloat today.
The operators are ruthless and
plan to use those men to break
the spirit of any man who dares
stand up for decent wages and
conditions under the open shop.
It is up to us to devise ways
and means to maintain the clos
ed shop come 1948. One of these
ways that might well merit care
ful consideration by our top
labor officials is the threat of
the revival of the OPA.
BALTIMORE — For a long
time we have been giving the
striking shipyard workers at the
Bethlehem yards all of our sup
port. Now it appears that a
break is due in their three-
month old strike.
They really deserve credit for
sticking out their fight in the
manner in which they have. No
income and long hours of picket
duty sap the strength of the
strongest men, but these men
stuck it through.
The SIU membership in this
port turned several tricks on the
shipyard workers picketline. We
were after no glory or thanks
when we turned out_ to help
them — we were just doing a job
we would do for any honest trade
union having a beef.
WE'RE READY
If they don't wind up their
strikd in- the near future, as they
expect, we will turn out again
whenever they request assistance.
We cannot let brother unionists
fight a lone battle, as we're all
in this fight together.
We had the Alexander H.
Stephens, Bull Line, in this week.
At the payoff she spaikled like
a new penny, but according to
the crew she was really in sad
shape when they took over.
They worked hard and put it in
fine shape.
The crew itself was one of
the best I've seen. They were all
present and sober at the payoff.
Here's wishing them the best
in sailing.
Johnnie Hatgimisios
X X
Fine At Figures
NEW YORK — For over eight
months the SS Hilton, Bull Lines,
hauled meat between Argentina
and Spain. This week she fin
ally hit her home port for a long
awaited payoff.
Being away from U.S. ports
for the best part of a year, it
would be easy to expect a lot
of beefs and grievances but such
was not the case on the Hilton.
There were a few minor beefs
but nothing like we expected.
In the Stewards Department
(Continued on Page 11)
>13®
By JOSEPH VOLPIAN
Special Services Representative
From time to time, the Special
Services Department of the
Union receives inquiries regard
ing the various" privately man
aged group hospitalization plans,
with recommendations that the
Union investigate the advisabil
ity of enrolling the membership
as a unit.
In view of these inquiries, we
have made a rather careful study
of several of the prominent
group plans.
We have found that, as a
group, merchant seamen gener
ally would benefit less than other
workingmen by enrolling in
these plans, since seamen have
the use of the facilities of the
U.S. Marine Hospitals, which
include treatment as well as
hospitalization.
Although there is still room
for improvement of the services
offered to seamen by the Marine
Hospitals, what they offer is of
greater advantage than what
could be had from the group
hospitalization plan, where the
only possible attraction appears
to be the fact that the patient
can select his own hospital.
For the average non-seafaring
worker who does not have ac
cess to Marine Hospitals, the
private plan is something of an
necessity.
There are several striking com
parisons which serve to show the
Marine Hospitals as more suited
for the seamen, his pocketbook
and his needs.
HOSPITALIZATION IS COSTLY
For one thing, treatment in
the Marine Hospitals is absolute
ly free. The group hospital plan
costs approximately $18 a year
for each individual.
Moreover, a seamen patient
may remain in a Marine Hospital
as long as he is in need of hos-
pitilization, whereas group in
surance plans onjy cover sub
scribers for 21 days each year.
If their condition requires
Petrol Tanker Wage Stale
DECK DEPARTMENT
Rating Monthly Rate .of Pay
Boatswain $ 245.00
Carpenter 245.00
Storekeeper 220.00
Able Bodied Seamen 205.00
AB Maintenance Man 220.00
Ordinary Seaman 175.00
O.S. Maintenance Man 185.00
ENGINE DEPARTMENT
Rating Monthly Rate of Pay
Electrician $328.00
Chief Pumpman 285.00
Engine Maintenance 245.00
Engine Utility 220,00
Oiler 205.00
Fireman-Watertender 205.00
Wiper 195.00
STEWARDS DEPARTMENT
Rating Monthly Rate of Pay
Steward $265.00
Chief Cook 245.00
Second Cook 215.00
Galleyman : 175.00
Messman 170.00
Utilityman 170.00
OVERTIME
Men earning less than $210.00 $1.10 per hour
Men earning $210.00 and over $1.40 per hour
longer periods of hospitalization,
they must pay out of their own
pockets for each day over 21
days. And in these days almost
all hospitals charge at least $10
per day. In many cases these
sums would be prohibitive for
seamen.
In the Marine Hospitals, all
medical attention is provided
without cost, while the hospital
ization insurance does not in
clude doctor's fees, laboratory
and x-ray costs and other
charges, all of which must be
borne by the patient.
Nor is the unused tinle in each
year under the hospitalization
plan cumulative. In other words,
if during the first year a tnan
enrolled in the plan does not
enter the hospital at all, the 21
days are not added to the next
year's entitlement, 21 days being
the maximum allowed during
any one year imder any circum
stances.
TOP TREATMENT GIVEN-
Besides all these considerations,
seamen have complete access
to the entire facilities of the
Marine Hospitals, most of which
are equipped with the latest in
medical equipment and among
the first to adopt new, proven
methods of treatment.
All are adequately staffed with
top specialists in every field of
medical endeavor, who are called
in for consolation whenever nec
essary.
For similar service under the
private plan, services of similarly
qualified specialists would be
out of reach of the average
working man.
True, there are some com
plaints against Marine Hospitals,
principal of which is the one
stemming fi-om the rule that
men on the beach over 60 days
are sometimes excluded on the
grounds that they ai-e not active
seamen.
We expect this condition to be
corrected, however, by a bill
which is now before Congress.
The proposed bill will do away
with the time limit on discharges,
when a man can prove that his
occupation is that of a seaman.
Passage of the bill will remove
what is possibly the outstanding
beef of seamen against the Ma
rine Hospital setup.
As far as a comparison of ser
vices offered in the private hos
pitals with those of the Marine
Hospitals is concerned, there is,
in the main, very little difference
certainly none that would war
rant the seamen paying for what
they get free in -the government,
operated institutions.
COMPLAINTS ARE GENERAL
Complaints of unappetizing
foods being served cold is gen
eral, even in the best hospitals,
where the food is brought around
on tray-bearing wagons. Since,
quite naturally, sick people lack
good appetites, kicks about food
are registered in all hospitals.
Overall, then, the cost of sea
men for private hospitalization,
even under group plan, would
(Continued on Page 11}
Friday, September 26, 1947 THE SEAFARERS LOG Page Eleven
Let's Look
At The Law
(Continued from Page 10)
be so high that it would become
'impractical.
Considering that a seaman does
not work 12 full months of the
year, and that about 20 per cent
of his pay is reduced by taxes,
the added expense of hospital
insurance payments would work
a hardship on many of our
members.
Besides Wiey can get the very
same thing — and more — for
no charge.
A lull in .shipping would jeop
ardize subscriptions in the plan
because default of one payment
could cause the subscriber to
lose all ins benefits.
COST IS PROHIBITIVE
And were the Union to under
take to enroll the members.hip
in one of these hospitalization
plans and finance the costs, the
expenditure would be so great
a dram that dues would have to
be raised, thus rendering the
plan as of no practical value at
all.
This is not to say that the
hospitalization plans are not ef
fective forms of protection. They
are — but not for seamen. They
arc all right for the non-seafar
ing worker.
Summing up then, it appears,
that, despite the fact that there
is still much to be desii'ed in the
Marine Hospitals there is no
reason why the seamen should
junk its facilities and pay out
their hard-earned dough for
much less under private aus
pices.
If they did, the government
might feel that its responsibility
in providing treatment and care
for them is no longer necessary
and might move to withdraw its
."service.
Unclaimed Wages — Moran Towing Co.
17 BATTERY PLACE, NEW YORK
MV BALD HEAD
Victor Heintz 3.26
MV BLACK ROCK
Engel V. Hoff 7.46
Leslie E. Wing 1.40
Hildong Palmquist 93
Robert Coen 93
June Sandstrom 47
William F. Wells 3.73
George E. Bleigh 12.60
John F. Kozar 12.13
William G. Storms 13.0'
Gustaz Edel 12.60
Frank Woznik 12.60
MV CUBITS GAP
Gale Hanke 23.14
Brit G. Graham 94
Stanley K. Engleman 22.58
James A. Poweis 37.70
James H. Benjamin 3.89
John W. Tomich 15.12
Reuben R. Roth 38.42
Oscar Pooschke 22.26
Harry A. Noorigan 14.58
Gustaz A. Wirta 20.74
William Siegel 21.52
Lloyd W. McDonnell ......... 43.05
Manuel E. Gomino 22.42
Mate Konti 44.41
Gordon Jensen 22.58
Albert A. Hodgson 24.64
NOTICEI
SlU HALLS
JOHN WIIK
Contact R. F. Weaver, Paymas
ter, Overlakcs Freight Corpora
tion, 19 Rector Street, Room 700,
New York 4, N. Y. He has some
papers belonging to you.
i i
SB WACOSTA
Crewmembers from the
Wacosta, voyage of October
1941, to January 2, 1942, are re
quested to write to M. H. Con
nelly, 56 Atwood Street, Pi'ovi-
dence, R. I. This pertains to col
lection of war bonus for him
and other crewmembers of the
ship.
SS
18,
Chalmer E. Derrer 21.68
Edwin R. Beatty 32.06
Saul N. Golden 36.14
Cecil W. Brown 39.61
Donald L. Auman 22.98
Carl D. Walker 12.44
Kenneth L. Slusher 3.73
Joseph B. O'Gorman 14.28
Robert C. Blair 13.99
Elmore B. Travis 7.65
John P. Duncan 10.94
MV GAY HEAD
Earl B. Kinney 53.70
James F. Thrasher 57.45
Raymond F. Bade 57.29
Charles L. Hardin 51.14
Val A. Andrade 2.34
Roy Morris 56.65
Henry Daley G8.49
Roland E. Harris 61.78
Howard B. Dallman 59:69
William V. Campbell 51.14
Jim L. Schulz ..' 58.25
Richard E. Johnson 58.34
MONTAUK POINT
Ernest Miller ^ 46.82
Buerl Rollins 22.88
John McDaniells 47.90
William S. Sims 25.08
James T. Bradsher 23.44
James C. Powell 12.77
Olin T. Corbelt 16.10
Phil Acree ,. 1.99
Robert E. Able 14.32
James A. Fales 1.36
John Bradshaw 1.14
Lloyd M. Beale 1.14
Woodrow J. Downs 14.16
Norman Power 26.75
John Partyka 27.76
Hubert H. Keech 3t41
Russell Hopkins 6.02
Clarcnc.e Reynolds 4.58
Elmer G. Bowling 11.94
Dan W. McLendon 9.24
Eddis M. Jones 40.11
George Harris 15.60
Rudolph Kayfus 39.39
John G. Wattman 10.19
Dewey Bordeaux 41.00
William V. Rowe 5.31
ASHTABULA 1027 West Fifth St.
Phone 5523
BALTIMORE 14 North Gay St.
Calvert 4539
BOSTON 276 State St.
Boudoin 4455
BUFFALO 10 Exchange St.
Cleveland 7391
CHICAGO 24 W. Superior Ave.
Superior 5175
CLEVELAND ...1014 E. SL Clair Ave.
Main 0147
DETROIT 1038 Third St.
Cadillac 6857
DULUTH 531 W. Michigan St.
Melrose 4110
GALVESTON 308Vi—23rd St.
Phone 2-8448
HONOLULU 16 Merchant St.
Phone 58777
JACKSONVILLE 920 Main St.
Phone 5-5919
MARCUS HOOK W. 8th St.
Chester 5-3110
MOBILE 1 South Lawrence St.
Phone 2-1754
MONTREAL 1440 Bleury St.
NEW ORLEANS 339 Chartres St.
Magnolia 6112-6113
NEW YORK 51 Beaver St.
HAnover 2-2784
NORFOLK 127-129 Bank St.
Phone 4-1083
PHILADELPHIA 9 South 7th St.
LOmhard 3-7651
PORTLAND Ill W. Bumsido St.
Beacon 4336
RICHMOND, CaU; 257 5th St.
Phono 2500
SAN FRANCISCO 105 Market St.
Douglas 25475
SAN JUAN, P. R. • .252 Ponce do Leon
Sfln Juan 2-5996
SAVANNAH 220 East Bay St.
Plfone 8-1728
SEATTLE 86 Seneca St.
Main 0290
TAMPA 1809-1811 N. Franklin St.
Phoni M-1323
TOLEDO 615 SuiHmit St.
Garfirtd 2112
WILMINGTON 440 Avalcn Blvd.
Terminal 4-3131
VICTORIA, B.C. .....602 Boug^ton St.
GarJ«n SS3I
VANCOUVER ....144 W. Hagtings St.
Pacific 7824
Stewards Dept Responsibilities
On Board Passenger Vessels
(Continued from Page 3)
liness, tidiness, politeness and
cheerful smile are about all that
are required, and they make all
the difference in the world to
a passenger who has paid good
cabbage to get them and finds
them lacking.
The essence of good service is
the obvious desire to please
coupled with that personal pride
of manner that only comes with
the knowledge that you know
your job and no one can beat
you at it.
KEEP YOUR TEMPER
Of course, there are many
occasions when you need iron
self-control to keep your temper.
The old order of "the customer
is always right" is back again.
You will find passengers who are
arrogant, bullying, querulous, and
unreasonable, and even when
you ai'e completely in the right
it does you no good to blow your
top; in fact, you will find that
it pays good dividends to just
shrug your shoulders and walk
away, or, if it be very serious,
just go and get your Second
Steward.
You gain an unspoken vote of
thanks from your Chief Steward
for not having involved him. in
an 'incident'; you gain a pat on
the back from your Second Stew
ard who will mai'k you for pro
motion for your tact as a "good
steamboat man", you will gain
the sympathy of any other of
your passengers who are witness
to the incident, and, strange as
it may seem, you will more times
than not gain the eventual ad
miration of the passenger who
has insulted you, which will
take the form of either a com
plete apology or an extra large
tip at the end of the trip, which
from a person of that sort is his
way of saying "I'm sorry."
When you feel your temper
rising, count ten and remember
those clarion lines of Santayana,
"Perhaps the only true dignity
of man is his ability to accept
an unmerited rebuke."
SALESMEN OF SHIP
The success of any passenger
ship depends entirely upon hei
Stewards department who are
always the salesmen of the ship.
The finest food in ' the world
becomes a "mouthful of mould"
if it is served by a grouchy or
untidy waiter; the finest state
room afloat becomes an untidy
pig-sty if it is not cleaned up
eaily in the morning — and so
on right down the line to the
messboy who is always getting
the hell bawled out of him by
the crew for messing up a good
brew of coffee by not rinsing out
the coffee bag.
Again, remember we all sei-ve.
Serve cheerfully, serve cleanly,
serve willingly and thereby serve
yourself to extra cash and the re
spect of your Union, your ship
mates, the passengers and the
company.
(To Be Continued)
Joseph. L. Thomas 7.81
William Gorman 12.04
Alex Valinski 12.10
Claude O. Stroud 7.94
Melvin Hoy 7-49
Charles H. Jones 2.95
Benjamin Balcer 23.53
Robori James 2.18
Heal O. Meyer 8.64
Arthur Cummings Ji" 2.02
Patsy Franco 2.10
V/ill H. Bickford 49.28
Henry Frick 32.20
Corban M. McClure 2.62
William Lieberman 12.78
Ralph S. Sherratt 8.78
James E. Cobb 28.25
Jack B. Ritter 22.35
Norman Pratt 30.67
Junius H. Evans 18.71
James O. Dasher 16.85
Neal A. Greer 40.22
Herman Moore 30.65
John L. Sikes 66.71
James N. Willetts 32.03
J. W. Short 6.44
John H. Johnson Jr 10.57
Gunther Schlesinger 40.44
Lorie L. Owens 14.18
Arnold Krotenberg 17.04
James A. Sparrow 17.46
Weston B. Howe 5.70
Clyde Garner 25.67
William H. Vanderberg .... 3.93
Vic Milazzo 11.26
Martin Brabham 2.40
John L. Arnold 18.18
Allis T. Lovett 23.36
Fritz W. Brandenberg 1.53
Robei't Lynch 11.84
Henry E. West 2.85
James Harrell 2.77
Charles W. Bradley 44.22
James J. Bentley 5.31
Arthur M. Stever 5.51
Harry J. Miller 6.08
Dennis H. Brazell 1.29
Neil G. Shaw 49.21
Melvin E. Jones 10.61
Ralph Smith 2.62
Francisco Ramos 8.34
William R. Odom 1.88
Harold W. Simmons 8.36
J. R. Willetts 17.61
Hans Nermoen 88
Allen L. Bloom 6.12
William L. Smith 4.76
Robert E. Kennedy 3.20
Chorles Hansen 4.80
Charles M. Dowling 16.00
A1 Merlino 16.00
Jack Killman 38.94
Lawrence L. Dugan 1.34
Thomas Pitti 1.07
Robert W. Tatum 29.60
Kainith J. Lucas 21,87
James F. Gilbert 2.67
Harley Larson 20.80
J. A. Sharkey 22.00
Furman Harbson 3.20
Herman Moore 16.00
Sidney J. Muckenfuss 5.20
PERSONALS
TOM COLLINS
John Stone states he waited for
you at the Hall on Saturday.
Send pictures to him at 132 Fifth
Avenue, Brooklyn 17, N. Y.
TORN A.^HONTER
W. L. May has your billfold at
12th Street and Avenue A.
i i S.
ROBERT H. MAUPIN
You are requested to contact
Miss Marcella Yandt, 131 South
19th Street, LaCrosse, Wisconsin.
The Patrolmen Say—
{Continued from Page 10)
there was only one hour of dis
puted overtime. In the Engin»
Room there was a beef over the
Oilers cleaning the floor plates.
Both were settled.
Also in the Engine Department
there was a beef over the First
Assistant having the Wipers
working in the refigerator holds
without a Wiper left in the
Engine Room. For this the men
claimed 72 hours overtime and
collected.
BOOKS IN ORDER
The amazing thing about the
payoff was the manner in which
the Delegates kept track of the
months and months of overtime.
They did a fine job in all De
partments.
The Black Gang Delegate had
a secretary — one of the Oilers
kept his books in order and all
overtime was made up in a
manner that would make a
bookkeeping teacher bust hYS
buttons.
When overtime is as well item
ized and listed as it was aboard
the Hilton, a ship could be out
for ten years and the payoff
would be a simple matter.
The crew of the Hilton owae
their Delegates a real vote of
thanks for a fine job.
Here's a salute fi-om the Par
trolmen who paid off the ship,
we know a fine job when we
see it.
Jim Drawdy
Howard Guinier
Louis Goffin
Notice To All SlU Members
The SEAFARERS LOG as the official publication of the Sea-
taiecs International Union is available to aU members who wish
to have it sent to their home free of charge for the enjoyment ©f
their families and themselves when ashore. If you desire to have
the LOG sent to you each week address cards are on hand at every
SIU branch for this purpose.
However, for those who are at sea or at a distance from a SlU
hall, the LOG reproduces below the form used to request the
LOG, which you can fiU out, detach and send to: SEAFARERS
LOG, 51 Beaver Street, New York 4, N. Y.
PLEASE PRINT INFORMATION
To the Editor:
I would like the SEAFARERS LOG mailed to the
iddress below:
Name
Street Address
City State.„.
Signed
Book No.
Page Twelve THE SEAFARERS LOG Friday. September 26. 1947
Seafarer Retarns Home
After Year In Hellhole
(Ed. note: The life of a merchant seamen is never dull. His
experiences in the many ports of the world are often exciting,
sometimes harrowing. As a plain, honest-to-goodness working man
he often finds himself the victim of a maze of red tape and in
flexible laws, in the administration of which, in many nations,
sympathy is never a factor.
One such victim in the past year was a Brother from the SUP.
In April 1946 he shipped from the New York Hall as an AB bound
for a South American country, to see his wife and child.
At the first port of call in that country, he received permis
sion from the Skipper to visit them. His wife was ill when he
arrived.
On the way back to the ship, local police officers asked him
for credentials. All he had with him were his seaman's papers and
Ihe note of permission to leave the ship given him by the Skipper.
"Consequently, says the Brother, "I was charged with violat
ing the immigration laws and thrown in the clink for a stretch of
one year in the country's interior.
"I realize that ignorance of the law is no excuse, so I took my
medicine without beefing," he said in a letter to New York SUP
officials.
Last week, his penalty completed, the Brother arrived in New
York. One of the letters written in the last days of his confinement
is published below, with his permission.)
In this very moment, I'm writ-t
VEPC^/
rrii ^ V.ll 111 kV • • I •.,_
By J. P. SHULER. Secretary-Treasurer
Books and Permits
I Good old "Sol" finally dhsap-
pear.s behind the horizon and
then tranquility reigns within
within the jungle lands of jthe.se prison jungles—not a word
miles and kilometers apart from is uttered, because it is a crime
seaports or coasts.
ing this letter by the flame of a
candle — here electricity is un
known. The prison is situated
Gathered around me are curi
ous native inmates watching me
like vultures while I'm writing
these strange words in English.
to one another after
crime punishable with
to speak
dark—a
the lash*
Beds with mattresses are un-
I known—the deck with a bamboo
the vessels now contracted to the
two candles per night. When they
burn out, your books die out al
so. I still have a candle and a
half to go before I complete this
j letter of misery,
i During the long weary nights,
I one has plenty of miserable com-
I pany to contend with—lice and
jlice, more contemptible lice, and
i more.
I I'd rather serve five years in a
I pen in the good old United States
j than to serve one year here with
j these hoi-rible lice. One spends
I the night, not in the arms of
They are harmless enough when! Morpheus, but with handsful of
not aroused, but beware when | g''Jddam, biting lice—they appear
they're arousedl '
I'm carrying a knife wound | My entire body reveals the
from one of these so-called harm- i horrible experience of this jungle
less indians but what's a scar be
tween ainigos in the same pris
on yard.
Here one must learn to bear
hardships with a false smile; here |
one must be patient and under- j
standing; in short, one must be a ,
fatalist — or else the "prison;
bulls" will swoop down like;
hawks and make short order of
one.
Our meals, or slo'^ps. consist of
rice and a variety of rotten ox-
head; in the morning a cup of
so-called "cafe" with a ball of
rice. From six to twelve, work
(without the dear old coffee-
time) .
Cutting down bamboos, sugar
cane and palms; slave until ex
haustion overwhelms the body,
but the slave-driving bulls revive
one with a bucket of .scummy
water, and at times, with a kick
here in the interior.
As you know I am married to
I a girl hero. She is very loyal
'and pleasant; every month she
visits me in this hell-hole; she
travels three days by muls and
carries with her cigarettes and
necessities for me.
My wife is smuggling this letter-
out for me, because if the auth-
in the ribs — all depending onjorities here translate this letter.
As per recommendations made
in the last Headquarter:; Report
and concurred in by the member
ship on a coastwise basis, the
books will be opened beginning
September 25 for new members.
Since the permit .system has
been inaugurated, there have
been 12,000 permits issued. The
last check-up taken on book
members showed just a little
bbtter than 12,000 book members
in good standing.
There are not enough book
members to man all the jobs on
the vessel now contracted to the
SIU. A few book members were
taken in fi'om the Isthmian fleet
after they had signed the interim
agreement.-
The number of books issued
should be held to a minimum in
order to insure jobs for all men
holding books;
To make this possible, all
members should take the jobs
off the shipping board so that
permits will not have to be is
sued indiscriminately.
At this time no .permit men
can be reinstated after he is 3
months in arrears in dues and
assessments. Such a rule is build
ing our Social Register im
mensely.
Therefore, it is recommended
that the limit put on permit men
should be six months in arrears
in dues and assessments.
Buildings and Halls
At the last regular meeting,
the membership went on record
to purchase a new building in
the Port of New Orleans. We
now have an old building there
which does not have adequate
facilities to take care of the
membership in that port.
The new Hall will be purchas
ed before the next regular meet
ing. The Agent in that Port is
looking around so as to make
a good sale on the old building
before disposing of it.
The building in Mobile has
been purchased by the Union as
per the membership's wishes.
The membership committee
in that port. The prospective
building there is being investig
ated and further details will be
given to the membership at a
later date.
Performers
Performers in this Organiza
tion are not only bringing the
Union to ill-repute aboard ves
sels, but also a financial burden
to the Organization.
For example, the incident that
happened in the New York Hall
with one performer who has
been kicked out of the-Union
caused quite a disturbance, and
also brought about legal ex
penses which will cost a consid
erable amount of the member
ship's money before it is fin
ally settled.
All members should be on the
lookout for such characters and
they should be eliminated from
the Organization before they
have a chance to cause as much
friction as was brought about
by this incident.
Television
Installing the television set
apparently is not as simple as
it seemed. However, the set that
the membership went on record
to buy for the New York Hall is
now in the Union Hall and will
be installed before tly? next reg
ular meeting.
Negotiations
Negotiations are going on with
several new companies which
will not be mentioned here for
obvious reasons; but as soon as
they are completed, a report will
be made to the membership.
The Negotiating Committee for
the Union is now meeting with
Isthmian Steamship Company
and although negotiations are
going along very slowly, an
agreement should soon be reach
ed with Isthmian Steamship
Company. As soon as the gen
eral l ules are completed we will
get down to departmental work
ing rules.
The St. Lawrence Navigation
Company and the Crosby Trans
portation Company are still box
ing the compass, but a little job
action will take care of that
matter and bring them around
to see the light.
He's An Isthmian Authority
After Three Years In Fleet
Six ships and three years of
sailing Isthmian makes Eddie
Ditmars an authority on the sub
ject of organizing.
This week he hit New York on
the Steel 'Vendor, due to payoff
in Philadelphia next week, and
came up with some observations
he has made during his long, and
sometimes discouraging, career
as a volunteer SIU organizer.
Sailing as Carpenter, Brother
Ditmars compared the conditions
on his first ships with those
aboard the Vendor. The Vendor-
was clean and the payoff is ..ex
pected to come off without any
trouble. The Skipper was a fine
guy and even had a few words
from Philadelphia has recom- of praise for the SIU men aboard.
mended that a Hall be purchased
their moods.
They would have made fine
I will be hanged at sunrise and
shot sundown; consequently
material for the Nazis — cruel,! .she is sending it to you on the
unmerciful, ruthless and ignor- QT. ,
ant brutes. j I'm leaving this hole in a few
Twelve o'clock finally drifts days; my wife shall escort me to
around; two bells bang, and alii and there I shall part
hands drop their tools with an-1 from her for a period of a year
imalistic delight and rush for and a half — that's my orders
their portions of slops—rice and from the authorities. My candle.
'the inevitable ox-heads. faithful old candle, is about to
Frankly I, too, eat with gusto, pass out, so I'll end my letter,
because hunger is a horrible | Within three weeks I'll be see-
pain—one cannot afford to be , ing you in person at the Hall; I
ritzy in this God-forsaken jungle
of the living dead—a penal col
ony similar to Devil's Island in
Venezuela.
am desperately anxious for a
ship, any ship even the Katrina
Luckenback with "Pineapple
Joe."
Frisco Baggage
The USS club in San Fran
cisco will soon close. Seafar
ers who have baggage there
are urged to claim it as soon
as possible.
Baggage which was check
ed before August 1st, 1946
has been disposed of; that
checked since that date,
either at the club at 439
JMarket Street, or in the Lin
coln Hotel is now at the bag
gage room of the Lincoln
Hotel, 115 Market Street.
The baggage now being
held must be claimed by
October 1st and if not claim
ed by that date it will be
stored in the Army-Navy
YMCA, 166 Embarcadero, at'
the regular baggage checking
rate.
In contrast to the early days
of organizing, sailing an Isthmian
ship is not too difficult nor does
it entail the sacrifices which
marked the early days of the
campa-ign.
Naturally, some of the change
is due to the fact that the SIU
became the recognized bargain
ing agent and later the holder of
a contract with the company; but
too, some of the change. Brother
Ditmars feels, is due to the fact
that Union men aboard the ships
conduct themselves much better
than the men hired from gin
mills and off the piers.
SIU MEN DEPENDABLE
The SIU men aboard the ships
were always dependable and
knew {heir jobs. Ditmars noticed
that the officers became accus
tomed to telling an SIU man
what he wanted done and let him
go ahead with the task. Others,
he stood over until they finished
the job.
Before the ship left the U.S.
the Skipper hired three guys out
EDDIE DITMARS
of the shipyard as Ordinary sea
men. They had never been to
sea before and the.y soon showed
their worth. They didn't know
the first thing about working on
deck and naturally, the bulk of
the work was thrown on the rest
of the men. The Captain learned
a lesson on that score.
He told Ditmars that Union
crews were okay with him as
long as reliable men were sent
to the ship. Ditmars informed
him that all union men are re
liable.
To that the Captain had no
reply inasmu-." as at the mom
ent he was looking at the three
hopeless guys he had hired.
With the progress already
made aboard Isthmian vessels,
Brother Ditmars feels it won't be
too long before these vessels will
rank among the best.
If that is true, the Union has
men :;uch as Eddie Ditmars to
thank tor it. Three years and six
Isthmian ships is a record any
organizer can be proud of and
one that is hard to beat.