Seafarers Log: Vol. 1 No. 3 (1939-02-24)

-V

The Seafarers' Log
Official Organ of the Atlantic and Gulf Seamen
Seafarers' International Union of Noi^h America

BROTHERHOOD

OF THE

SEA

VOL. I. NEW YORK, N. ¥., FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1939 •J(KI No. 3

NEW CLOSED SHOP AGREEMENT
SIGNED WITH SAVANNAH LINE
NMU Officials Exposed

By Auditing^ Committee
Rank and File Take It On The Chin; Offiieals Charged

With Inefficiency, Gross Neglect, and Mishandling
of Funds.

In the NMU "Pilot" of January
27. there appeared a most illuminat­
ing and significant financial analysis
of the Atlantic District and the Na­
tional Council under the heading:
"Monthly Auditing Committee Sub­
mits Report."

In presenting their report, the
Committee disclosed the fact that,
despite the NMU's constitutional
provision for a monthly audit by an
elected membership committee, they
were the first committee to serve
in such a capacity for well over five
months. Apparently Curran and his
clique of claquers operate on the
now-famous McKes.son & Robbins
business principle of "the less you
audit the books, the less you have
to audit."

The Auditing Committee bluntly
accuses their recently elected offi­
cials of deliberately ignoring the
by-laws of the Constitution, of gross
incompetence and negligence, and
even further, of wilfully concealing
vital information regarding the fi­
nancial structure of the Union from
the membership. Figures are quoted
tn their report which prove beyond
question that the NMU is not only
rotting away financially, but is ac­
tually tottering on the brink of
biinkruptcy.

Indebtedness Increases
The Committee reveals that, de­

spite pre-election promises of rigid
economy, the present body of of­
ficials has succeeded in red-inking
the books to the tune of $5,507 per
month, or, since their election a
brief five months ago, have plunged
the Union $27,537 further into debt.

"-The actual total indebtedness of the
National Council and the Atlantic
District as submitted by the Audit­
ing Committee was $45,465 as of the
date of their report.

In further analyzing this appal­
ling itidebtedness, the Committee
asserts that the cause is not dif­
ficult to discover. In their own
words: "It is a story of how pie-
cards are willing to let the financial
structure of tlie Union rot away as
long as they collect their forty and
forty-five dollars per week. ... It
means that the officials in charge
of finances never assumed the re-
sponsibilitiy of reducing expenses or
that they are incompetent." This
rather damning statement of fact
sits "No-Coffee-Tlme" Joe Curran,
whose "Just wait till I'm elected"
promises have proven so many idle
boasts, and his retinue of stooges,
plump on the needle-pointed horns
of a dilemma—either they own up
to their own inability to handle
their jobs, or they admit to an un­
forgivable lack of responsibility
where the membership's welfare is
concerned. Well, Joe and Company,
which is it?

Phoney Purchasing
, The Auditing Committee then
proceeded to the next item in their
report, viz., "Purchases." They suc­
ceeded in unearthing some rather
interesting facts concerning

J. Innes, Jr., former Purchasing
Agent of the NMU. Although they
could not discover exactly how
Innes rose to the pie-card heights
of "General Purchasing Agent," the
Committee did find convincing evi­
dence that, as is the nature of most
purchasing agents, Innes was buy­
ing Union necessities from mer­
chandisers who suited his fancy for
some unknown (?) reasons, despite
the fact that in almost every in­
stance a much lower bid could have
been obtained elsewhere. Compara­
tive prices are submitted in this re­
port which show, if not actual dis­
honesty, at the very least, incom­
petence of a sort meriting instant
discharge. On several items pur­
chased by Innes from the Signal
Printing Company, bids of at least
$3.00 per 1000 cheaper were ob­
tained by the Committee from other
firms.

. Ill addition, Innes had compiled a
purchasing catalogue for the use of
Agents in ordering supplies; the
Committee discovered that the
Union had been paying for vari­
ous items a price much higher than
even that listed in Innes' catalogue!
And when forced to the wall by the
insistent questioning of the Commit­
tee, Innes changed his story several
times. When pressed by the Com­
mittee about a particular printing
job he had placed with the Signal
Printing Co., Innes claimed that the
Goodman Press (who had been
previously contracted to do the
work, but Innes had cancelled the
order) had submitted a higher bid
than the Signal Printing Company.
But contrary to Innes' statement,
the Goodman Pre.ss told the Audit­
ing Committee that they had not

(Continued on Page 4)

COMMUNISM IS
FOSTERED BY LEWIS,
SAYS HOMER MARTIN

Crew Relates
Their Story of

Conditions
Hard Boiled Skipper Tells

Crew Company Controls
Giilf.

SS West Kyska,
Tampa, Fla.

February 13, 1939.
Greetings:

Have just finished reading your
February 10 issue of THE LOG. It
is as fine a publication os any labor
organization ever published. Hav­
ing just arrived from across, after
two months, we did not know what
the situation was, but we have
learned all we wanted to know by
reading THE LOG.

We had some beefs aboard, and I
would like to state them. We sailed
from Mobile for Halifax, N.S., on
December 4, and when we tned to
get some woolen underwear and sox,
we were told that there was no
underwear, and only two pairs of
sox in the slop-chest. The fore­
castle houses eight men, and there
is only one heater, and it throws lit­
tle or no heat. The fans are falling
apart, and they turn at the rate of
about three revolutions per minute.
Four of us have to put our clothes
into oilskin lockers, as they are the
only lockers left. Tlie bulkheads are
crummy, and the mate wanted us
to soogey on our own time, which
we said we would do if we were
paid seventy cents an hour. He de­
cided to let them stay dirty. The
drinking water is full of sediment
from the tanks, and needs to be
fixed. In England, the steward or­
dered some stores, which the skip­
per neatly cut in half. We got
about $47.00 worth of stores to last
to the first port. We ran out of
onions two days out of Cardiff, and
potatoes ten days out. There has
been a real shortage of grub and
linen. My linen is over two weeks

(Continued on Page 4)

Seeks Destruction of Auto
Workers, He Charges.

DETROIT, Feb. 22.—According to
Homer Martin, President of one
faction of the United Automobile
Workers, in a radio addess, John
L. Lewis, head mogul of the CIO,
is trying to destroy the union in
the interests of Communism.

Mr. Martin declares: "Lewis has
linked himself with the official
Communist Party and allowed a
completely organized official Com­
munist program to be followed as
a means of destroyhrg the autonomy
of the UAW."

He further stated that the Com­
munists had seized control of the
American Communications Asso­
ciation, Steel Workers Organizing
Committee, Textile Workers, Fur
Wqrkers, and the National Mari-

e Union.

NOTICE!
TO ALL AGENTS:
VuU are hereby advised not to

ship any SIU Cooks and
Stewards, or Engine Depart­
ment men on West Coast ships
unless they are fully protected by
a first class rider on the articles.

If they are forced, for one rea­
son or another, to leave a ship
on the East Coast before they
have completed at least one
month's employment, they shall
be paid wages for one month,
plus first class transportation
and subsistence back to the port
of signing on.

If they are forced to leave the
ship on the West Coast, for any
reasons beyond their control, they
shall be paid the sum of $125.00,
cash for wages, transportation
and subsistence.

All Agents arc instructed to
pay strict attention to this mat­
ter, and not to allow SIU
Cooks and Stewards and Engine
Department men to ship on
West Coast vessels without thdhe
riders.

Substantial Gains Secured For All
Departments — All Hiring To Be

Through Union Halls Exclusively TT®-: i

The new agreement with the Ocean Steamship Company 11
of Savannah (Savannah Line) wa.s signed this week, incorporat­

ing the changes made in the first draft of the contract, asked for

by the membership.
The new contract embodies a complete closed shop, hiring

^through the Hall, overtime, safety
conditions, nine holidays, room and
meal allowance, first class transpor­
tation and subsistence when travel­
ing, and raises in pay for some
members of the steward's depart"-""'

Baltimore
Port Council

Is Formed
To Adopt Plans for Unified

Action in Future. All
Cooperate.

The local Branch of the SIU here
in Baltimore is going ahead with

ment and engine department. The
agreement is to remain in effect
until February 1, 1940.

Overtime is to be paid for all
work performed, in all ports, on Sat­
urday afternoons, Sundays and holi­
days, with a few minor exceptions
in the steward's department, re­
garding arrival and departure days,
on passenger vessels. For instance:
If a ship sails on a Saturday after-

the work of getting representatives the mem-
, hers of the stewards department

of the Longshoremen, Mates, Engl- 3^^,,

hours, with overtime for work in
excess of that period. On days of

neer.s, Radio Operators, Towboat-1
men. Freight Handlers, Warehouse­
men, Tiuck Drivers, Teamsters, Har­
bor Workers, Watchmen. Shipyard
Workers, Checkers, Fishermen, and
all others conceimed, together for
the purpose of setting up a Port
Council of organizations who will
work with each other, and go down
the line with their brothers in the
marine field, when assistance Is
necessary. Due to the active work
of the Branch here, the first meet­
ing of the Council is scheduled for |
Friday, February 24, at which meet­
ing it is hoped we will be able to
elect officers, "and draw up a ixjllcy
for future action.

Organization of the Fishermen is

aiTival they will be required to al­
low one hour to care for the dis­
embarking of passengers, except on
a southbound arrival In New York,
when they will be allowed overtime
for all work performed In excess of
eight hours. On freight vessels, all
work performed by the stewards de- ^
partment, while in port, on Satur- j
day afternoons, Sundays or holidays /
shall be paid for at the regular '
overtime rate. No painting is to be
done by members of the steward's
department.

In the Engine Department, on
vessels arriving in port on Satur­
day afternoon, Sundays or holidays,
overtime shall commence when the
"finished with engines" bell is rung,
and will cease one hour prior to the
time the "ahead" or "astern" bell a tough problem here, due to the

^ , , , . is rung. Upon arrival in Savannah, fact that headquarters of these !
gi'ossly underpaid and victimized
brothers is at Cambridge, on the
Eastern Shore, and a Union dele­
gate would be as popular in Cam­
bridge as Hitler would be in the
Bronx. However, we're after them,
and although it looks like a tough
road ahead, we've traveled over
other tough roads, and got there
just the same. It may throw some
light on the fishermen picture,
when we tell you that the gentle art
of the "Shanghai" is still practiced
occasionally on these boats, when it
becomes necessary.

Although action on the Marine
Hospital business is stalled tempo­
rarily, we are not forgetting It, and
have done enough, so far, to in­
sure the seamen getting In there
when he feels like it, and staying
in there until he gets "ready to leave.

Shipping is good along this water­
front, and the A. B.'s around here
are getting so choosy, that the ship­
owners claim.' it is harder getting
A.'vB.'s than it is to get mates or
skippers. Three former NMU ships
sailed only the beginning, boys,—
only the beginning!

Ship From the Union Hall.
Defeat The Fink Hails.

members of the engine department,
with the exception of donkej'men
shall not he required to work later
than 12:00 Noon; arid while laying
in that port, shall not be required
to work later than 3:00 PJM. Don-
keymen may have the option of ro­
tating their position by requesting
a relief from the officer in charge.

Duties of each rating of the un­
licensed personnel are clearly out­
lined, thus preventing them from
having to do work they are not
supposed to perform.

In the Deck Department, all work
performed in port on Saturday af­
ternoons, Sundays and holidays is
overtime, and shall be paid for at
the regular rate. When watches are
broken in port, the sailors' working
hours will be between 8:00 A.M. and
5:00 P.M., and all work in excess
of that will be paid for as overtime.
This applies to all ports. Gangway
watches on Saturday afternoon,
Sundays and holidays shall be con­
sidered overtime. No work is to be •
performed at sea after 5:00 PUL.
or before 8:00 AJM.. with the ex­
ception of work incident to the safe
navigation of tlie vessel. When
working overtime, and the crew I3
knocked off for two hours, or less,"
the overtime will be continii^if
straight through. When the watcb

(Continued on Page Four)



fHE SEAFARERS' LOG Friday^ Fdbrntey 24^193^9

Published Weekly by
SEAFARERS' INTERNATiONAL UNION

OF NORTH AMERICA
Affiliated with the American Federation of Labor

0
HARRY LUKDEBERG, Acting President
11 Steuart Street, San Francisco, Callt

—-u-
ROBERT P. WEAVER, Editor, Pro-Tem

o

New Yoric

Atlantic District
HEADQUARTERS

.,2 Stone Street

B(»ton
Providence
Phiiadelphifc
Baltimore
Norfolk

BRANCHES
.1 Rowes Wharf

.,465 So. Main Street
6 North 6th Street

San Juan, Puerto Rico

JS12 East Pratt Street
..307 East Main Street

9 Comercio Street

New Orleans

Gulf District
HEADQUARTERS

-509 Chartres Street

Savannah -....
Jacksonville
Miami
Tampa
Mobile
Galveston —
Hou.ston

BRANCHES
...218 East Street

..111 Bay U'^eet
-509 N. B. First Aven-

206 Franklin Street

Detroit

Great Lakes District
HEADQUARTERS

,.55 So. Conception Street
-318% 23rd Street
1407—75th Street

-1038 Third Street

ADDRESS ALL CORRESPONDENCE CONCERNING THIS
PUBLICATION TO:

"THE SEAFARERS' LOG"
P. O. Box 522 Church Street Aunex

New York, New York

is
i
V

Tampa Agent Accuses Local
fj. S. Inspectors oj ISeglect

- SS West Kyska Crew Takes Action to Force Improve­
ments on Ship.

The following is a self explana­
tory letter which has been sent to
the U. S. Department of Commerce
at Washington, D. C.; from Tampa,
Fla.;

- Dear Sirs:
As Agent of this Branch of the

Seafarers International Union, I
have been instructed by my mem­
bership to inform you of the fol­
lowing facts, and request you to
Investigate the Local Inspectors here
in Tampa.

On February 13, 1939; we had a
Ship, SS West Kyskf,, here, and the
crew had several complaints to reg-

. ister with the Local Inspectors,
namely:

1. not

6.

The Slop Che.st was
properly equipped.
Not enough heat in the
foe's'les when the ship was
in the North Atlantic. -
Drinking water v/as bad.
Steering engine ' had no
guard rail, and she threw
oil, making it dangerous to
oil and clean up when the
ship underway.
Foe's'les awash in heavy
weather.

Plus several other minor items
that needed looking into.

I took the representatives the
crew had elected up to the Inspec­
tor's oiBce. We started to tell him,
and ask him to come down to the
ship and look her over, and he cut
us off short.

Captain Blair, your Local Inspec­
tor, said for us to go serve aifadav-
its, etc., and then he would consider
them.

We received no satisfaction al
all. We went to the local Commis­
sioner, and he told the men to
swear out affadavlts also. He in­
ferred, while telling the men, that
if they were wrong they would
perhaps lose their Certificates of
efBciency.

In the face of all this opposition
from men who are supposed to rep­
resent all the people of the United
States, and not a few, we decided to
try to get some satisfaction from
you, and the Port of Mobile, where
the ship is headed,

as Agent for the SIU, and
Kfsjpfesenting the seamen, 1 was

fS aboard the SB Glare, a Bull Line

ship, and found a foc's'le with bunks
three high. I looked the law up
(Section 4, USC 80) which said the
bunks should not be more than
three high. I Irmnedlately called
Captain Blair and informed him
of the fact. He said that I had
better take it up with the Port
Captain of the Company, an dad-
vised me I was butting my head
against a wall.

I would appreciate some clari­
fication on these matters. Also, does
a man not have to have six months
sea service before he is eligible for
a Certificate of Efficiency?

Yours truly,

JOHN GUNNISON, Agent,
SIU of NA, Tampa.

Elsewhere in these columns is
printed a letter received from the
crew of - the SS West Kyska, in
which they explained the deplorable
existing conditions on this vessel.
On top of that, they had to put up
with a hard headed skipper, who
apparently thinks that he is back
in the old sailing ship days. As we
see it, the SS West Kyska is an out­
standing example of what a ship
should not be, and it Is indeed high
time that the Inspectors pay a little
heed to the men who are forced to
sail under such conditions, and npt
work entirely for the benefit of the
shipowner^.

NOTICE !
It has been called to the at­

tention of New York Headquar­
ters that several members, upon
paying dues or Initiations, have
been issued ordinary receipts for
same.

Vou are hereby instructed to
insist upon the issuance of reg­
ular oflleial receipts, with the
name of the Seafarers' Interna­
tional Union. imprinted thereon,
and also bearing a printed num­
ber, when paying dues or initia­
tion fees.

If any members have been
given alky other than the regu­
lar official printed receipts for
monies paid, kindly forward
them to New York Headquarters
at once, so that they may be
thoroughly checked Into.

BOSTO
News Bits

Cn the 88 "Harry Allan," owned
by the Poeahantas Coal Company,
and manned by a NMU crew, —
the NMU pulled the whole stew­
ard's department off this ship be­
cause Qiey claimed that they had
been on there too long. They had
had one year of continuous service.
.... such Utiioi\ism!

SS "Pan Atlantic" of the Water­
man Line. The crew of this vessel
were rather worried when a beef
came up on this ship last month,
and when a local patrolman pre­
sented the beef to the master, and
after considerable trouble was able
to adjust it satisfactorily., the crew
expectg^ that the master would take
it out on them after the ship left
Boston. One member of the crew
was so certain that this would hap­
pen that he made a bet that there
would be a number of new faces
«..-ong the crew on this vessel when
it r,-'-'.u-ned to Boston. When the
patrolmrn visited the ship upon its
return to Boston last week, he
found that t'^ere was not one new
face among th crew. The maker
of the bet paid oL happily!

The NMU boasts c' a member­
ship of 51,000. Howevei, according
to their own recent survey, they
have only 21,000 in all departments.
They still conveniently forget, Low-
ever, that some 15,000 of their mem­
bers haven't paid any dues for the
past five months.

Agent Johnny Mogan went to
Portland last week to settle a few
beefs on the Range Line ship, "Ool-
abee." AH beefs were settled to the
complete satisfaction of the crew,
who gave him their full coopera­
tion. Due to this fine coperation
on the part of the crew he was also
able, after a day of negotiating with
the master, to have him sign an
agreement whereby the crew of this
ship is to be paid collier wages
while she is sailing in the coal
trade. These Range Line ships are
being gradually worked into line
and if we keep it up, they will
eventually be good 4,obs.

At the last meeting, Brothers
Rock, Jayues and Smith, the men
who shipped on the Seaboard Navi­
gation ship, "Kennebec," to try to
organize this Vessel, explained the
situation on these ships to the
memberslnp. These brothers were
discovered by the company loo soon,
and were discharged from the ship
before they had much of an op­
portunity to get in much good work
We were forced to bring the case
before the NLRB, and take action
against this company before we
were really ready for it. However,
we have been assured of plenty of
booperation, and we feel that we
can win this fight even if we have
had to start when we were in a
position less strong that we would
have liked to have had ourselves

Nine men were shipped to the
"White Boats," last Thursday. "Red
Shirt" Haynes, ""sailed the .ship,"
before he went aboard, and bought
the boys a round of drinks.

Shipping is still slow, as is usual
in this port at this time of the year
There are now 143 men on the
beach. Boston Correspondent

H. Heitzman

>t^ Its they wlsli to have double
thne for Sundays and holidays the
year round. In their next greement.

Merchant and Miners ships run­
ning here are short a utility man
in th® Stewards Department, and
the men in those ships want an ex­
tra man in the galley.

Also, there has been a pracike,
lately, for Merchant and Miners
men to quit in Norfolk late at night,
and have a replacement ship from
the dock after the "lall closes. The
men in the M & M ships are be­
ginning to see the fact that they
are the Union, and that the Union
is not a thing apart, as they have
been led to believe.

Several tanker men have visited
us this week, and want to know
our position in case they go out on
strike in the Spring. Rumors have
been spread around that we are go­
ing to fink on them. We have as-
sui-ed the brothers from the Gulf
that the Seafarers' International
Union is not going to fink on any­
one, and that we are a Trade Union,
not a fink agency!

The Lightbui-ne is having part of
her cargo salvaged by Merritt,
Chapman and Scott. It is said that
her hull is undamaged. She is lying
on the bottom, wtih a slight port
list, and is submerged to her after
boat skids. Her forecastle head is
clear.

Divers are working in the upper
harbor searching for a sawed off
gun, with which "Manila" Rowley
shot Hugh King last week. King is
in the hospital in a serious condi-
liion. his right leg having been am­
putated on account of gangrene set­
ting in. Rowley is held for trial on
Febriiary 24. on two counts of at­
tempted murder, and is under $10,-
000 bail.

We are receiving inquiries about
the Seafarers' International Union
from many old timers, and several
of them, each week, signify their
intentions of going with us. We will
have enough to man the new Marl-
time Commission ships as they are
built.

News Items

Providence
JSotes

February 20.—We are receiving
calls for coal-burning firemen (col-
oi'cd) who are citizens. All colored
firemen who-liave only first papers
have been advised to get their final
papers as soon as possible, as there
is a shortage of coal-burning fire­
men here.

Shipping has been slow here this
week. Shipped 2 A.B.'s and 4 Fire­
men, but no stewards, to outside
ships, and 18 men to stand-by jobs.
The New Bedford, Naushon and
Martha's Vineyard each taking six
men for stand-by work. The Nap-
tucket continues running with a
double crew. Vacations on the
Comet of the Colonial Line will start
March 1, Colonial Line members

- W'-T-... .
i

I

PHILADELPHIA. - Congratula­
tions on the maiden voyage of the
new Seafarers' Log! May its voyage
be profitable to us, ahd we all hope
that the quarteimasters keep it on
a true course.

After being cooped up, in the old
snake ranch we had for .a Hall at
102 North Sixth Street, we feel that
we are finally -traveling fir-st cabin
in our new Hall at 6 North Sixth
Street. A new start in a new Hall,
nie snakes infesting the old ranch
are no longer with us, and that
makes the air around here much
cleaner now.

The membership here has taken
a kicking around in the number of
agents we have had,—an average
of one. a month for the past three
months. However, we are fortunate
in that they were a-H A No, 1. More
power to them all. Johansen is in
Detroit, organizing the Lakes, and
Sullivan is Third Mate on the Presi­
dent Garfield,-good luck to both

1)f them! At present R. A. Reddls is
in command of the ship, and we
hope that this present voyage is
both long and successful.

The Merchant and Miners outfit
is'still giving trouble. They are tak­
ing advantage of eve.ry loop-hole on
the old phoney contract. It ha.s
been rumored that they are collect­
ing a new bunch of farm hands and
plow jockeys, and are herding thorn
aboard the Essex here in Philadel­
phia. It has also been whispered
that the officers, and not the un­
licensed personnel, voted on the
present contract. We wonder how
much truth there is in that rumor?
However, Reddle and Collins are
both going to do all that is possible
to straighten this outfit out.

Shipping has been pretty slow
here in Phllly. siiould pick up pret­
ty soon when some of the socks be­
gin to fill up. Quite a change on
the West Coast ships.-^fcots of re­
placements, and very few Sfl^ror
NFOW men here on the beki

Steady as she goes!

BALTIMORE
HIGHLIGHTS

Baltimore—^In general, the water­
front has been quiet recently, with
shipping seasonally slow, and doam
to 47 men .shipped r at durtpg the
past week.

The boys on the SS "Cubore" re­
ported that their Chief Mate had
been taken sick, and had been
transferred to a Cbast CKiard plane
off Charleston. The transfer Was
accomplished satisfactorily, despite
the heavy seas running at the time.

The crews on Uie "Cubore,"
"Steelore," "Marore" and 'Tirmore,"
are 100 per cent SIU, and give will­
ing, militant backing to the patrol­
men when necessary.

The SS "Barbara," at the BuU
Line decked, and, strange to say,
had not a single beef to make to
the patrolmen.

On the SS "Hilton," of the same
line, the first assistant fired two
oilers for no apparent reason, bat
after a talk with the Port Captain
when it was pointed out that the

"crew were going to walk off unless
the first assistant got off, the two
oilers were . re-hired again very
quickly, and we don't doubt but
that the first assistant treats them
like newly-found, long lost friends
now.

VisLed Brother George Bums,
who is taking a rest at 954 Forrest
Street, Baltimore, Md. Brother
Burns is well, but would appreciate
it if some of the West Coast boys
would take time out to drop him
a few lines about anything at all.
Brother Bu.m-s i-s a good man, and
is taking his vacation due to his
activities during the 1937 strike. So,
come on boys, let's get. together,
and drop the brother a few lines
of cheer!

Investigating Phil's Bar at llOO
Hull Street, we could get no proof
of any harmful actions against the
seamen. We have to have pretty
good proof for that sort of thing,
so, in the future, if any brother gets
a "Mickey Finn," etc., from Llils
place, let us know and we'll put a
boycott on it that will really wor'tc
faster than any "MickeyFinn!"

The Pennmar of the Calmar Line
arrived here the other day, and the
crew's beef • regarding conditions
aboard her were speedily adjusted.
New washing bowls, heat in the
forecastle, and a waterproof awn- -
ing were installed in short order,
A minor beef on the Texmar of the
same line, regarding a water foun­
tain, was also quickly adjusted by
the installation of a new fountain.
On the SS Cassimir, friction in the
steward's departmrnt was also
straightened out.

The Helen of the BuU Line got
in with a crew that is tops for
.SIU militancy. No trouble on this
ship now that the Company knows'®
that the crew is back of the patrol­
men to a man, and the rest of the
Bull Line fleet are beginning to see
things that way too. A visit to the
Hollywood and Columbian of the
Haywire outfit disclosed all quiet
there.

Shipping was slow during the
week, with 75 SIU men shipping
out. and 56 registering. iS SUP
brothers.

THANKS SHIPS
. AND MEMBERS

Editor, THE LOG;
Sometime ago I was commissioned

to collect a fund for the family of
Brother George Williams, deceased.
I am glad to report, and would' like
to give credit to the following men
for their help:

Bro. Graham,
SS St. John $ 9.70

Bro. Rice,
SS Arrow 7:75

Bro. Lamos,
SS Bii-mingham ,6.50

Bro. Perry,
SS Geo. Washington .~ 2.20

Bro. Williams,
SS Robt. E. Lee 1.50

Total : $27.65
Fraternally,
OSWALD C. STONE,

N. Y. Patrolman.

d

• im-

•• . Cr' I



V^i^T^hmmf24y 19$9

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- , '1'- •

«fl£ »EAFAK£R5' LOe

HERE and THERE in the GULF
'M mm

Tampa Joint Meeting
Condemns Fink Halts

'=:V

TAMPA.—Following arc the highKghts ol a special joint
unity meeting held in Tampa on February 11, by the member-
^ip of the Seafarers' International Union and the National Mari­
time Union in that port.

The meeting was called as a unity convention of the two
Unions; the reason for it being an<^
a4;tempt to get the men of both
Unions together to work as one.

The Chairman of the meeting was
Russell VahelcUek, a member of the
RltlU. He stated at tlie start of
the meeting that the floor was open
to an, and the Chair would recognize
any man who raised his hand.

Brother Gunnison, SIU Agent in
Tampa, was the first speaker to
take the floor. He spoke on fhe
way the various seafaring unions
have been fighting each other- for
the past few years, and urged that
unions get together, and cease their
constant squabbling. He stated that
air personal grievances should be
forgotten, and urged that members
take the floor and state their views,
regardless of which Union they be­
long tO:

Chairman Vaheldidc then took
the floor, and stated that, "It is
my observation that when the ma­
jority of the seamen hit a port the

- first thing they hit Is a gin-mill,
and get soused up. These places are
where most of the union argu-
merrts start. Unionism and Union
business should be kept out of these
places." He then went on to say
that the "Shipowners are using
stooges in Washington to lobby, and
work to their benefit. They have it
80 arranged that a seaman's papers
may be taken from him for 150 or
more reasons. Foe. e.xample: a man
may get drunk and have his papers
taken from him on a charge of
misconduct, or he may be refused

^ on a charge of physical unfitness."

Owners Oppose Unity
Brother Sharne, SIU member,

then stated: "I was in conversa­
tion with a Port Engineer, and
made the conunent that it looks like
the two Unions are going to get
together. He said 'No, they (the
shipowners and the officers) want to
keep tliem apart, and that as long
as they are separated and dumping
each other, they pay no attention
to» the shipowners and what they
are doing.' Tliis man had a Junior
Engineer who he used on sliips for
tlie sole purpose of stirring up trou­
ble between members of the two
Unions."

Brother Anton of the SIU took
the floor and stated that the plan
in New Orleans was to have one
hall for both Unions, with a SIU
and a NMU dispatcher, but that the
"Shipowners ran a bunch of goons
In and broke up the meeting." He
then suggested that they establish
a central hiring hall in Tampa, as
tliey would then be a.ssured that

- they controlled all the shipping in
that port, and there would be no
chance of anyone shipping off the
dock. He further stated that "Book
carriers and two-book men need to
be weeded out.. We want active men
who are, and will be an asset, and
who will work for betterment of
the seamen."

Following this tliere was a gener­
al discussion relative to the ad­
vantages and di.sadvantages of a
joint hiring hall, and various mem­
bers of both Unions expressed their
opinions.

Fink Hall Question
The Chairman then stated that

the next question to be discussed
was that of "Unity in combatting
the opposition of the Maritime
Commission, such as Fink Halls,
Training Ships, etc.'*

NMU member, McKlnney took
the floor and said: "As far as the
port of Tampa Is concerned, the

.seamen haven't anything to worry
about being scabb^ oa by

Union, and If other ports wake up
to themselves, they will not only
help themselves as seamen, but will
also help us. The officials don't
wanir anything done about it, be­
cause they are In the pie. We
should get together In one big body
and elect our own officers from the
floor, and let them run the Union
business, as we, the seamen, as a
body, say to run It. The shipowners
are pulling an the strings they can
in Washington,^ and if we don't do'
something, the Maritime Commis­
sion is going to step in, and the
seamen will be out of luck."

Several members of both Unions
spoke on the necessity of some sort
of a program of unified action in
combatting the shipowners and
other enemies of the seamen, and
then Chairman Vaheldiek again
took the floor, 'and in the course of
his speech stated: "In regards to
Ti-aining Ships and Schools;—a
seaman is taught for a period of
three months, respectively the func­
tions of the three departments.
What is he going to school for? To
learn something out of a book, or
let some punk try to tell him some­
thing which he has leai'ned from
years of practical experience at
sea?" He then stated that: "At one
time the NMU went down the line
to fight the Fink Halls, etc. Every
man who carries a book, and who
walks uito a F'ink Hall or a I'rain-
Ing School should have his book
yanked. If a Union member sees
a man start into one of these places,
stop him, and tell him to stay out.
and if he doesn't,—knock him out!"

Condemn Schools and Ships
After further discussion, it was

regularly moved and seconded that
the meeting go on record as con­
demning all Training Schools and
School Ships. The vote in favor of
the motion was unanimous.

A general discussion followed, re­
garding the indiscriminate issu­
ance of certificates by the Govern­
ment Inspectors, and it was sug­
gested that some steps be taken to
put a stop to it, and it was then
moved, seconded and carried that
letters be sent to the officials of bSth
Union condemning certificates un­
less the man produce two years sea
service, and to stop Inspectors from
issuing certificates unless the man
can show him two years sea service.

Brother Gunnison then took the
floor and stated that he can see no
reason why an A.B. or a Fireman
should have to go to scliool to learn
his particular profession. He fur­
ther said: "We are not fighting the
Government when we are fighting
these things. The Maritime Com-
inlssion tried to set up Fink Halls
and School Ships on the West
Coast, and had to discontinue them
because the men out there wouldn't
attend. We have our own Halls, so
why should we ship through gov­
ernment halls?"
Certificates Issued to Non-Seamen

Chairman Vaheldiek again took
the floor and said: "Here In the
port of Tampa about two weeks
ago a man went up to the Inspec­
tor and got an oiler's ticket. He
took a Job on a ship, and in two
weeks, when she made port again
the Agent had to pull the man off
because he was not capable.

"The Commissioners give gi-een
men three endorseihents. when these
men are supposed to have six
months' experience before they are
given*- thcac eiiuOraeiucnU. If our
Union doesn't combat this, schooi
kids will get In, and work up too

{CoHtinufd OH Pag* 4)

Yesterday, after a lot of wrang­
ling, the Luckenbach Steamship
Company agreed to maintain quart­
ermaster watches in the Gulf. By
this, the crew was able to force the
gun-toting watchman off the ship
They had been unable to do this
before, due to the fact that the
watches were not maintaineti.

Several members of the crew of
the "Jacob Luckenbach," were
voted off the ship for non-union
activities. This action was taken by
an almost unanimous vote. Through
this action. A lot of dissension
which was existing on the ship
should be overcome.

Due to the fact that several ships
went out from laid up status, some
strike-clear Gulf District members
were sent on some of the inter-
coastal vessels. They were able to
get the jobs due to the fact that
there were no West Coast members
available.

The SS "Ormes," shipped a crew
today, and we will very likely have
a beef on her tomorrow. The com­
pany wants to sail the veiisel with
only the number of men called for
by the certificate. That Is against
our policy, as it • does not give us
safe working conditions wlieA a
ship .sails with such a limited num­
ber of men. The company also will
try to chisel on the transportation
to which every member of the crew
is entitled, due to the fact that
the ship will lay up in Seattle.

The "Major Wheeler," Bull Insul­
ar Line, turned over here today
from the NMU ..to the SIU. She
will sail with a full crew of SIU
members. The crew members on
this ship have now overcome the
fear of reprisals at the hands of
the inefficient, reactionary NMU
officials. They will now have the
feeling of secm-ity of a real Union
behind them, and be able to go
out and demand from the shipown­
ers decent ..wages and conditions.

The Seafarers' International Union
has opened a Hall at 1407—75th St.,
Houston, Texas. George Hobart,
SUP, is Agent pro-tem. A Hall in
Port Arthur is badly needed, and
we expect to open there as soon as
the Union is financially able.

One fact which is noticeable, is
the difference of pinion between
the members of the NMU who are
emploj'ed, and those on the beach.
There is very little shipping through
the NMU Hall. The members ashore
are disgusted, and willing to ship
through fink halls, crimp joints or
company offices. The members on
ships are, in many cases, refusing
to pay their dues and assessments.
Unless these seamen are willing to
reorganize, and become members of
the SIU, they will soon become like­
ly candidates for the Maritime Com­
mission "You Are in the Navy"'pro­
gram.

The SS Ormes shipped a full West
Coast crew, with the exception of
the steward's department. They are
NMU, even though there are enough
members of the M. C. & S. ashore
here to man the ship.

The Alaska Transportaiton Co..
have the SS Oratano ready to go
to the Coast in a few weeks. There
are only a few West Coast sailors
and firemen here, The SIU has in­
formed the P. & O. Steamship Com­
pany that we are now ready to open
negotiations on the terms of a new
agreemeiit. This company has got­
ten away with clnseling the seamen
long enough. The only excuse they
could offer for postponing negotia­
tions, was the collective bargaining
vote ordered a year ago by the
NLRB.

In the South Atlantic Mail Com­
pany, there is a suit pending In court
which will stop the SIU from gain­
ing a new agreement. However,
some new working rules were ob­
tained. This court case was institu­
ted by the NLRB for the NMU.
They also have a similar case pend­

ing against the Waterman Com­
pany.

A mass meeting of seamen (SIU
and NMU) was held in Taiupa. Tlie
result was unanimous endorsement
of the SIU policy of fighting the
fink halls and the training ships.
After the top faction of the NMU
see the membership take such ac­
tion unanimously, it is easy to un­
derstand why they are fighting to
stop the proposed meeting here.

Organizer "Bed" Hart reports that!
the men on the Clyde Mallory ships,
out of Miami, are refusing to pay
dues to th NMU. Perhaps we will
be able to have these seamen lined
up by the time the P. & O. agree­
ment is signed. The same agreement
would apply to the Clyde Mallory
Steamship Company.

"BED" DEAN,
Gulf Organizer

THE LOG:
The SS Seatrain Havana arrived

here today. We boarded her and
found everything sailing smoothly

The crew gave us a warm recep­
tion of the right kind, and we a^-e
very thanlcful for the splendid work
done on the ship, and also for the
fine reception accorded us by the
crew upon arrival.

We, down here are trying to break
down the Mississippi Shipping Com­
pany agreement, and from the look
of things we will be successful in
the near future.

Finn Schefstad. Agent
New Orleans

The SS "Pan Gulf," arrived this
week, and a beef was settled rela­
tive to one day's pay for the voy­
age ending September 29, 1938, It
appears that this vessel came out
of the lay-up dock and took a crew
on August 31, 1938, for coastwise
ports, and that on completing the
voyage, the former port captain
conceived the bright idea that he
cqjfid clii.^el on one day's pay, so
he changed the payroll to termin­
ate on September 30, 1938, so that
the members of the crew who were
on the ship at that time received
one day's pay due them.

The SS "Hastings," arrived this
week, and the oilers were able to
collect overtime for working winches
between the hours of 5:00 P.M. and
8:00 AM. The three oilers collected
in all $64.05 for a twenty-one day
trip.

The "SS "Wacosta," amved here
this week. Everything was in fairly
good shape, outside of a few minor
beefs relative to some changes in
the forecastles, which were immedi­
ately changed after it had been
called to the attention of the Port
Engineer, Mr. Waller.

The old "politician." Arthur Berg,
came in on this wagon, and is go­
ing to make another revolution on
her,—something very miusual for
him. The Chief Mate and he aro
getting along very nicely,—Arthur
hollers overtime, and the Chief
Mate claims that it is for the safety
of the ship.

"Big" Collins came to town, and
claims that he has missed quite a
few schooners. Now that he is here
in town, we presume he will catch
up with all of his lieavy work.

Here in this port, we are estab­
lishing a Martime Ti'ades Council
of all maritime trade, with the ex­
pectation that a Maritime Trades
Department will soon be established
within the confines of the Ameri­
can Federation of Labor ,at an
early date.

The Ag^ent, "Scotty" Ross, was
called over to New Orleans on the
clarification of the Mississippi S.S.
Company's agreement. "Scotty"
claims that the company is very re­
luctant to give in on certain things,
and has absolutely refused to come
to a satisfactory arrangement re­
garding port time, and the breaking
and setting of watches. Brother
Ross arrived In New Orleans Just

Tampa — Had a joint meeting with
the NMU in the port of Tampa
which was very successful in bring­
ing about unification of all seamen.

The joint meeting went on record
condemning Fink Halls,. Tx-ainingJ
Schools and .Ships, etc. The acUrni'^
was unanimous.

The meeting also went on record^ |
condemning the Port of New Ybrk^sj
for pulling picket lines rtSt the Knk T
Halls.
The SS "West Kyika" came ia

from across with a few beefs. "Dm
to the fact that the articles read
Mobile, and local port officials gave
us little or no cooperation, we coukti^
not tie up the ship without havii%
another "Algic Case" on our hands.

The Regular Bu.sines8 meeting'
went on record as demanding that
the Port of Mobile have ships slgnJ
on to pay off south of Hatteras,r
and not designate Mobile as the
final port of discharge. This wifl
allow us in Tampa to back up ship's ^ !
crews^on their demands.

We would like to see published g I
the way the paper is financed, the if
Editor's name, etc.„ |l

Showed one of the officials of the'^
P & O SS Company around the SSf
"Cuba," and he admitted that the'f
crews' quarters were lousy, and.
needed fixing. There will be some.-|
immediate alterations made, and
the rest done when the ship goes
to drydock.

The Company realizes that we
mean business. This proves what,^
direct action will do. The SS'
"Cuba's" crew have found out for
them.selves that the SIU is the best
Union, and are backing it up 100
per cent.

Went aboard the L3 "Nishmaha,"
a Lykes .ship. The NMU Agent was
there collecting dues. One man had
an allotment, and wanted to , pay:.
Ills dues upon arrival in the next?|
port. Watson, the NMU Agent, told
him that he would have to pay up|
immediately or get off the ship.

Upon being asked who waS, T
told them that I was the SIU Agent
here, and am trj'ing to bring peace
and harmony among the seamen.
I was told, by several members to
leave the ship, which I did.

Their Agent is apparently follow­
ing instructions from NMU Pie
Cards, as he sat there like a lump
on a log and said nothing. Surely, '
this is not peace and harmony, but |
open warfare!

We need A.B.'s badly in this por
John (Junmson, AgeAt

or(i

EDITOR. SEAFARERS' LOG:
The SS Marsodak of tite Ameri-'

can Range Line arrived liere the
other day with an A.B. on her who!
the^ skipper had shipped from [
Charleston. This man was taken
off the ship, and was replaced with ,
a man from the Galveston Hall.

Visited the SS "Thermo," in TexM 1
City, and found that the real Un<rj
ion men on her are still loyal. Man^ j
of, them have been on her for quite-j
some time, and refuse to be btiil-.f
dozed by the NMU.

H. Peterson, AgenU'i
GcJoLtiS^l

as the Seatrain beef came up, and I
he declares that the action of thej
men, on the beach, the crews conf]
cerned. and the longshoremen, were I
nothing short of wonderful. The [
Maritime Council really did func-j
tioh. The crew of the Seatrain Newj
York are thoroughly satisfied with I
the vputcome of their beef with
company, and the principles
volved. Brother Mclntyre of
Seatrain "New York" proclair
"Now tor an agreennni&^th tr
company!"

Mobile Csrr^&tn
W. V. Alba



4 THE SEAFARERS' LOG Friday, Febniafy 24, 1939

NMU OFFICIALS EXPOSED BY AUDITING COMMITTEE
{Continued from Page 1)

been given an opportunity to bid
at all.

Favorites Get Paid
Another interesting sidelight on

the Innes affair was the fact that,
v/hereas most of the NMU creditors
had been forced to wait months for
payment of bills, the Signal Print­
ing Company, Innes favored dealer,
always received prompt remittances.
Could it be possible that Peter J.
Innes, Jr., had a finger in these
little transactions, all of which, in­
cidentally, bore the O.K. of George
Hearn, Atlantic District Treasurer?
We wonder,

i More significant even than ex-
K Purchasing Agent Innes methods of
w transacting the business of the
ii| Union and pieing his way through
f! hundreds of the membership's hard-

earned dollars, is the fact that Cur-
ran and Stooges, Inc., at least tacit­
ly approved these purchases. And.
if they claim ignorance of most of
these questionable transactions,
they leave themselves wide open
for charges of criminal neglect of
duty.

Unnecessary Expenses
The Auditing Committee next

took up the question of "flteneral
Expenses" in their report. Com-

Imenting upon many needless ex­
penditures, they pointed out where
money was literally being poured
down the sink for such absolutely
unnecessary expenses as $80.00 for
Masters-at-Arms at the trial of
Ferdinand Smith, and money paid
to various members for buraing old
records despite the fact that there
are nine jan.tors on the payroll at
Headquarters. Anything to bake a
little more pie for some of Joe's
white-haired boys, even though the
payroll at Headquarters approxi­
mates 75 per cent of a total week's
income in dues. The figures, as re­
ported by the Committee itself,
show that, whereas the average in­
come in dues at Headquarters per
week is $4,500, the weekly payroll

, ^approximates $3,000. As the Com-
; mittee asks: "How could any or-
; ganization exist with a ratio of 75
I per cent of income for salaries?"
J Obviously the pie at Headquarters

'" is getting too big for the oven, isn't
it, Joe?

The Committee finds inaccurate
-and incomplete vouchers covering
many expenditures, particularly for
carpentry work and repairs. So non-

- explanatory were these receipts that

CREW'S STORY
' {Continued from Page 1)

I

I old, and I have not seen any clean
'"linen come aboard as yet.

rf .1:, delegate asked the
" i^ipper to do something about these

conditions, there was an argument,
• in which the skipper told him that

Waterman Company runs the
; Gulf, and that the entire deck gang
i^was fired.
11, One day out of Cardiff, and he

already politely informed us
iphsre would be no draw in the« first
ijfiort unless we were there over
/ twelve hours. Two watches were
* used to tie up, all during the trip,—

•even in the Manchester Canal. At
$ea. one sailor's bunk broke down,
and he slept on the deck for two

|.^nights, because he was told to fix
it himself, but after some arguing
It was repaired. There are plenty
of extra bunks, but he was not al-
IfVfAWl to use any. A water cooler
was put on board, but was not put
iip until the trip was ended,—then

6 ;it p/as broken while being put up.
' rThis is the kind of trip we made,
' and I hope that no one else is ever

unlucky enough to have to dupli-
|;jj:catc it. Hoping to see this pub-
"li'-iished in the next issue, we remain

Fraternally, • •
•r ;; (Signed) Clifton Sharp, SUP Per­

mit No. 341; R. Campbell No. 4,
Deck Delegate; Carl Pedersen
No. 4; N. Halliday No,-4497; J.
Wallis No. 4; R. Graham No.
3738^^Adk Adams No. 3458;

i^bod Mason No. 4944; Ar-
'^iHhur Samson No. 3510; R. Vlc-

tor, SUF No. 616.

the Committee was forced to admit
that they were unable to determine
just what sort of work was done,
although approximately $1,000 had
been spent in the past few months
for carpentry work and repairs in
the Union Hall. With this In mind
the Committee recommended that
"all vouchers should clearly explain
for what purposes the money is ex­
pended, so that future auditing
committees will be able to check
more accurately."

Chisel On Expenses
Despite the fact that many of­

ficials of the Union receive five dol­
lars per-week over their salary for
expenses, the Committee points out
that "some are not only collecting
this five dollars, but are also col­
lecting for additional items.' And
why not? "Get it while its there"
seems to be the method of operation
of Curran & Stooges, Inc. Hearn
takes a cab to the District Com­
mittee meeting at the Cornish Arms
Hotel, which is a few blocks away
on 23rd Street, and charges it to
the Union. Sandwiches are ordered
for the meeting and billed to the
Union. What puzzles us is why
a few other vitally necessary items
such as shoe-shines and tips for
bellhops weren't billed to the Union,
too. The NMU membership seems
to be paying for every conceivable
expense in sight; why not Curran's

Jaundry as well? We humbly sug­
gest that "No-Coffee-Time" charge
this latter ,<tem to the Union, and
as justification submit the argu­
ment that since Curran's laundry
is a vital necessity to Curran, and
he in turn is vitally necessary to
the NMU, then obviously Curran's
laundry is vitally necessary to the
NMU. Charge it!

Another highlight touched on by
the Auditing Committee was the
complete lack of interest and at­
tention to duty displayed by many
of the Patrolmen. The Committee
asserts that they noticed many
Delegates loitering around the of­
fices Ibr most of the day, while
others put in three to four hours
work and then knocked off, com­
pletely exhausted, no doubt. Mean­
while, writes the Committee, "let­
ters are pouring in to the 'Pilot,'
telling of the fact that ships have
not been covered in months." That
pie is getting a little over-done,
dnn't you think, Joe?

Needless Travel
In their analysis of "Travel Ex­

penses," the NMU Monthly Audit­
ing Committee brought to light some
data which should prove most in­
teresting to the NMU membership.
Since their report on this particu­
lar item is rather lengthy, we shall
consider only the highlights. Apart
from the amount of money ex-

i pended for travel, which bordered
on the $2,000 dollar mark, the Com­
mittee indignantly stresses the
needless expenditure of most of this
money. They assert that official
after official duplicated each other's
trips, and that "agents, delegates,
and national officers, district of­
ficers and ships' committees tour
the coast at the Union's expense
and apttle beefs which should and
could have been settled by local of­
ficers or by letter, if they were func­
tioning properly.' The Committee
shows how Hearn, for example,
traveled to Savannah and back to
New York, with stops at way ports,
to establish a bookkeeping system
whieh was already established. Could
it be that Georgie is getting tired
of Charlie McCarthying on Joe Cur­
ran's knee, and wanted to get out
on his own for a spell?

We think the Committee's own
interpretation covers this matter of
travel expenses with brutal finality.
They report: "... we want to point
out that throughout there is much
duplication" of trips and an utter
lack of regard as to cost. This Com­
mittee feels that to a great extent
these trips are unwarranted and
unnecessai-y and are caused by the
negligence and inefficiency of the
elected agents in certain ports, and
by the failure of officials to carry
out their duties. The committee
wishes to point out that were all

of our officials along the coast cap­
able and cooperative, conditions
would not arise which would neces­
sitate this waste of Union funds."
We feel that anything we say after
that indictment would be so much
superfluity.

Farrell Covered Up
The "Committee next takes us to

the case of James Farrell, NMU
representative in San Francisco.
Farrell had submitted no financial
report for a period of approximate­
ly three months. Despite a tele­
gram sent to him by "No-Coffee-
Time" (on Nov. 22, 1938) demand­
ing an immediate reply, Farrell
chose to ignore it entirely. (Joe cer­
tainly has the boys well in hand,
hasn't he?) Finally, on December
20, Heam roused himself from his
executive lethargy, and stopped
Farrell's pay until an accounting
was forthcoming. Farrel was event­
ually removed from his post, but as
the Auditing Committee remarks:
"Your (auditing) committee feels
that in*neglecting to bring this im­
portant matter to the attention of
the membership and in allowing it
to drag along for a period of two
months after Curran liad taken the
Initiative in trying to clear up the
situation, it looks to the Commit­
tee as though the District Treasurer
(Hearn) had been covering up Far­
rell." Perhaps, as the Committee
suggests, Hearn was actually shield­
ing Farrell, but how about Joe Cur­
ran's part in thi saffair? Why didn't
he follow up his telegram of Nov.
22nd with a little of the execu­
tive heat he is supposed to possess?
Are we to infer that the President
of the NMU has so little control
over his subordinates that a man­
datory telegram, such as the one
sent to Farrell, can be totally ig­
nored without immediate reprisals
either from Curran or any other
member of the District Committee?
It certainly begins to look aa if Joe
wouldn't be wasting his time taking
a course or two in executive tech­
nique. Meanwhile, as Curran's un- j
usual lack of ability becomes more
obvious, the NMU membership is
the loser, and the entire organiza­
tion suffers.

Fenagling Strike Funds
The final point we intend to

treat in the Auditing Committees
report itself is their analysis of the
Atlantic District Strike Fund. In
this particular phase of their in­
vestigation, the Committee makes a
startling revelation. They found
that the balance of the Atlantic Dis­
trict Strike Fiftid (the actual figure
was misprinted in the 'Pilot) was
a false balance because of the fact
that $886.25 credited to the Strike
Fund had never been deposited to
thi.s account. Such odorous book­
keeping" tactics are not only flagrant
violations of the NMU Constitution,
but also are convincing evidences
of the failure of George Hearn, At­
lantic District Committee Treasur­
er, to abide by the Constitution
itself in regards to this most im­
portant financial transaction. The
Committee not only accuses Hearn
of a constitutional violation, but
also charges Brother Philips, Secre­
tary of the Atlantic District Com­
mittee, with failure to carry out the
duties entrusted to him by the
membership in this particular mat­
ter. The Committee states at this
pomt: "The most important fea­
ture of this situation is that the
membership assumes that this money
has been deposited and that no dis­
trict officer ever told the member­
ship that such was not the
case. . . ."

NOTICE!
All SIU members who are con­

fined In Marine Hospitals are
hereby advised to Immediately
notify their SIU Agent In the
port nearest to where they are
hospitalized. In order that they
may receive regular weekly bene­
fits.

This does not apply to members
who are already receiving bene­
fits.

m. /
/

Negligence and Inefficiency
We are wondering, along with the

Auditing Committee, Just why this
$886.25 wasn't deposited after being
credited to the Atlantic District
Strike Fund. We can think of sev­
eral obvious reasons for this, slight
omission, but why bring an added
tinge of red to the already par­
boiled faces of "Curran & Stooges,
Inc."?

Nor can we fully comprehend
why a devastatingly revealing re­
port such as this Auditing Commit­
tee submitted didn't blow the pres­
ent NMU executive setup right out
of the maritirilfe picture. The infer­
ences to be drawn from the report
are obvious. Either the Majority of
the NMU officials are absolutely in­
capable ef handling their respective
positions as is proven by the ample
evidences of criminal negligence and
Inefficiency, or ^else the dishonesty
hinted at in the Auditing Commit­
tee's report becomes more than a
mere alternative. Whether the main
body of officials be guilty of negli­
gence, inefficiency, sheer lack of in­
terest, or actual dishonesty really
matters little. Any of these enu­
merated shortcomings is sufficient
justification for a thorough house-
cleaning. And who can doubt the
existence of at least a disgusting
neglect of duty and inefficient han­
dling of Union affairs by the NMU
officials after even a hasty perusal
of the Auditing Committees re­
port?

Reaching the final stages of their
report, the Auditing Committee
despairingly affixed their signatures
to this far-reaching indictment: "In
conclusion, it is the opinion of your
committee that there has been ab­
solutely no concerted effort for
economy in this Union. It has been
seen from the various items listed
that money is being spent like
water. Instead of saving money, it
has been wasted, absolutely without
regard for consequences. There
seems to be a wilful neglect of duty
and intention on the part of cer­
tain officials to drive the Union into
bankruptcy and ultimately wreck
it." Need we say more?

SIU System Explained
We hate to see a bonafide sea­

man's pocket being picked. For that
very reason it might not be amiss
at this point to explain briefly just
how the Seafarers' International
Union guarantees its membership
at least a thorough accounting of all
finances. Firstly, there must be a
complete • membership audit of
every week's entire income and dis­
bursements not only at Headquar­
ters, but at every branch as well.
These weekly audits, by the member­
ship themselves, take place at the
regular weekly business metlngs.
Evn further, the membership must
ratify any unusual or over-large
expenditures before such an expense
is contracted. At the close of every
week. Headquarters submits a com­
plete and detailed statement of the
entire week's financial activities,
covering all ports, to each individual
branch. This statement is displayed
in the branch halls for purposes of
inspection by the membership, and
upon the arrival of the following
weeks statement, is kept on per­
manent file in the branch itself.

In addition to the above precau­
tions, at the close of eveiy quarter
period, a Quarterly Finance Com­
mittee is elected by the member­
ship. This particular Committee
consists of five members whose duty
it is to audit completely and thor-
oroughly the entire three month's
financial transactions, examine dues
accoimt cards, report on members
in bad standing, and in general
flnecomb every phase of their par­
ticular District's finances At the
conclusion of this exhaustive in­
spection, the Quarterly Finance
Committee submits recommenda­
tions to the membership for what­
ever improvements or changes they
may deem necessary or advisable
for the future progress of the Sea­
farers Itself. '

Checking Finances Important
To the average seaman these elab­

orate checks and cross-checks, on
every incoming and outgoing penny.

AGREEMENT
{Continued from Page 1)

below is called out to work, they
will be paid overtime for the work
performed.

When overtime is being worked at
night, hot limches and coffee are to
be provided.

Taken all in all, the new agree­
ment is a vast improvement over
the old one, and can most certainly
be considered as evidence of pro­
gress. And incidentally, the agree­
ment particularly specifies that cof­
fee time shall be allowed. Joe Cur­
ran Take Notice!

TAMPAMEETING
{Continued from Page 3)

quickly, and jeopardize the Jobs of
all concerned.

"Inland men ship on non-union
ships for six months, and then corns
into the Union, They brown-nose
the officers around for the little
eighty bucks a month. We don't
want those kind of men in- our
Unions. If the young men keep
flooding in, the old-timers will soon
be out. If the Maritime Commis­
sion. has the power to establish
Training Schools and Ships, and to
issue certificates ,then they can
either issue or revoke the merchant
seamen's certificates at will"

Must Work Together
Following this discussion it was

regularly moved, seconded and car­
ried that the Agents of the seamen's
Unions .stand Instructed to investi­
gate these conditions in this port
It was also moved, seconded and
carried that the Agents of both
Unions stand instructed to work to­
gether.

After a little further discussion
by various members of both Unions,
the following motions were intro­
duced :

^Moved, seconded and carried that
thie respective memberships go back
to their meetlngti and instruct their
papers to cut out the bulling and
mudslinging, and get down to busi­
ness. The papers are supposed to ba
run for the seamen, and not for a
bunch of pie-card artists.

"Moved, seconded and carried that
the memberships take up on their-*
respective floors the idea of having
a joint shipping hall in Tampa.

"Moved and seconded that every
man write Senator Pepper, and ask
him to aid in the repeal of the
Copeland Act."

"Amendment: That each man
write his respective Congressman,
and ask him to aid in the repeal
of the Copeland Act." The amend­
ment was put to a vote and was
carried.

"Moved, seconded and carried that
this meeting condemn the Port of
New York for pulling the picket
line from around the Fink Halls,
etc."

Your correspondent Is of the opin­
ion that It certainly would have
been In line If this meeting had
gone on record condemning the
NMU officials In New York for re­
fusing to endorse a pleket line
around the Fink Hall, and had less
to say in condemnation of the
membership In New York for dis­
continuing ilielr picket lines.

The meeting adjourned on this
note, after having been in session
approximately two and a half hours.

as used by the membership of the
Seafarers may seem a trifle over­
cautious, but under this system we
feel sure that no Seafarers' Audit­
ing Committee shall ever find justi­
fication for submitting a report even
remotely similar to the one turned
in by the NMU Monthly Auditing
Committee on January 27. In the
words of the NMU Committee itself:
Finances are the lifeblood of^any

Union," and any system of close
check which would prevent blood­
suckers of the Curran and company
ilk from draining this vital stream
justifies itself. Wake up, NMU'ersl
Prove that Lincoln wasn't entirely
on the wrong course when he said:
"You can fool some of the people

.e of the time. ..."

'• ' I .'C;
'i L.'-'

'-'Mi