http://www.seafarerslog.org/archives_old/files/original/3a4c7ba3881f12856610953e51d7620a.PDF 0dc286bbe4996e33c9c697ee64432b54 PDF Text Text Internees Are Warned OfPhony'Aid' SIU Branches Report Big Vote Turnout Warnings to ex-prisoners of war and internees have been is­ sued by Daniel F. Cleary, Chair-"" roan of the War Claims Commis­ sion. In issuing the warning he said, "The Commission has al­ ready discovered several cases where claimants have been the victims of racketeers and we are doing everything in our powet to put a stop to such frauds." Under the War Claims Act of 1948, military personnel held prisoner in any theater and cer­ tain American civilian citizens —including merchant seamen— who were internees of the Ja­ panese may be entitled to com­ pensation for their period of confinement. "Even before the Act was passed by the Congress," Chairman Cleary explained, "cer­ tain promoters, gyp artists, and assorted grifters began their un­ scrupulous operations. Keen interest in the current SIU Atlantic and Gulf District elections was indicated by the heavy turnout of early voters when polls opened in all ports on Nov. 1. In the balloting, which will continue through Dec. 31, Sea­ farers will elect officials to fill 29 elective District positions for 1950. The ballot contains the names of 47 candidates who met the constitutional requirements for Union office-seekers. Of those elected, four will serve in Head­ quarters posts and 25 will rep­ resent the membership as Branch officials. Of the positions to be filled, 10 are for Port Agents and T5 for Port Patrolmen, with one for Secretary-Treasurer and three for Assistant Secretary-Treasur­ ers. The 29 elective posts to be filled in the current election are four less than appeared on last year's ballot and indicates the Union's continuing note of econ­ omy, necessitated by the • decline in American shipping. FEE-SEEKERS "We have evidence that many individuals and groups of per­ sons have been established to supply help to claimants—for a price. Some of these groups have assumed titles which might easily be confused with the name of the War Claims Commission. All forms of assistance have been offered, from the filling out and filing of forms to the actual sale of forms and instructions," Cleary declared. "At the present time there have been no forms of any type issued by the Commission, When forms and instructions are avail(C&nthnted on Ptge 3) Official Organ, Atlantic & Gulf District, Seafarers International Union of NA VOL. XI NEW YORK. N, Y.. FRIDAY. NOVEMBER 4. 1949 No. 30 AS POLLS OPENED IN ANNUAL A&G DISTRICT ELECTIONS On Nov. 1. Seafarers began balloting in all A&G Branches to elect officials who will serve the Union during 1950. Early voters were out in large numbers when the 60-day voting period got under way. Above is a scene on the first day of balloting in the Port of New York as members lined up to register and receive their ballots. AFL Convention Votes To Aid Two SlU Campaigns 57 FILED The 47 candidates appearing on the ballot were the success­ ful nominees from among the 57 Seafarers who filed notice of in­ tention to run before the Oct. 15 deadline. Seven nominees were disqualified by the Credentials Committee for failing to meet the constitutional requirements. for a place on the ballot. Of the seven disqualified, five men did not submit evidence of the necessary three years of seatime, and two did not furnish proof of having had four months of seatime during" the current year Preparations for the annual elections got under way in Sep­ tember, when the customary resolution calling for nomina­ tions and designating the Union positions to appear on the ballot was adopted by the membership at regular meetings in all ports. The determined fight against to stop the fiow of Marshall Plan cutive Council of the American from the Maritime Unions!-^ Un­ the communists waged by the Aid to democratic nations Federation of Labor formally doubtedly the most effective Seafarers International Union Strikes were ordered — politico called upon the Executive of the thanks we can give these rnen Trades and Labor Congress of is to help them in their fight to and its affiliates in the AFL strikes, all over the world. ^ Maritime Trades Department was The fight centering in Halifax Canada to take effective rem­ preserve their freedom. This we hailed by delegates to the 68th was destined to be a fight to the edial action to prevent further pledge ourselves to do. annual convention of the Ameri finish. The Communists had ta­ Communist subversion of the A case in point: There has can Federation of Labor in St. ken practically complete control purposes of the Trades and La­ been referred to our Committee Paul, Minn., last month, as it of the civilian life of the com­ bor Congress of Canada. a section of the Executive Coun­ ALL-DAY VOTING voted to aid the Seafarers' two- munity. Those who opposed them We are now pleased to report cil's report which deals with the pronged fight against Panama­ were intimidated or attacked. that during the Convention of nefarious practice of certain The polls will be open every nian transfers and Coast Guarc Our maritime unions sent in the Trades and Labor Congress steamship owners in placing day in all Atlantic and Gulf control over merchant seamen. more and more men. They knew of Canada held at Calgary, Al­ their ships under the Panaman­ District Branches throughout the The convention delegates ad­ this was a struggle of world­ berta, during the month of Sep­ ian flag, in an effort to evade or 60-day voting period and mem­ opted the AFL Executive Coun­ wide significance. Their convic­ tember 1949 the Communist- destroy the hard-won working bers are urged to cast their bal­ cil's report on the MTD, which tions were confirmed when the dominated Canadian Seamen's standards for which, our men lots as soon as possible, to make emphasized the victory of the Communist dominated World Union was expelled from affilia­ have so valiantly fought through certain they have their say in selecting those who will repre­ SIU over the commie-led CSU Federation of Trade Unions and tion and other effective measures the years. The report states the matter were adopted to assure a con­ particularly its maritime division sent them in the coming year. in Canada last summer as a vital is now before the ILO. Should tinuing free and democratic stopped shipping all over the Instructions for proper mark­ contribution to the principle OJ: there be any delay in effecting trades union congress and per­ world: Australia, Italy, France, ing appear on the ballots. The free and democratic trade union­ an equitable solution through mitting a continuation of our England. Union stressed the importance ism. this agency, your Committee Our men accepted the chal­ fraternal relations. of properly following these in­ The text of the Executive recommends that the Executive structions so as to keep the num­ lenge through bodily combat and Council's report follows: VALUABLE AID Council be authorized to take ber of invalid ballots at a mini­ through international negotia­ Only three years ago the con­ tions. The Maritime Unions were Our International Unions affili­ whatever steps it can through mum. vention approved the establish­ very ably assisted by the Bro­ ated with the Trades and Labor national and international agen- Space is provided on each bal­ ment of the Maritime Trades therhood of Railway Clerks. The Congress of Canada rendered lot for write-in votes. (Contmmd on Page 3) Department. At that time, the situation became so serious that valuable service to the Ameri­ convention paid tribute to these the American Federation of La­ can Federation of Labor and the men for fighting for "not only bor as a whole became active in Trades and Labor Congress of their own economic betterment the fight. Canada in this connection. * « but even more in fighting for The Seafarers International make special note of this The next regular member­ the security of our nation." The For several years, the Execu­ Union and th§. International ship meeting in the Port of switch. Remember, that's the convention held that "no group tive Council of the American Longshoremen's Ass'n affiliated New York, scheduled for Nov. next meeting—Nov. 9. The in our America has had to fight Federation of Labor was con­ with the American Federation 9. will be held in the SIU place is the SIU Hall at 51 more determinedly against the cerned about the development of Labor have succeeded in elim­ Hall. 51 Beaver Street, in­ Beaver Street. Time as usual Communists than have our mar­ and growth of Communist influ­ inating the Communist-domin­ stead of Roosevelt Auditor­ is 7 PM. itime unions." What was said ences within the Trades and La­ ated Canadian Seamen's Union ium. The change in meeting The following meeting, on then is even more true today. bor Congress of Canada and in Canada, and we look forward places was made necessary Nov. 23. will i be held at These men have just won an­ these developments were the to continuing growth and devel­ because of a previously Roosevelt Auditorium, at other tremendously impor^nt subject of discussions and con- opment for these free, demo­ scheduled commitment by 100 East 17th Street. battle in. our war against Com­ 'erences with the Executive cratic trade unions in the Do­ the operators of the Roose­ P.S. Please tell your Un­ munism. From Halifax as a cen­ Board of the Trades and Labor minion of Canada. velt Auditorium. ion Brothers that the next ter the Coriimunists sought con­ Congress of Canada. On all fronts the anti-Com­ New York meeting will be All members in the Port « * * trol of the seas and of the ports. munist forces have won in this held in the Union Hall. of New York are urged to The Communist dominated After securing all of the facts fight. Our labor movement, our maritime unions were ordered bearing on this fight, the Exe­ nation owes much to these men Next New York Meeting In SIU Hall .1 �Page Two THE SEAFARERS LOG Friday, I^orember 4, 1949 SEAFARERS LOG Published Every Other Week by the SEAFARERS INTERNATIONAL UNION OF NORTH AMERICA Atlantic and Gulf District Affiliated with the American Federation of Labor At 51 Beaver Street, New York 4, N. Y. HAnover 2-2784 Reentered as second class matter August 2, 1949, at the Post OSice in New York, N.Y., under the Act of August 24, 1912. 267" Boss-Paid Pensions Employers of American workers are gradually being awakened to a responsibility of long Standing. Recogniz­ ing that the future security of its members must be permanently established, labor unions currently conduct­ ing negotiations for new contracts are pushing for,pension plans—entirely paid for by the employers. The campaign for employer-paid pension plans is based on the correct contention that men who spend a lifetime in an industry helping employers to amass wealth and increasing security are entitled to a guarantee of decent living when they are no longer able to work. Putting it in terms the bosses can understand, the unions are demanding that provisions for the security of the employee's old age be made in the same manner that provision is made for the depreciation of machinery. Funds are regularly set aside to take care of worn down equipment. Yet industry has shown an almost uni­ versal disregard for the future of workers whose physical strength is spent on the job. When the day arrives that a worker can no longer keep pace with the physical requirements of his-job, he is shown the door. Workers who contribute their brains and skill to the building of corporations should have some equity in the product of their efforts. The employer-paid pension plans are the answer. Although the government's old age security program has provided workers with some income, it is entirely inadequate to take care of even one individual, much less a man and his dependents. The politics involved in attempting to improve the government's old age benefits is so complicated that even the winning of a slight improvement requires years of fighting. Udea Now h The Mmwe Hespitiik These are the Union Broihen curaently in the marine hospitals, as r^rted by the Port Agents. These Brothers find time hanging Besides, under the government pension systems, the heavily on their hands. Do what you can to cheer them up by worker contributes a substantial share of the money which writing them. ANDREW AHLSTROM MOBILE HOSPITAL is to be given him on retirement. This system relieves WILLIAM ROACH industry of its full responsibility. J. CURTIS Oddly enough, industry now finds itself the victim of its own shortsighted policies. When social security and old age pensions were first established by the government, big business fought bitterly against the program. When­ ever attempts are made to increase the benefits or to lower the age of retirement, big business roars its opposition. Now, because of the inadequacy of the governmentadministered pensions, industry is being forced to make direct provision for the old age security of its workers. H. E. BONEWALL R. R. SIERRA SIDNEY SWITZER CARLOS MATT M. J. LUCAS R. L. LAMBERT JOHN B. DOLAN FRANK NEARING A. M. KASAITIS IVAN A. THOMAS ft 4 t NEW ORLEANS HOSPITAL L. HOWARD J. STEWART D. MILLER D. CARROLL t t 4. . BOSTON HOSPITAL JOE GREENBAUM PETER KOGOY FRANK ALASAVICH VIC MILAZZO R. BOLDUC R. CRONIN E. E. GROSS J. CALDWELL J. DENNIS F. LANDRY H. F. LAGAN C. ELLARD L. LANG L. WILLIS R. L. McCOMBS The resistance of Big Steel to setting up an employer•V "V financed pension plan is already cracking. This week, the STATEN ISLAND HOSPITAL workers of Bethlehem Steel returned to work, when the BERNARD JURROWSKI company capitulated to the union's demands for pensions ARCHIE KING paid for entirely by the company. The other big operators FRED VYKRUTA will probably fall in line one by one, now that the pattern SAL MANCINI MICHAEL ARMANDO Las been set. Several weeks ago, the Ford Motor Company granted the same demand made by its workers. And last week, the AFL longshoremen cracked the ice and secured a pension plan, financed by management. At Jong last it appears that Big Business is learning that its workers are as important as its machines. WILHELM PIETERS JOSE REYES ROYAL HARGRAVES J. F. GAMBLICH JOHN C. LONG JOE HERNANDEZ R. G. ANDERSEN P. ALBANESE RICHARD GRALICKI B. D. FOSTER c. R. HUNEYCUTT P. ROBERTS F. B. CAILLOUET : . A. MAUFFRAY O. HOWELL L. LORD ^ - - •. • - ' V. L. COASH A. PANEPTINTO J. E. TASSIN C. BROWN D. PITMAN V. LAWRENCE F. JACOBSON R. REED F. ELLIS J. H. MCELROY A. LOPEZ 4. 4 1 BALTIMORE HOSPITAL R. M. GREEN E. S. GAME L. G. LARONDE A. L. MASTERS C. P. THOMPSON D. H. COLLINS G. D. REAGAN J. BROWN E. CLDELL V. D. WILLIAMS H. STARCKY D. McCORKINGDALE J. B. BUHL W. KENNELLY M. HAGERTY G. A. CARROLL E. LYNCH W. L. AKINS D. H. BRUNIE A. THOMPSON J. M. BERGERI A R. McCULT,UCK L. B. SMITH P. B. DARROUGH J. YUKNAS 4> 4> JSAN FRANCISCO HOSP. SAM DRURY E. DiPIETRO I. ISAKSEN J, KEENAN 4 SAVANNAH HOSPITAL E. D. SIMS ^...., A �Friday. November 4, 1949 THE SEAFARERS L O'G Page Three SlU Organizer Answers CS lies Cities Service Still Trying To Keep Crews From SiU Protection The following is a transcript of portion of a CTMA (company-con­ trolled "union") meeting held aboard the SS Chiwawa on Oct. 18, during which crewmember Eddie Bobinski answered the company-manufactured lies and distortions fed to .CS tankermen. Most of the questions were posed by the company "union" representative who is the Chiwawa's Steward. Four days after the meeting, Bobinski, a volunteer SIU organizer was fired off Few American corporations today are as viciously anti-union the ship. as is the Cities Service Oil Com­ The data in bold type has been inserted by the LOG to provide CS pany, which enjoys the privil­ men with a more complete picture, as Bobinski had to reel off his answers in eges and fabulous profits of do­ ing business in the US, but the space of a few minutes in order to report on time for his watch. which refuses, to recognize the slow and that' I was incompetent. "When he was firing me he told me he did not like the idea of firing me but that he had received orders from the Chief Engineer. He said that he could law-given rights of its employees not do anything but carry out Meeting held on S/S Chiwawa by CTMA Tuesday, Oct. 18, started 7:00 P.M. CTMA Representative—Pumpman John Traubel CTMA Organizer and Chairman—Freddie Grissuble to organize for the purpose of the orders." collective bargaining. The meeting at which Bobin­ Questions asked by Chairman and answered by S.I.U. Organizer: On two occasions, the employ­ ski recorded some of the pro­ A. All beefs are settled by union patrolman ees of Cities Service have over­ ceedings was held on Oct. 18. A 1. Q. The S.I.U. has more men in the Union before ship even pays off and the Sea­ whelmingly designated the SIU notice of the meeting had been than there is jobs. . farers' Log proves it. A. No. We have about the same amount of as their collective bargaining posted by a CTM;\ stooge. No men as we have jobs, Permitmen are not (Union contracted vessels are always boarded agent in secret elections conduc­ one tore down this notice, not by patrolmen at payoffs and sign-ons to settle all ted by the National Labor Rela­ even the Skipper. After all, it considered full-pledged union members. (The SIU is the only maritime union which has crew beefs. Each issue of the LOG carries in­ tions Board. Despite these man­ was the company that was be­ consistently nlaintained a job ratio of one to formation regarding shipboard disputes and the dates, Cities Service has con­ hind this "union," was the way ne. In other words, there is approximately one manner in which they are settled. This can be sistently resorted to all sorts of he probably reasoned. job for every man holding a Union book. This found in the Port reports. The Money Due subterfuges to prevent their tan­ The meeting was opened by the is the result of fax-sighted Union policy adopted columns are also an indication of the Union's kermen from getting the benefits Steward. He started off by say­ in the boom years, when the 'Union refrained constant and successful efforts to insure that of genuine Union representation, ing that he would not run down from issuing books in wholesale fashion, a policy each SlU^man gets what is coming to him which they so earnestly desire. any union. Then he proceeded other unions did not pursue and as a result have under the contract in force. The best testimony Certification of the SIU to to run down the SIU, Bobinski to these facts is the SIU membership itself.) overloaded memberships.) represent the Cities Service men recalls. The Steward told those 2. Q. New York has three thousand men on the 7. Q. In the S.I.U. as soon as a ship pulls into has been held up by the legal present not to interrupt the pro­ dry dock all men are laid off. beach that can't ship out. flim-flammery of the company ceedings. A. No, only some ships lay off crew but lawyers, but the NLRB is now At 7:30, Bobinski got up and A. No. The Seafarers' Log proves it's not true. men laid off have first preference to come reviewing the company's final announced that he had to go on (Each issue of the LOG carries the registration back on. ' and shipping figures in each SIU port during objections and the day of reckon­ watch in 20 minutes and began answering the company-manufac­ the previous two-week period. This issue shows (Bobinski's answer to this one is about all there ing is imminent. tured lies which the Steward had that 1.433 men registered, while 947 were shipped is to it.) Meanwhile, life aboard Cities out. A month ago. in the issue of Oct. 7. the 8. Q. An S.I.U. seaman stole line from a Cities Service ships is as miserable as been parro^ting for a half-hour. Service ship. Bobinski hastily answered the registration figure was 1.468r the number ship­ ever. Intimidation, mass firings, questions raised by the Steward A. There was no proof and besides the Citco ped out weis 1.089. This would show approxi­ an intricate spy network foster­ in the coiurse of his speech and Representative (Pumpman) was caught go­ mately 400 to 500 men on the beach, which is ed by the company and its ilothers which were thrown at ing thru Edw. Bobinski's (Organizer's) about 2500 less than the CTMA's false figure.) ,, , .,. ... ,, legitimate offspring, the Cities him. The transcript appears else­ 3. Q. Tankermen only get 14 days' vacation locker looking for inforination that would gervice Tankermen's Association, where on this page. convict men of signing Pledge Cards and a year. face all men who go to work Like hundreds of Cities Serv­ thus be fired. (He didn't deny his guilt) aboard a CS vessel. A. No, they get 28 days (as was shown in but when he was asked by a person why And although, the CS men ice crewmembers, Edward Bob­ Agreement). he didn't deny the statement he said he have openly repudiated the com­ inski dared to exercise his right (The SIU tanker agreement speaks for itself. Any didn't hear it. CThis was after meeting was pany controlled "union"—CTMA to freedom of speech and thought man can check and learn that SIU tankermen over) even though he was not more than —the company still attempts to aboard a Cities Service ship. get 28 days a year as vacation.) two feet from me but only about twenty- force this monstrosity down the Like hundreds of other Cities 4. Q. S.I.U. positively cannot promise anything, five other men heard it all over the mess throats of its crewmembers. Service men he believes that the especially a full book. hall. (Thus he immediately became un­ CTMA meetings are held aboard rotten abuse poured on the com­ A. They promise each and every man a book popular). that walks off during strike or to men who every ship but their effect on pany's tanker men, the lack of (We think the Citco (CTMA) representative ought the men is nil. CS men know security and self-respect felt by organize C.S. ships. ' (In addition, these men are given 30-day back­ to answer this one. as soon as he stops blushing that CTMA is the sneaky mouth­ all hands can only be wiped out by genuine trade union represen­ and spluttering.) dated shipping cards to offset the time lost.)' piece of the company and they tation — representation by the 5. Q. Why did the Log publish the firing of A1 9. Q. Why should men be laid off a ship after want no part of it. SIU. only six months' service? Litwins because of organizing when ac­ A sample of the manner in A. It is not definite yet but the time limit is which CTMA stooges attempt to tually, the whole crew knew he was drunk one year, so that other men on the beach deceive CS men at shipboard and refused to work? can get a chance. y A. The Union is not responsible because a meetings has been recorded by (Actually, there is no limit to the length of time Edward Bobinski. Bobinski sail­ man did hot tell the truth about himself. (Because of Cities Service's refusal to recognize a man may stay aboard an SIU ship. Some men ed aboard the SS Chiwawa from their employees' demand that the company bar­ have been aboard SIU ships for two and three August 19 until October 22, 1949, gain with the Union and its repeated refusal tc years. At present, the subject of "homesteading" when he was fired for daring to cooperate, the SIU is naturally unable to check is being discussed throughout the Union, as are announce that he was a volun­ with the company—as it can with contracted all matters affecting the general welfare. Letters teer organizer for the SIU. operators—to determine cause of dismissal. In­ to the Editor appearing in almost every issue Bobinski posted a notice to {Continued from Page I) sofar as drinking and performing aboard ship of the LOG show pro £md con viewpoints on that effect on the ship about cies, public and private to as­ aro concerned, the membership of the SIU has this issue. Those against unlimited stays urge Oct. 15. "Actually I had to post sure the stopping of the transfer repeatedly demonstrated its intention and ca­ that men aboard SIU ships for one year be about 10 notices," he said, "be­ of the registry of our ships to pacity to discipline foul-ups whose actions might required to take their vacation pay and get off cause every one I posted was nations whose standards of work­ jeopardize the security and welfare of the the ship. The pu^ose is to permit greater job ,torn down." One of them was ing conditions are lower than turnover and to equalize employment opportuni­ ripped down by the Skipper. membership.) ours. 6. Q. When the S.I.U. crews have meetings on ties for all hands. When this issue is put to a "The day after, the First As­ Then, too, in an entirely dif­ board their ships no beefs are settled when question by the membership, the decision will sistant told me that I was being ferent way, we may further sup­ the ship pulls into Port, everything is be made by referendum vote in secret balloting, fired," Bobinski related, "giving port the men who sail our ships as per SIU constitution.) forgotten. I as the reason that I was too in the fight to be and remain free. At present they are sub­ ject to the control and discipline of the U.S. Coast Guard, a quasi-military organization. As a final word of advice to a demand for a filing fee, re­ eers and chislers gyp you out While we honor the glorious {Continued from Page 1) able, we hope that they will be tainer, or an excessively high prospective claimants. Chairman of any of the money due you. record the Coast Guard has simple enough so that no help percentage agreement. There is Cleary said, "Wait until you re­ Your war claim is based on the made, we wish to record our > will be needed in filling them no charge for filing claims with ceive our forms through proper months and years you spent as strong objection to placing any out. No claims will be processed the War Claims Commission or channels. Then fill them out and a prisoner of the enemy. You group of our civilian workers for payment unless they are sub­ for any part of the processing return them to us. Any "help you deserve it. You'll get it. We hope under military or quasi-military mitted on the official forms ap­ of claims payable by the Com­ may need will be available free you'll get all of it without cost supervision in time of peace. of charge. All of the major vet­ to yourself." proved by the Commission. These mission. Your committee shares with All evidence indicating shady erans' organizations stand ready At SIU Headquarters, Union the men who sail our ships, a official forms will be free and will be made available to all operations with respect to war to render any assistance you may officials repeated an announce­ deep conviction that they, be­ eligible claimants under the War claims is being referred by the require. If you feel you must hire ment made recently that the cause they are civilian workers, Commission to the US Depart­ an attorney, be sure he is a repu­ Union stands ready at all times should be immediately removed Claims Act." from any form of military or Chairman Cleary revealed that ment of Justice and US Post table member of your commu­ in most cases of exploitation of Office authorities for appropriate nity. You need not have any to give assistance and advice to quasi-military supervision or claimants uncovered to date the investigative action anil prosecu­ dealings with people who solicit members eligible for compensa­ control and placed back undej: your business. Don't let racket­ tion under the War Claims Act. civilian supervision. offer to help is accompanied by tion. AFL Convention! Votes To Back SIU Campaigns War Claims Commission Warns internees Against Phonies �THE Page Four Getting Replacements To Jax Poses A Problem To Savannah SEAFARERS Coffee Time LOG Friday, November 4, 1949 By F£LIX J. CURLS By JIM DRAWDY By BEN LAWSON SAVANNAH—This port is no see, is a little on the laew side exception to the rule, so the best down hyar. we can say fbr the past two ON THE BALL weeks' shipping is that it has Just to mention a few of the been slow. Brothers currently making eight Our payoff activity took place hours daily at the Hall, there aboard the SS Jean, Bull, and are W. Mulling, J. H. Maxey, C. the SS Southport, South Atlan­ A. Gardner, J. T. Moore. We're tic. There were no beefs aboard happy to" be able to say that either of these vessels. Both only one Seafarer is in the loca! signed on again. marine hospital this' week. He's We had a few visits from ves­ E. D. Sims and he's having his sels that included Savannah as tonsils taken out. a port of call. One was the SS Argobec, contracted to the SIU The National Labor Relations Canadian District. The others Board hearing on the case of were the SS Greeley Victory, the Retail Clerks Union vs. AdWaterman; SS Steel Advocate, ler's Department store came out Isthmian; and the Twin Falls favorably for the union people. Management has to reinstate five Victory, Waterman. employees and reimburse them REPLACEMENT NOTE for back wages amounting to In connection with the matter $10,000. They've found out that of getting replacements from the unfair labor practices don't pay. Union Hall, which has been dis­ Another union note: Don't for­ cussed in this column for the get to ride Garden City cabs in past few weeks, here's another Savannah. They're operated by bit of advice. AFL cabdrivers. We recommend that the Water­ And that about winds it up man Steamship Company be no­ for this trip, except to say that tified to instruct their Skippers Savannah is cool and comfort­ to get in touch with the com­ able. Indian summer, as the yanpany agent in Jacksonville via kees call it. radio whenever they need re­ placements from Savannah. The company agent can then communicate the needs to the Hall here. It is important that The SIU is on record that charges will be placed against the ship's radio be used to ad­ men guilty of being the following: vise the agent of the need for replacements. It takes about five PILFERERS: Men who walk off ships with crew's equip­ hours to get to Jacksonville from ment or ship's gear, such as sheets, towels, ship's stores, cargo, Savannah by bus, and the coast­ etc., for sale ashore. wise ships touching Jax are only in for a few hours, so "speed is - WEEDHOUNDS: Men who are in the possession of or essential. who use marijuana or other narcotics on board an SIU ship Here's a romantic note. The or in the vicinity of an SIU Hall. Bosun on the S^ Jean fell madly in love with Savannah this trip. GASHOUND PERFORMERS: Men who jeopardize the Consequently, he paid off and safety of their shipmates by drinking while at work on a ship at this writing is undoubtedly or who turn to in a drunken condition. Those who disrupt the hitched for life. operation of a ship, the pay-off or sign-on by being gassed up. Without fear of bragging we'd like to state that we have one This Union was built of, by' and for seamen. Seafarers of the cleanest Union Halls in fought many long and bloody fights to obtain the wages and the business. The deck is fresh­ conditions we nOw enjoy. For the first time in the hutory of ly painted and our furniture is in the maritime industry a seaman can support himself and his tip-top condition. All we need to family in a decent and independent manner. The SIU does round out the comforts is a tele­ vision set. not tolerate the jeopardizing of these conditions by the actions of irresponsibles. If jmu walk down the streets here, you can barely avoid bump­ In any occupation there is a small group of foulballs. ing into a crowd looking into While the Union has been fortunate in keeping such characters some store window demonstrat­ ing television. Television, you to a minimum, we must eliminate them altogether from the SIU. Unhtt Wreckers Are Warned Port Frisco Looks To Coining Weeks By JEFF MORRISON All Seafarers, members and officials alike, are under oblig^ion to place charges against these types of characters. Any man, upon being convicted by a Union Trial Com­ mittee of actions such as outlined here, faces Union discipline up to and including complete expulsion from the Seafarers. SAN FRANCISCO — Shipping has been somewhat on the slow side in this port during the past two weeks, but the prospects for the coming period are brighter. Men shipped from this port went to vessels calling in-transit. These v/ere the Loyola Victory, By CAL TANNER Waterman; Fairland, Waterman; MOBILE—The drop in ship­ Steel Admiral, Isthmian; Santa ping, which has been made more Clara Victory, Isthmian; Alamar, acute by the coal and .steel Calmar, and the Seamar, Calmar. strikes, is being felt in Mobile, Beefs were of a minor nature with the past two weeks being and they were settled without especially quiet. any difficulty. Ships paying off-for the pe­ Bucking the elements in Fris­ riod were the Alcoa Clipper and co are Brothers Fred Hethcoat., Corsair, and the following Wa­ H. F. Wilma, C. Doroba, and P. terman ships: Monarch of the O'Neil. They're all waiting to Sea, Morning Light, Antinous, ship, of course. Wacosta, Wild Ranger. In addition, we have a few The sign-ons for the two men in the San Francisco Mar­ week-period werp the Clipper, ine Hospital. These_ Brothers are Corsair, Monarch of the Sea, An­ Sam Drury, E. DiPietro, I. Isak- tinous, Lafayette, Morning Light and Wild Ranger. ^ sen and J. Keenan. Shipping Still Slow In Boston -10109 Dies In Accident BOSTON — No change was noted in shipping here during the.past fwo weeks. Two vessels paid off, then signed on again, and several ships called in-trans­ it. The ships paying off and sign­ ing on were the Alexandra, a Carras tanker, and the New Lon­ don, a Mathiasen tanker. The in-transit callers were the Robin Doncaster, Robin lines; Bessemer Victory and Greeley Victory, Waterman; Meredith Victory and Steel Architect, Isthmian. An overtime beef was report­ ed on the Meredith Victory and it will be carried to the port of payoff for settlement. Among the Seafarers in the Beantown at present are Morris Norris and W. Sullivan. Norris is anxious to go anywhere. Sully, who just got out of the hospital, is also raring to go. He's a real cook who goes in for fancy bak­ ing that always please his ship­ mates. At the New London payoff we were surprised to run into Bob Fisher, who was a crewmember. Only a few weeks "back Bob got out of the hospital after undergoing a couple of opera­ tions.^ We thought he'd be home recuperating. Instead, Bob head­ ed direct for New York where he caught a ship. NY Expecting Slight PIck-Up By JOE ALGINA James E. Naylor, popular Seafarer who had been a Un­ ion member for nine years, was killed aboard the SS Al­ legheny Victory, when a heavy sea struck the ship and threw him into the No. 1 winches. Naylor, who sailed as AB and held Book No. 20327, is survived by his wife, two children, his mother, a bro­ ther and two sisters. Funeral benefits were paid by the Union. Burial .took place in North Carolina. Steel And Coal Strikes Attest Mobile Three ships called in-transit. In addition, some of our mem­ They were the Chickasaw, Bes­ bers are in the Mobile Marine semer Victory and Ganton Vic­ Hospital. Among them are J. tory, all of Waterman. . Curtis, L. Howard, J. Stewart, D. Miller, and D. Carroll. ALL OKAY Installation of the air-condi­ All payoffs and sign-ons were tioning unit for the Mobile Hall smooth, with only a few minor is expected to start in the very beefs, on any of the ships. All near future and should take were settled to the complete sat­ about three weeks to complete. isfaction of the crews concerned. In fact, in another three weeks, Some of the members now on the Hall will be completely the beach in Mobile include ready as the alterations are now Curly Moyd, Jughead Parker, in the final stages. It certainly Tom Gould, Francis Brozak, J. L. Webb, Clarence Morse, H. shows signs of being able to Carmichael, J. Austin, B. P. Mc- provide the maximum of com­ Nulty and O. Brooks. fort for Seafarers. NEW YORK — Despite the number of ships which cama into this port during the past two weeks, shipping has been anything but good. Sign-ons did not equal the payoffs, most of " which were on nearby foreign articles. Getting down to the payoffs: Cornelia, Elizabeth, Evelyn, Kathyrn, Beatrice, Suzanne, Puerto Rico, Bull; Seatrains Texas, New York and Havana; Meredith Vic­ tory, Steel Traveller, Allegheny Victory, Isthmian; Bull Run, The^ Cabins, Mathiasen; Gateway City, Azalea City, Chickasaw, Water­ man; Trinity, Carras; Cape Mo­ hican, Mar Ancha; Sweetwater, Sea Trade; Taddei, Ship Enter­ prise; Southstar, Swan, South Atlantic; Colabee, American Ha­ waiian; Gadsden, American East­ ern; Mankato Victory, .Victory Carriers and Massmai', Calmar. All of the ships on nearby foreign articles went out again. These included all Bull Line payoffs, the Colabee and Seatrains New York, Havana and Texas. None took very many replacemepts. In addition, those going out were the Southstar, Yorkmar, and Robin Goodfellow, which were signed on during the pe­ riod. While we don't expect ship­ ping to pick up to any satisfac­ tory degree for a few weeks, at least, we do expect it to be bet­ ter during the period immediate­ ly ahead. New York's schedule shows that a number of ships coming in for payoffs- are due to sign on again. Added to these should be several of the ships that paid off during the past two weeks but which haven't as_ yet called for crews to sign on. �Friday, Novtnibet 4, 1949 THE SEAFARERS LOO Pago Firo Minutes Of A&G Branch Meetings In Brief BOSTON—Chairman. T. Flem­ ing, 30821; Recording Secretary, M. Norris, 5725; Reading Clerk, B. Lawson, 894. Minutes of other Branch meet­ ings read and accepted, except for motion 'to non-concur with San Francisco New Business. Agent made his shipping report. Four members were excused from meeting after membership accepted their reasons for being unable to attend. Motion carried to accept Credential Committee's report on candidates for Union amples of this need, it was re­ called that New York is the only port where the member­ ship meetings have to be held in an outside auditorium, while SHIPPED SHIPPED TOTAL the rest of the Branches meet ENG. STWDS. SHIPPED in their own buildings. Also 8 4 20 that rent now being paid by 82 67 251 Union in New York is between 19 17 68 $700 and $800 a month, as com­ 37 40 109 pared to the little more than 3 9 16 $100 monthly rental paid by the 9 0 17 Baltimore Branch. Charges read _ 9 11 26 and accepted, with recommenda­ MC Shipping From Oct. 12 To Oct 26 PORT REG., DECK REG. ENG. REG. STWDS. Boston.... New York Philadelphia Baltimore Norfolk Savannah Tampa Mobile New Orleans Galveston West Coast 19 123 37 116 41 11 18 54 62 64 15 •13 81 26 99 35 10 17 47 57 46 16 12 77 24 76 21 17 12 36 109 29 8 44 281 87 291 97 38 47 137 228 139 39 560 447 431 1,438 :... GRAND TOTAL.. TOTAL REG. SHIPPED DECK - 8 102 32 32 4 8 6 36 83 5 12 328 34 77 8 14 39 122 6 4 109 282 19 30 300 319 947 vestigate feasibility of working gin on Nov. 1. Meeting adjourned out a credit plan for SIU mem­ at 8 PM, with 250 members bership. Meeting adjourned at present. elections. Headquarters' and Sec­ 8:30 PM, with 285 members in 4 4 4 retary-Treasurer's reports read attendance. MOBILE — Chairman, Louis and approved. Motion carried to 4. 4 4 grant W. Sullivan, Book No. SAN FRANCISCO—Chairman, Neira, 26993; Recording Secre­ 20549, a 30-day shipping card. Jeff Morrison, 34213; Recording tary, E. D. Moyd, 10829; Reading Meeting adjourned at 8 PM, with Secretary, P. M. Robertson, Clerk, Harold Fischer, 59. 151 members present. 30148; Reading Clerk. J. FarMotion carried to concur in 4 t Oath of Obligation administer­ quahar. report of Credentials Committee GALVESTON —Chairman, ed to Arthur Chason, Frank regarding election of officials for Minutes of previous meetings 1950. Minutes of other ports read Keith Alsop, 7311; Recording Clawson, Chang Jar, A1 DemSecretary, R. Wilburn, 37739; ery, O. A. Nickle. Other Branch in all Branches read and ap­ and approved. Port Agent stated minutes read and approved, ex­ proved. Agent reported that that during next two weeks only Reading Clerk, J. Ranieri, 50272. cept for that part of San Fran­ coming two weeks look better ships on coastwise and Puerto Motion carried to approve ac­ cisco new business dealing with for shipping than period just Rican runs were due to hit port. tion of membership at special extension of shipping cards, in He also said that building reno­ meeting in Galveston re: Cre­ which membership non-concur­ vations are nearly completed. dential Committee's report on red. Communications requesting Membership was reminded of the candidates for forthcoming Union permission to be excused from importance of registering as elections. Minutes of other meeting were referred to Dis­ qualified voters for city, county Branch meetings accepted as patcher. Port Agent's report ap­ and state elections. Agent an­ read. Reading of Credential Com­ proved. Motions carried: To in­ past. Several ships were in port, nounced that on orders from Ex­ mittee's report on eligible candi­ struct Agent to purchase tele­ but they were in-transit callers. ecutive Board ©f the Interna­ dates for election; motion car­ vision set for use'^n the Hall. He said that the shipping situa­ tional that he had gone into ried to accept report. Agent dis­ After much discussion, motion tion looks a bit better in Seattle, Mississippi this week to help in cussed shipping in this port. Sec­ carried to allow bookmen and too, and added that there were organizing and voting of 8,000 retary-Treasurer's financial re­ permitmen laid off from Ore some job possibilities up thief®. fishermen who are trying to and Secretaryport and Headquarters' report to ships as result of steel strike to Headquarters' come into the International. He the membership read and ap­ return to their jobs when strike Treasurer's reports to the mem­ concluded his report by announc­ proved. Motion carried that Dele­ ends. Motion carried that a com- bership read and approved. Mo­ ing that he was going to meet tions carried to concur in re­ gates on Seatrain ships check ports of Headquarters reinstate­ their departments before sailing ment committee and Credentials and notify the Hall if replace­ Committee. Several members ments are needed. Motion car­ were excused from meeting. Un­ ried calling for anyone with one der Good and Welfare several year of continuous emplosmient mittee and Port Agent work out members expressed the opinion on any one vessel to get off and plan to raise funds for a Thanks­ thdt the Union should purchase with Organizing Director Lindsey take hig vacation. Meeting ad­ giving Dinner for membership Halls in all ports where they are Williams and New Orleans Agent journed at 7:40 PM. in this port. Meeting adjourned presently rented, as soon as pos­ Sheppard at Louisiana State i 4- 4. at 8:15 PM* with 453 members sible. If necessary to accomplish Federation of Labor convention to discuss problems of organiza­ SAVANNAH —Chairman, Jim present. this, an assessment was recom­ tion. Secretary-Treasurer's finan­ Drawdy, 28523; Recording Sec­ mended. It was pointed out that » 4 & cial report read and approved. there should be a better build­ retary, E. L. Baker, 30907; Read­ NEW ORLEANS —Chairman, ing in Galveston, and in New Under Good and Welfare, Bro­ ing Clerk, 25808. J. P. Shuler, 94,—Recording Sec­ York especially. Meeting ad­ ther Neira discussed need of or­ retary, Herman Troxclair, 8743; journed at 8:20 PM, with 26 ganized labor activity in politi­ Secretary-Treasurer's financial cal' field. Meeting adjourned at report and Headquarters' report Reading . Clerk, Bill Frederick,. bookmen present. 7:45 PM, with 253 members to the membership read and ap­ 94. 4 4 4 present. proved. Agent reported that a PHILADELPHIA — Chairman, Previous meeting's minutes couple of ships had paid off and 4 4 4 C. L. Cousins, 38685; Recording signed on during the past two read and accepted. Motion car­ NEW YORK — Chairman, L. ried to accept report of Creden­ Secretary, James Sheehan, 306; J. Williams, 21550; Recording tials Committee on nominations Reading Clerk, William Glick, Secretary, Freddie Stewart, 4935; for Union office. Port Agent re­ 48741. Reading Clerk, Eddie Mooney, ported that shipping was fair Minutes of previous Branch during past two weeks, with 46671. number of men shipping exceed­ meetings accepted as read. Read­ ing of minutes of special meet­ Minutes of previous Branch weeks, and that three in-transit ing those registering. Since last ing of Oct. 19, in which mem­ meetings in all ports read and ships visited the port. Minutes' meeting, there were seven pay­ bership voted to accept report approved. Motion carried to non­ of other Branch meetings read offs, eight sign-ons and approxi­ of Credentials Committee on concur with that part of Balti­ mately 25 ships in-transit com­ and accepted. Motion by Brother nominations of candidates for more New Business stressing ing into port. He revealed that Searcy carried recommending Union office. Secretary-Treasur­ need for new Hall in Baltimore. eight payoffs are scheduled thus that Headquarters send circular er's financial report read and ac­ Under discussion, members point­ far for the coming two weeks. letter to all SlU-contracted ships cepted. Charges were read and ed out that Halls are purchased He added that the steel and coal calling at Charleston and Jack-j referred to Trial Committee. Ex­ in areas where the needs of the strikes have begun to affect this sonville informing delegates to cuses were referred to Dispatch­ membership are the greatest. It port, with our affiliate, the Mg^ immediately notify Savannah' er. Port Agent reported that all was emphasized that there is no Hall of any job vacancies aboard. rine Allied Workers, feeling the beefs aboard ships coming into objection to Baltimore getting a Motion pointed out that failure brunt. Coyle Tugboat Company port were settled to crew's sat­ new Hall, but that the member­ to follow this procedure had re­ will begin today to tie-up its sulted in several jobs being entire fleet due to the lack of isfaction. Men were urged to ship is on record, as a result of taken as pierhead jiunps, jeopar­ steel and coal movements. Eight live up to Si^ipping Rules by be­ unanimous action in all Branches, dizing democfatic rotary shipping men took the Union Oath of ing ready to turn to four hours to purchase the next Hall in system of Union. Motion carried Obligation. Motion carried to in­ after being shipped. Members the Port of New York, where to accept report of Credentials! struct Secretary-Treasurer to in­ were reminded that elections be­ the need is the greatest. As ex­ Committee on candidates in coming election. Meeting ad­ journed at 7:45 PM. t, i BALTIMORE—Chairman, Wil­ liam Rentz, 26445; Recording Secretary, G. A. Masterson, 20297; Reading Clerk, A1 Stansbury, 4683. tion that they be turned over to an elected trial committee for hearings. Secretary-Treasurer's financial report accepted as read. In Headquarters' report, Secre­ tary-Treasurer reported that de­ spite unfavorable shipping situ­ ation, condition of the Union is sound. He pointed out that ^ as result of intense efforts of the organizing department, jobs have steadily been added and have acted to offset those lost as result of lay-ups. Many of the newly-contracted companies start out on a small scale, but if operations prove successful they acquire more ships and pro­ vide increased job opportunities for the membership. For this rea­ son, he stressed the necessity of crewmembers aboard these vessei^to man them in ship-shape fashion. Any fouling up aboard these ships constitutes harm to the rest of the membership. The Secretary-Treasurer warned 'men who will not carry out the let­ ter of the Union agreement to stay off these ships so that the serious - minded, conscientious members may take the jobs and demonstrate that the SIU can supply first-class crews. The Di­ rector of Organization also took the floor to support this view. Several members took the Union Oath of Obligation. Meeting ad­ journed at 8:15 PM. 4 4 4 NORFOLK — Chairman, Ben Rees, 95; Recording Secretary, J. A. Bullock, 4747; Reading Clerk, G. Lawson, 35980. Motion carried to accept ac­ tion of Norfolk special meeting on Oct. 19, concurring in Cre­ dentials Committee's report on candidates for A&G offices. Min­ utes of Branch meetings accept­ ed as read. Headquarters' report to the membership read and ap­ proved. Agent discussed shipping, which has been hit hard by the coal and steel strikes. Motion by R. Miller carried to instruct Ag­ ent to inquire as to the eligi­ bility and status of D. E. (Casey) Jones for a place on this year's ballot. Meeting acted on re­ quests to be excused from meet­ ing—five members excused, two were not. Under Good and Wel­ fare, there was discussion on the payoff of the SS Taddei and on the forthcoming elections for of­ ficials to serve in 1950. Meeting adjourned at 8:20 PM, with 92 members present. �Page Six THE SEAFARERS LOG Friday! November 4, 1949 SEATTLE: STUDY IN UNION - BUSTING By PAUL HALL and MORRIS WEISBERGER, Vice Presidents. SIUNA Out in Seattle, Washington, a miniature civil war is being fought. On one ^ide is the Sailors Union of the Pacific. On the other side is the strangest collection of anti-labor forces that ever slept in one political bed. These characters, who are suing the Union and publishing a slanderous, lying anti-Union sheet called "The Defender," are banded to­ gether in temporary alliance to do one basic job — to so disrupt the SUP that they can step in and take over. The group is fronted by John Mahoney, who was expelled from the SUP after a long series of a,nti-Union acts. It is spearheaded by the Trotskyites (Socialist •Workers Party) who make no bones that their only reason for trade union activity is to "under­ mine" the existing trade unions. It is composed of would-be "labor leaders," gashounds, apple polishers, and some local boys who want "Seattle jobs (the Alaska ships) for Seattle boys." It is backed by two captains of the Seattle city police force, brothers of John Mahoney, who intimidate the SUP membership by warning anti-Mahoney, pro-SUP members to "get out of town or else—" and by sending police squad cars to park before the Seattle SUP Hall on meeting nights. This group is being aided by dual and hostile Unions—the commie-controlled Marine Cooks and Stewards, Bridges' Longshoremen and the Marine Firemen, Oilers and Watertenders — who see an opportunity, if the SUP is destroyed, to pick up jobs which, because lack of program, penny-pinching and sheer inefficiency, they are unable to get through their own organizing efforts. We intend, later on in this article, to take these characters apart and see what makes them tick. But first we'd like to give a brief history of the Seattle beef, so that you will be better able to understand the nature of these charac­ ters who are out to disrupt and smash the most militant Union on the West Coast—the SUP. The Seattle beef had its beginning during the time the Seafarers International Union (and its component parts, the SUP, A&G, etc.) was put­ ting its entire organizational efforts into beating back the commie Canadian Seamen's Union, when that outfit called a phony strike against ships contracted to the Canadian District of the SIU. If you remember, the commies got no place in Canada, because all legitimate Unions backed the SIU. Therefore the comrades turned their attention to the various foreign countries where, due to the' distances involved, they were able for a while to get away with their lies and phony propaganda, and tie up a few SIU contracted Canadian ships. The SIU then was forced to fight the comrades' goon squads in Canada and this country. The SIU fought the commie propaganda in practically all maritime countries throughout the world. Remember, this Canada beef was an import­ ant beef for the commies, for it meant, if the SIU won, the commies would be wiped out as a force in Canadian maritime. At this time, it was important that all sections of the International, that every member in every District of the International do what he could to repel the Some of you may have heard or read of the beef that the Sailors Union is having out in Seattle with a bunch of union wreckers. Up to now. the SEAFARERS LOG has not mentioned the case because, first, it was strictly an internal SUP affair; and, second, the expulsion of a disruptor and union-wrecker is not particularly newsworthy, as every union has a right to pro­ tect itself from its internal enemies. Now, how­ ever, the situation has changed. Two new ele­ ments have pushed themselves into the beef: the Trotskyites (the Socialist Workers Party) who hope to capture control of the SUP. and several dual and hostile unions, old enemies of the Sail­ ors Union, who want to smash the SUP. Because of this, the Seattle beef is now properly th% con­ cern of the entire International, not only of the SUP. Therefore, because of this reason, the LOG is offering this full account of the beef and the ^ longtime aufi-unlon records of those involved, so that the membership will know the true score, and so that they will recognize these disrupters and wreckers wherever they are, no matter what 'militant" phrases they hide behind. The writers of this article are veterans of the Seafarers In­ ternational Union's fight against the commies, Trotskyites and other political and power-hun­ gry groups within the International, the Dis­ tricts, and the trade union movement. It is to be expected that the Trotskyites will respond with personal blasts against Hall and Weisberger. That is the way these would-be commisars operate, on the Hitler-Stalin-Trotsky theory that if a lie is repeated often enough, some people will believe it. But, as this article shows, such tactics very often backfire—as it has on the West Coast, when the true facts were made known. ' CSU and drive the commies from the waterfront, 23 meeting in Seattle on a point of information, It is important to remember, too, that the de- "wanting to know who gave the piecards the cision to help the SIU Canadian District was authority to engage in strikebreaking activities, voted unanimously by the International's con- and how come the membership of ihe organiza­ vention in Baltimore, March 28-April 2, and con- tion were not kept advised of this." This was 12 curred in subsequently by all ports of all Dis- days after Seattle had concurred in our report tricts including Seattle and printed in both the on the Canadian situation! At the June 6 Seattle SEAFARERS LOG and the WEST COAST meeting, Mahoney repeated this statement before SAILORS (official publications of the A&G ancL the membership. SUP). On June 26, after Mahoney refused to appear Furthermore, after this we were instructed by before an investigating committee to prove his SIU President Lundeberg to go to Halifax to charges as requested by the Wilmington, New protect the interests of the International in the York and Headquarters meetings, seven mem­ Canadian Field. After an investigation, when bers at a San Francisco Headquarters meeting we had seen at first hand the goon tactics of the filed charges against Mahor^y because of "scur­ commies, we sent the following report to all rilous and defamatory remarks" which violated: Branches of the A&G District and the SUP: 1) the Oath of Obligation; 2) Article III,.Section The following wire was read to the member­ 4 of the Constitution; 3) Article V, Section 1 of ship: the Constitution. In accordance with the ConThe Marine Cooks and Stewards (MCS) the ""stitutional provisions, Mahoney was requested commie front union in the U.S. in an attempt to appear on July 5 before a Headquarters trial to protect the interests of the kremlin has taken committee because of the seriousness of the the position against the Seafarers International charges. Union of North America in their present struggle A special meeting was called in Seattle, on against the communist' party in Canada and it' July 1, dominated by the Mahoney-Trotskyite was learned today that the American represen­ gang, which requested SUP Headquarters to tative of the MCS in New York advised all ^Ca­ postpone the trial, as Mahoney was "unable" nadian Seamen's Union in Canada to assault to be in San Francisco on the date set. This any representative of the SIUNA or any of their request was granted, and Mahoney was notified affiliates whom it may encounter in American to appear on July 12. This gave Mahoney 16 days ports. The MCS further advised the Canadian in which to prepare for the trial, instead of 5 as Seamen's Union in Halifax to terrorize any and provided by the Constitution. all seafarers in that port as a method of driving This same Seattle special meeting demanded the anti-communist seafarers out of Canada. This is in keeping with the direct order from the that the trial be transferred to Seattle, and asked communist international to all of its front or­ the official Seattle minutes of May 23 and June ganizations such as the MCS surrender all pos­ 6 which recorded Mahoney's anti-union remarks— sible support to the communist party in Canada and which had been accepted by the Seattle in their life and death struggle with the SIU. Branch, with Mahoney as chairman on June 13 Through the efforts of the communist party in meeting — be changed. Both of these requests Halifax several members of the SIU have been were in violation of the laws of the SUP. Then, evidently afraid to let the case go to severely beaten c^d six SIU men are now in a fair and open trial, Mahoney and his gang jail in Halifax on trumped up charges brought about by lying commies in this area. Although tried another unconstitutional trick. At the July the SIU is now in a fight-to-the-end struggle to •/X beat the pommies in Canada, we shall be success­ ful in doing so. Once this defeat of the commun­ ist party has been accomplished here in Canada the MCS will then have full opportunity to an­ swer to the Seafarers for their finky Stalinist stab in the back to our Union. The Seafarers are now establishing permanent offices in Halifax and are in Canada to stay. We advise all Sea­ farers in all American ports to be guided by 5 meeting in Seattle, which was again under the this message. control of the Mahoney-Trotskyite gang, the Signed, MORRIS WEISBERGER, meeting voted itself as a "committee of the PAUL HALL, whole" for the purpose of white-washing Ma­ Vice Presidents, SIUNA honey. This was a violation of the Constitution, because the July 26 Headquarters meeting elected This report was concurred in by all Branches a trial committee to try Mahoney at the place of both Districts, including ^eattle. ' It was at this crucial time that John Mahoney, where the men who preferred the ^charges were » who had a long record of disruption in the SUP to be found. (as will be brought out later), rose at the May This Trotskyite-rigged Seattle meeting (al- �Friday. November 4, 1949 though warned by the Seattle SUP Agent that the action was unconstitutional) completely whitewashed Mahoney. At this meeting, Mahoney declared that he had no intention of going to San Francisco for trial. This in spite of the fact that on July 1, this same Mahoney had asked for an extension of time from Headquarters. This made it pretty evident that request for postponement was merely a maneuver for time, and that Mahoney never had the slightest in­ tention of conforming to the Constitution and membership action and attending the legal trial as set by the membership. At a subsequent meeting, July 18, the Seattle Branch elected a committee of five to "review" the case, a procedure that is not sanctioned in any way by the SUP Constitution. It was simply a case of finding a way, no matter how illegal, to cover up their previous illegal action in white­ washing Mahoney. Frank Lovell, the chief Trotskyite hack, managed to capture the chairman's ^ob of the committee. Meanwhile, the legal SUP trial committee met in San Francisco from July 12 to July 14, taking testimony from various witnesses. Each day the trial committee called out for Mahoney or for any witnesses he may have sent in his behalf, but none appeared. On July 18, the committee's report and recommendations were read to the membership at Headquarters for action. After reviewing the facts in the case, the committee pointed out that the SUP as an organization unanimously went on record in New York, Wil­ mington, San Francisco, Portland and Seattle, on April 18, 1949 to "give the Canadian District of the SIU 100 percent support" in its fight against the communist-dominated CSU. "... There can be no question in anyone's mind" the committee's report went on to say," that the membership of the SUP had not estab­ lished a policy on this subject, and we further find that all the legitimate trade unions, such as the AFL Executive Board, which in its meeting at Cleveland, Ohio, backed up the Canadian Dis­ trict, SIU, also the AFL Teamsters, Boilermakers, Brotherhood of Railway Clerks, Longshoremen, International Transportworkers Federation, and all legitimate AFL unions in Canada... on the other hand the only ones supporting the comintmist-controlled CSU was the National MC&S (CIO); the communist party's official organ, the "Daily Worker;" the "Industrial Worker," official organ of the IWW; the "Mili^nt," the official organ of the Socialist Workers Party (Trotskyites), which publications have repeatedly at­ tacked the SUP and its officials and backed up the communist-led CSU of Canada in this beef. "As a matter of information, the communistled MC&S have issued bulletins and leaflets at­ tacking the SUP officials in this fight and this organization (the MC&S-CIO) has been branded by the membership of the SUP as dual and hostile to the SUP." The SUP trial committee's conclusions were as follows: "1. That John Mahoney violated the obligation of the SUP which states: "'I pledge my honor as a man that I will be faithful to this Union and that I will work for its interests and will look upon every mem­ ber as my Brother.' "2. That John Mahoney violated' Article III, Section 4, of the Constitution, as follows: "'Any member who advocates and/or gives aid to the principles or policies of any organi­ zation hostile or dual or gives aid or comfort to such shall be denied further membership in this Union.' "While the committee makes no charge that Mahoney is a member of any dual or hostile or­ ganization, nevertheless the statements which he made in connection with the Canadian situation are certainly the same statements made and pub­ lished by the communist party sheets, and the MC&S leaflets and bulletin and their official paper, and as such did give aid and comfort to a dual and hostile organization. THE SEAFARERS LOG "3. We find John Mahoney guilty of violating Article V, Section 1, as follows: " 'It shall be the duty of every member to be true and loyal to the Union and the labor cause and to endeavor to put into practice the principles laid down in the preamble. Members shall treat the officials of the Union while dis­ charging their duties with due respect and consideration and yield strict observance to such rules as the Union may see fit to adopt.' "It is the firm opinion of the committee that it is the duty of the membership of the SUP'to protect its duly elected officials in their task of carrying out the policies laid down by the membership, and certainly to term them 'strike­ breakers' is a direct reflection on the whole membership because the men who act as the officials of the SUP are elected by the member­ ship every year, through secret ballot, and they carry out the policy of the organization as a whole, and are entitled to due respect and pro­ tection from the membership, which HIRES them when they elect them. "If the membership does not give such protec­ tion, the orgamzation will not be able to get able and conscientious men to run for office, and the organization will gradually deteriorate. "We, therefore, recommend that John Mahoney be denied further membership in the SUP." Put to a standing vote of the membership at Headquarters, the committee's report was car­ ried by a vote of 313 to 1. The report was later concured in by the Wilmington, New York, Honolulu and Coos Bay Branches of the SUP. At the July 25 meeting in Seattle, Agent Dombroff declared that the meeting would be un­ constitutional, unless Mahoney left the meeting hall. Tfiis Mahoney refused to do, and the meet­ ing proceeded under the domination of the Mahoney-Trotskyite group. A motion to adjourn the meeting because of Mahoney's presence was UNION HALL lost by a vote of 63 for to 77 against adjourn­ ment. Approximately 40 members present did not vote. In connection with this, it is interest­ ing to note that about 8 police squad cars were parked outside of the meeting, headed by Ma­ honey's brother, a police captain. How many of these forty sailors who did not vote were resi­ dents of Seattle and were reluctant to publically announce their opposition to Mahoney, who was in a position to finger them to the cops— especially in view of the fact that it is always Page Seven open season on seamen as far as the police in the Port of Seattle are concerned. It was obvious even to a first tripper that the cops were there to back Mahoney, and to see to it that the meeting did not bar him. During all the time of this beef, the MahoneyTrotskyite gang have not been able to get sup­ port outside of Seattle, where, with their goon squads and the Seattle police force they were able to imtimidate the membership. True, the Portland Branch did support these buzzards for the first few meetings, primarily because the Mahoney-Trotskyites sent their men in there to pack the meetings and to distort the issues. The most noted disruptor who invaded the Portland meetings was none other than Seattles' Dick Christian, a disgruntled, would be "labor leader" who is up on charges for carrying on his dis­ ruptive role in the SUP. However, it didn't take long for the member­ ship in Portland to see through these phonies, and the Portland membership has consistently opposed the Mahoney-Trotskyite gang ever since. The "Seattle Committee" elected at the pre­ vious meeting to "investigate" the whole affair then reported, and in a lengthy document (19 legal size sheets), typical in words and expres­ sion due to Lovell's influences to a Trotskyite manifesto, not only completely exonerated Ma­ honey, but found the majority of the member­ ship who filed the charges and voted Mahoney out of the SUP and the elected officials "guilty" of crimes against the membership. That is, they found the overwhelming majority of the mem­ bers guilty of crimes against themselves, while only Mahoney and his Trotskyite, and gashound cohorts were innocent. Leon Trotsky, or for that matter Joe Stalin himself, could not have done a better job of misrepresentation and distortion of facts than Lovell and his "committee" did. From this time on, the Mahoney-Trotskyitegashound Brigade really went to town. They started to throw their weight around, and openly intimidated the membership. The August 1 meeting was run by strong arm methods. Pro-SUP members at this meeting were told to sit down and shut up—or else. As a clincher, the motorized division of their outfit— Captain Mahoney of the police force and his squad cars—was again parked outside of the meeting, ready to clean out the loyal SUP men. The Seattle officials again notified the mem­ bership that the meeting was unconstitutional, inasmuch as Mahoney was present. But the Mahoney-Trotskyite gang, thanks to the presence of the police cars, was firmly in the saddle and they proceeded to go on with the illegal meet­ ing. On August 8, the Seattle SUP Agent posted a notice on the bulletin board, stating that no further meetings would be held in Seattle, until �Page Eight the provision of the Constitution, that no one but SUP members in good standing be at the meetin, was lived up to. This was done under the instruction of the membership at the August 1 Headquarters m,eeting, by a supreme quorum, the highest authority of the union, and also con­ curred in by the majority of the Branches of the SUP. Despite the definite instructions of the sup­ reme quorum, the Mahoney-Trotskyite union wreckers proceeded to hold a rump meeting that night. Under the chairmanship of Frank Lovell, the local Trotskyite fuehrer who was and is directing this revolt against the SUP, the wreck­ ers adopted two resolutions. One set up an "Emergency Committee to ac­ quaint the entire membership of the Sailors Union with the unconstitutional and undemo­ cratic action of the officials of our union and to take all steps possible to see that our Constitu­ tion is lived up to." The other instructed the "Committee" to issue a publication to pass on their lies and distor­ tions to the membership. These two resolutions definitely set up un­ constitutional and dual bodies, inasmuch as these groups are in direct conflict with constitutional provisions. The first is illegal because, even if the Mahoney-Trotskyite disrupters were right, they had not exausted the constitutional provis­ ions that govern appeals from expulsions. In­ stead of conforming to the Constitution, they were ignoring the votes of the membership and setting up a committee to fight the member­ ships' wishes. In the second, they were authorizing a paper which, since it was purporting to be the voice of the Seattle Branch of the SUP, was dual to the "West Coast Sailors," the only Union newspaper authorized by the SUP Constitution. The paper, "The Defender," hit the streets the very next day. Since the writing, typesetting, and printing of a four-page paper is a job that requires much more than one day, it is obvious that these characters had moved in accordance with a carefully plotted timetable, and had the whole thing set up and printed in advance, with­ out even waiting for their own "official" ap­ proval. "The Defender" proved to be a typical Trotskyite-commie sheet. It used every trick that these unscrupulous would-be "revolutionaries" had ever used before—outright lies and distor­ tions, half-truths, innuendoes, character assassin­ ation—in an effort to blast the Union and the elected officials. It was "The Defender"—of which four issues have so far appeared — that turned the tide against the Mahoney-Trotskyite disrupters. In­ stead of pleading Mahoney's case, and trying to show that he was "illegally" expelled, the sheet was devoted to al all-out battle against the SUP. In its pages, the Union and its elected officials were accused of every crime in the books. With each issue, the support that Mahoney and the Trotskyites had gotten from an uninformed membership—men who had just gotten off ships and had only heard the Mahoney-Trotskyite dis­ tortions—began to dwindle, as the members were able to see the job that these characters were out to do. Attendance at the Seattle rump meetings be­ gan to fall off. For example, there were about 250 in attendance on the meeting of August 8, and on^y 70 at the August 16 meeting, although later meetings did pick up somewhat^ But when they did it was not to the benefit of the disruptors, as more and more, the membership was THE SEAFARERS LOG learning the score and becoming resentful of the Trotskyite tactics against the Sailors Union. More and more of the membership was turn­ ing against them and at the October 17 meeting in Seattle, Frank Lovell, the Trotskyite water­ front section "leader" and the brains of the antiSUP campaign, was defeated for election for chairman by a rank and file SUP member. This is the first time that this had happened since Mahoney, Lovell, and the Trotskyites had come out into the open. Buf to return: the "emergency committee," having issued a dual, slanderous anti-union pa­ per, then took the next logical step in its antiSUP campaign. At their August 22 rump meet­ ing, they decided to sue the Union, and hired a Seattle legal beagle to sue the SUP on two counts: 1) To force the SUP to reinstate Ma­ honey; 2) to force SUP to pay Mahoney $450 per month from time he was expelled. In the meantime, the Trotskyites were begin­ ning to tip off more of their hand. They opened one of their hole cards, when Lovell began tell­ ing the members that it might be necessary for the "Emergency Committee" to affiliate the Seattle Branch of the SUP with Bridges' Long­ shoremen, the Marine Cooks and Stewards or the Marine Firemen and form an Alaska Sailors Union. (Interestingly enough, the MFOW, at their August 25 meeting voted to form a threedepfirtment organization.) The Trotskyite strategy was becoming clear: to split away what they could from the SUP and start an organization which they could dom­ inate. But at the same time, they were alienat­ ing those uninformed, members who because of the one-sided story they got, honestly thought that Mahoney may have been unjustly treated and that he was a bona fide "labor martyr." At this point things began to move more quick­ ly. Although the Emergency Committee still continued to publish their scabby sheet, "The Defender," they could see the handwriting on the wall. Mahoney, whose record stamps him as a guy who is strictly out for power, saw himself being outmanuevered by the Trotskyites, who controlled a majority of the Emergency Com­ mittee. Seeing himself being used as a pawn, and his support dwindling, Mahoney sued for peace and petitioned Headquarters for a new trial, of­ fering to come to Headquarters for that purpose —which he refused to do at the time he was first charged. His letter was read to the September 12 Head­ quarters meeting and rejected by a vote of 580 to 3. The following week, the other Branches al­ so rejected the appeal by the following votes: New York: 143 to none in favor. Wilmington: 132 to 2. Portland: 98 to 11. The total votes, in Headquarters and Branches, showed that 953 were against giving Mahoney a new trial, while only 16 were in favor. This should give a definite picture of what the SUP membership, who were freely*" propa­ gandized by Mahoney and the Trotskyites, think of the letter's disruption and splitting tactics. As matters stand now, the swing in Seattle is more and more against the Mahoney-Trotskyite gang. The membership, having had a chance to see how those birds operate, and for what pur­ pose, and coming in possession of the true facts, have rallied to back the SUP against the dis­ ruption of these political hacks an dtheir stooges. At this writing, the suit against the SUP has not been dropped, and the Emergency Committee is still putting out their scab sheet, "The De­ fender." On the other side, the SUP has pushed its fight against the political hacks who are trying to take over . the SUP a-la-commie-Trotskyite style. The Headquarters meeting of September 26 took two steps against them. One instructed the Secretary of the Sailors Union to prefer charges against the Emergency Committee and the publishers of "The Defender" unless they ceased their anti-Unidri activity. The other classed the Socialist Workers Party Friday, November 4. 1949 (the Trotskyites) with the communist party as dual-and hostile to the Sailors Union, and de­ clared that charges would be placed against members of these "degenerated political arms of the Soviet Union" if they continue their dis­ ruption. Both of these were concurred in b^ the membership in the ports of New York, Wilming­ ton, and Portland. Under these resolutions, the leading Trotsky­ ites and disrupters have been brought up on charges for 1) violation of the Obligation; 2) not being true and loyal to the Union, and following the rules adopted by the member­ ship; 3) refusing to abide by Section 1 of Article 17 of the Constitution, which states: "All Branches shall be under the immediate jur­ isdiction of Headquarters, and no rule adopted or any action taken by any Branch shall be con­ sidered valid or binding upon the membership or upon'the Unioiji until endorsed by the meet­ ing at Headquarters." The Trotskyites and disrupters on charges are: Sam Bayspoole, Aubrey H. F«irchild, Richard Christian, Eugene Paff, and Frank Lovell. (Editor's Note: As the LOG goes to press, we are informed that the trial committee found sup /y\EMe£fiSH(P these disrupters guilty, and that their report was concurred in by the Headquarters meeting of October 31.) This is a brief history of the beef up to now. All indications are that the SUP membership will get rid of these cancerous characters and will be stronger than ever for doing so. Meanwhile, let us see just who and what these characters are. What has Mahoney's record in the SUP been up to now? Just who and what are the Trotskyites, and what is.their role in the trade union movement? Let us lift the rock under which they have been hiding. It will be very revealing. Mahoney's Record Of Disruption In SUP John Mahoney's record in the Sailors Union is a long and dishonorable one. The minutes of the Seattle Branch overflow with instances of disruption, disobedience of membership de­ cisions, wilful sabotage of the SUP, and a dis­ graceful exhibition of office-grabbing after hav­ ing been defeated by a referendum vote of all Branches. Let's go through the record, and see what have been Mahoney's past actions in the Sailors Union: Mahoney ran for Patrolman in 1946 and was defeated by the membership in coastwise secret referendum ballot. When results were announ­ ced, Mahoney and his Seattle cohorts rigged a job for him as "special" Patrolman in Seattle, which he took over on March 4, 1946, despite the membership's disapproval. ^ Shortly after the disruptive group put Ma­ honey in as Patrolman, an independent deal was, rigged in the Port of Seattle to tie up all Alaska Steamship Co. vessels. This irresponsible stunt jeopardized the Union and the security of the membership by laying them open to lawsuits by the company. The Seattle disrupters refused to follow out the Constitution or to consider the membership's welfare, and disregarded Headquarter's order to settle the beef through regular channels provided for by the agreement. When Headquarters dispatched the Assistant SecretaryTreasurer to the Seattle Branch, he was met by process servers. �"V" Friday, November 4, 1949 On May 20, 1946, Mahoney and the Seattle Trotskyites, in a grandstand maneuver went on record to demand overtime for all work done by coolies in the Orient and to insert a rider in the Articles to that effect—which was already established SUP policy. It was also a Union rule that no member had a right to hire a coolie to do his work in the Orient. Despite his "militant" pose, Mahoney ignored the membership mandate while aboard an American Mail Lines ship this year, by taking up collections from the crew to pay coolies for doing sailors' work while in the Orient. In December, 1946, in the midst of the SUP elections, Mahoney's clique attempted to rig a deal on the Assistant Secretary-Treasurer by proposing a phony resolution demanding his re- < call. The SUP membership overwhelmingly de­ feated the resolution. In 1947 Mahoney again ran for Patrolman. Again he was defeated. Brother Laslo was elect­ ed off the Deck as Patrolman for Seattle and Headquarters ratified his election. After the 1948 election, the Mahoney clique rigged a deal on Laslo and substituted Mahoney for Laslo, in spite of the fact that Laslo was liked by the membership and was doing a good job. Headquarters and the various Branches re­ fused to concur in making Mahoney a Patrol­ man. But again the Mahoney-Trotskyite machine ignored the majority rule and the provisions of the SUP Constitution. April 12, 1948, the Union's Steamschooner Ne­ gotiating Committee reviewed the question of wages, and recommended that the membership vote on the steamschooner agreement. All the Branches voted on the agreement, with the ex­ ception of the Mahoney machine-controlled port of Seattle. Mahoney and his clique forced through a motion that the Seattle Branch abstain from voting and that the ballots which had been cast in the meeting be destroyed. Thus the Seattle membership was denied its right to vote THE SEAFARERS LOG on proposals affecting their livelihood in direct violation of the Constitution. The SUP instructed Seattle to allow the mem­ bership there to vote, but this order was ignored. In the April 26 meeting, Mahoney packed the minutes with lies and distortions on negotiations. Headquarters then went on record to notify Ma­ honey to appear before the Investigating Com­ mittee to explain his actions. Mahoney ignored j;he Committee's notification and refused to appear. On Sept. 27, Mahoney went to bat for an ex­ pelled SUP member who was suing the Union. The expelled member, Ben Weinberg, had been found guilty of working with enemies of the SUP. Mahoney and his group moved to non­ concur with the Trial Committee's report. On Sept. 29, at a Seattle special meeting, and on Oct. 4, at a regular meeting, Mahoney and his Trotskyite disrupters—the same group that is now actively fighting the SUP membership— went on record to non-concur with the member­ ship's decision to man the vessels of the Union Oil Company. Refusing to accept the majority ruling, the Mahoney clique refused to handle the company's ships when they arrived in the Port of Seattle. (The SUP had gone on record in 1935, after losing the tanker strike, to consider the tanker companies—including the Union Oil Company— as unfair to the membership of the SUP until such time as they were brought'under contract.) On Dec. 13, Mahoney made a motion to non­ concur with the issuing of probationary books to permitmen who had served as volunteer organ­ izers on the Union Oil Company's ships. On Dec. 6, Mahoney and his Seattle clique sought to split the Union by taking still another unprecedented step that was absolutely con­ trary to membership policy. They attempted to segregate members of the Black Gang and Stew­ ards Department, in a ruling that these men sit in separate, specially designated places at the Seattle meetings. The pattern of disruption and the campaign to wreck the security of SUP membership fol­ lowed by Mahoney and his group was also evi­ dent in the Rolando beef—a beef of vital concern and major importance to the SUP membership. Here again, Mahoney and his men ranged them­ selves on the side of the Union's outspoken en­ emies and against the membership of the SUP. In addition, Mahoney (aided by the Trotsky- Page Nine ites) gave aid to the "home port" boys, who's slogan is "Seattle ships for Seattle boys." They acted as though Seattle was an autonomous ^ Branch, instead of being part of the Sailors Union. Indeed, the only time they seemed to consider themselves part of the SUP was when they needed help. The rest of the time the Seattle clique would non-concur with the other Branches and refuse to follow Union policy. Other Unions have had cases of "home ports" and all have discovered that it cannot work. But Mahoney and the Trotskyites—those "lead­ ers of the revolution"—continue to support this policy. This, then, is John Mahoney as far as the SUP is concerned. One thing the record makes clear: That far from being a "martyr" persecuted be­ cause he believes in trade union democracy, as the Mahoney-Trotskyite gang claims, Mahoney has a long record of going against the -decisions of the membership; that, if anything the officials of the Sailors Union have stretched the con­ cepts of Union Democracy to the fullest possible extent, since charges could have been placed against him for any number of previous uncon­ stitutional acts. Indeed, because they didn't, a disservice was done the SUP, as the present dis­ ruptive acts of the Mahoney-Trotskyite gang proves. Once and for all his ov/n record smashes Mahoney's claim that he is a "militant" sailor who is being jobbed by the "reactionary leader­ ship of the Sailors Union." Instead, Mahoney emerges for what he is: A power-hungry guy who has consistently gone against the membership's decisions; who has placed the SUP in dangerous positions; who has helped dual and hostile organizations attempting to smash the SUP; and who has sabotaged the Sailors Union at all turns. This is the record of the man who will bring "democracy" to the Sailors Union—the TrotskyStalin style. Judge for yourself. Trotskyism: Enemy Of Democratic Unions What are the Trotskyites? What do they stand for? What are they trying to do in the labor movement? Many of us have at one time or an­ other come across some of these characters, and have heard them spout the "party-line" like an evangelist giving out free passports to heaven. You may have read some of their literature, promising you the "better life" if you follow their leadership. You may even have met some on the picketline, because Trotskyites make it a point to be very active in whatever Union they happen to be in-^as a matter of fact, the party forces them to get jobs in basic industries, to join and be ac­ tive in the unions—they do this so that they can "stand out" before the membership and, if at all possible, be elected to positions of authority. In view of the SUP Seattle beef it would be very interesting to examine these Trotskyites a little more closely to see just what they are, and if their union-busting role in Seattle is the ex­ ception to their general trade union policies. Let's take a look at the record—at their record, as they themselves wrote it. First of all, the, Trotskyites are a splinter group of the communist party, formed 'in 1928 when Leon Trotsky and his followers were kick­ ed out of the communist international by Joe Stalin. Their position then, as it is now, was that Rus­ sia is a "workers' state" and must be defended at all costs. Their beef against Russia is not that it is run by the commies—but rather that it is not run by the right commies. They believe that if the present "degenerate bureaucrats" were thrown out and replaced by Trotskyite commies then everything would be okay. For the first five years of their organization, they were content to snipe at the commies, and they even called themselves "a faction" of the communist party and of the communist interna­ tional. They used all the tactics they had learned when they were Stalin's buddies to lop off a member here and there from the commies. They made no attempts to get other rq^ruits, because the "masses" (meaning the average working stiff) were "undeveloped, unorganized and un­ educated" while the commies were the "van­ guard" or so-called "leaders" of the working class. "Then in the early part of 1933," writes James Cannon, the Trotskyite fuehrer in America (His­ tory of American Trotskyism, page 104), "we began to intervene more actively in the general labor movement . . . We did not engage in ac­ tivity merely for the sake of activity ... We were prepared to enter the mass movement with a clearly defined program and with methods calculated to bring the maximum results to the revolutionary movement ..." The "revolutionary movement," of course, was the Socialist Workers Party, the Trotskyite or­ ganization. So from the very beginning, when they decided to enter into "mass" work, their purpose was clear—to work in the trade unions as a political organization, for their own inter­ ests. There is no point in going any further in the history of the Trotskyite party. It is enough to show that they were conceived in the commun­ ist party, were raised on the same disruptioni^ tactics and, like the cotnmies, were determined to try to capture the trade union movement for their own political benefits. What we want to show, through their own official records and words, is what the Trotsky­ ites are, what they are trying to do, and expose them for the menace they are to the free, demo­ cratic trade unions. First, just what kind of organization is the Socialist Workers Party, the Trotskyites? The following quotations from resolutions passed by the party's convention on April 8, 1940, make this very clear. "The Socialist Workers Party is a revolution­ ary Marxian party, based on a definite program, whose aim is the organization of the working class in the struggle for power and the trans­ formation of the existing social order. All of its activities, its methods and its internal regime �Page Tea THE SEAFARERS LOG Friday, November 4, 1949 are subordinated to this aim and are designed to serve it." » * » "The struggle for power organized and led by the revolutionary party (that is, the Trotskyites: Ed.) is the most ruthless and irreconcilable in all history. A loosely-knit . . . undisciplined, un• trained organization is utterly uncapable of ac, complishing such world-historical tasks as the r proletariat and the revolutionary party are con{.fronted with in the present era . . . From this ; follows the party's unconditional demand upon J all its members for complete discipline in all public activities and actions pf the organization." XT. • • • , . ji "Party membership implies the obligation of . pne hundred percent loyalty to the organization, .;.the rejection of all agents of other hostile groups ,4n its ranks, and intolerance of divided loyalties in general. Membership in the party necessitates ijja minimum of activity in the organization, as established by the proper unit, and under the jdirection of the party; it necessitates the fulfillyment of all the tasks which the party assigns to ;;each member. Party membership implies the obligation upon every member to contribute xpaaterially to the support of the organization in proletarian milieu (that. Brothers, means 'me­ dium or environment:' Ed.) and to attract to the ^.accordance with his means." party worker militants shall be transfered from * • * party membership to the ranks of sympathizers. "The decisions of the national party conven}:tion are binding on all party members without Special organizations of sympathizers may be . exception and they conclude the discussion of all formed for this* purpose." (Special emphasis of ^.these disputed questions upon which a decision this paragraph was given it by the Trotskyites.) These paragraphs make it clear that the Trot­ (has been taken. Any pafty member violating s the decisions of the convention, or attempting to skyites, no matter what they say about the dic­ jjevive discussion in regard to them without tatorship of Stalin over the communist parties .formal authwization of the party, puts himself all over the world, are themselves organized in (thereby in opposition to the party and forfeits the same way, and exercise the same iron-hand control over the membership as the Stalinist his right to membership." commies do. ^ In other words, when a man joins the Trotsky­ They also make it very clear that their first ites, he has signed himself over completely to target is the free, democratic trade unions of this the party. He must do those things that the party tells him to do. He cannot question any country to take control of them for the Trotsky­ policy of the party unless the party gives him ites' political advantage. But perhaps more proof is needed. Have a permission, and there's no chance of that. In look at something that Leon Trotsky himself addition he must give "materially" to the party wrote about their attitude toward trade unions. ^and that means heavy financial support. In a pamphlet called "Their Morals And Ours," Does that give you an idea? Well, here are I more quotes from the 1940 Trotskyite convention: on pages 32-33, Trotsky has this to say: "In 1935, through a letter to my Belgian . "The Bolshevik party of Lenin is the only friends, I developed the conception that the at­ party in history which successfully conquered tempt of a young revolutionary party to or­ I and held state power. The Socialist Workers i Party, as a combat organization, which aims at ganize "its own' trade unions is equivalent to achieving power in this country, models its or­ suicide. It is necessary to find the workers where ganization forms and methods after those of the they are. But this means paying dues in order Russian Bolshevik party, adapting them, natur­ to sustain an opportunist apparatus? 'Of coursei' ally, to the experience of recent years and to I replied, 'for the right to imdermine the re­ formists it is necessary temporarily to pay them .concrete American conditions." a contribution.' But the reformists will not per­ mit us to undermine them? 'True,' I answered. "To transform the SWF into a proletarian party of action, particularly in the present pe­ riod of reaction, it is not enough to continue iPropagandistic activities in the hope that by an automatic process workers will flock to the ban­ ners of the party. It is necessary, on the con­ trary, to make a concerted, determined and sys­ tematic effort, consciously directed by the lead­ ing committees of the party, to penetrate the workers' movement, establish the roots of the ^arty in the trade unions, the mass labor organi"undermining demands conspirative measures. isations and in the workers' neighborhoods and Reformists are the political police of the bour­ '.tecruit worker militants into the ranks of the geoisie within the working class. We must act party. without their |(ermission, and against their inter­ , "To proletarianze the party, the following steps diction ..." * are imperative: That's pretty cle^, isn't it? Comrade Trotsky "1. The entire party membership must be di­ doesn't mince any words, or hide behind the rected towards rooting, itself in the factories, fancy double-talk phrases that'those long haired inills, etc., and towards integrating itself in the boys like to use. They're out to "undermine the unions and workers' mass organization^ reformists" (a "reformist" is any trade union "2. Those members of the party who are not official or rank and file leader who isn't a Trot­ workers shall be assigned to work in labor or­ skyite; unless he's a commie, and then he's a ganizations, in workers' neighborhoods and with "Stalinist betrayer"), and "undermining demands the worker-fractions of the party—to assist them conspirative measures," because the damned re­ and leam from them. AU unemployed members formists won't permit themselves to be xmdermust belong to and be active in organizations of mined. the unemployed. In the face of this statement, it's impossible to Y "Those party members who find it impossible put any sort of belief in any Trotskyite state­ after a reasonable period of time to work in a ments when they talk of fighting for democ­ racy in trade unions, when they talk of fighting for the protection and advancement of the workingman. By their own words (which the ordinary working stiff seldom sees, because they are generally written for the long hairs and are full of specialized "Marxist" phrases) their aim is to capture control of the labor movement for poli­ tical purposes, and by using every conniving trick in the books. In the book mentioned above, on page 30, Trotsky, with an approving comment, quotes Lenin, the founding father of both communism and Trotskyism, as saying: "It is necessary to be able ... to resort to all sorts of devices, maneuvers, and illegal methods, to evasion and subterfuge, in order to penetrate into the trade unions', to remain, in them, and to carry on communist work in them at all costs." In carrying out their "conspirative measures" and "maneuvers and illegal methods," they draw no line. They would just as soon as not destroy a union, if they cannot capture it. (The record of the communist party in this is much hiore evident, but that is only because the Trotskyites are a younger, weaker organization. Give them time, Brother.) What they are doing now in Seattle—working with dual unions, and an expelled member and the Seattle police force, in an effort to weaken and split the SUP—is living proof of this. The Trotskyites' union record is studded with instances where they worked hand in hand with the commies (whom they call "betrayers of the working class"X with fascist elements and rack­ eteers, in order to defeat the "reformist" union leadership. In recent years they banded with those groupings in the United Automobile Work­ ers, International Ladies Garment Workers Union, The United Steel Workers, and many others. Most recently, at the convention of the National Maritime Union, they even lined up with the Stalinist commies to try to take a piece of that union for themselves. Their present role in the NMU is interesting in view of their history in maritime. Originally, on orders from the party, the Trotskyites flocked into the Sailors Union, on the theory that it offered, as a union with no established "bureau­ cracy," an excellent opportunity for these hot­ shot "militants" to take over. Then, when the A&G District was chartered by the Seafarers International Union, a group of them were or­ dered by the party to transfer to the East and Gulf Coasts. There for some years, they di^ their best, using their grandest "conspirative measures" to gain control. They used individual against in­ dividual, group against group, port against port,, in their attempt to capture the A&G District for the "revolution." They did not hesitate to spread lies and slanders against anyone who fought �Friday. Noyember 4. 1949 them and their political propaganda in the union. Perhaps one example will illustrate the depths to which these disrupters will sink in order to carry out the Trotskyite party line. During the 1946 General Strike, when the SIU tied up the waterfront of the entire nation to keep the freely negotiated wage increases that the Washington bureaucrats tried to take away, a few Trotskyites were on the Headquarters Strike Committee, True to the Trotskyite line as published in their scandal sheet, the/'Militant," they proposed fhat the NMU, then controlled by the commies, be invited to a joint strike committee. This the strike committee voted down. Imme­ diately the Trotskyites began a vicious campaign of character assassination and deliberate lies against one of the officials who had been partic­ ularly active in opposing their "united front" proposition. In gin mills and even on picket lines Trotsky Hacks spread the word that this official was an oldtirne anti-labor goon; that he had been one of the ringleaders when the Ku Klux Klan fatally flogged Joseph Shoemaker, a labor or­ ganizer, in Tampa in 1935. That this scabby lie did not go over was not the Trotskyites* fault. Certainly they did their best, during an extremely dangerous time for the Union—when it was important that the Union be united in action and high in morale— to disrupt the strike apparatus by casting re­ flections on the pro-unionism of a leading figure in the strike in precisely the same manner as they had done in other strikes in other fields. This finky tactic did more than fail—it back­ fired against the Trotskyite plotters. An alert membership began to see them for what they were: a conspirative group which put their Trot­ skyite party far above the interests of the Union; a group that was out, not to win higher wages and better conditions for the membership, but to make the SIU a jiawn in their plot to estab­ lish their "bolshevik" dictatorship over the peo­ ple and maritime workers of the United States. From that time on, whatever small influence they had got as "militants" in the organization began to fall. They were through in the A&G District, and. they knew it. Then when Joe Curran began to turn against his former commie buddies in the NMU, Myers, Smith, et al., and asked for help, they flocked to the NMU. Among the well-known Trotskyites who went to the NMU were such party hotshots as Ray Sparrow, Harry Becker (now an NMU Patrolman, he left the SIU sometime before the other Trotskyites,) Sam Shatovnick and Tom Kerry. Why Curran, after his long experience with the Stalinist commies, should have welcomed these Trotskyite commies is something that only he can explain, and he hasn't found a good answer yet. But Curran soon found out. No sooner had the Trotskyites gotten into the NMU .to "help" throw the commies out of office and weaken the com­ mie group in the NMU, than they (the Trotsky­ ites) joined up with the commies and a few would-be "labor leaders" to throw Curran out of the NMU. Why? Well, key NMU officials would not let themselves be" controlled by the Trotskyites. They wanted -to do all the controlling them­ selves. But why did the Trotskyites line up with the commies and the strictly-for-pie guys? Well, the commies were weakened and could not cap­ ture the entre organization. If Curran's machine could be defeated, then some of the power would fall into the Trotskyites' hands. A few weeks after the convention, Charlie Keith, an expelled commie, appeared at the Bal­ timore NMU meeting with two commies and two Trotskyites. These four phonies worked to­ gether as a bloc to try to defeat the convention decisions. On the face of it, this is a queer coalition. But it is not queer, once you realize that both the commies and Trotskyites hold m common one basic belief-"we will work with anyone on any issue, as long as we stand to gain, no matter what happens to the union." THE SEAFARERS LOG No matter that the commies "betrayers of the working class" would also get some power. What mattered was that ihey, the Trotskyites, would have some power, and could try from there on to work to consolidate control. To hell with the union, or the welfare of the member­ ship! Political control of the union was more important!' In "The History of American Trotskyism," James Cannon tells (without apologies—on the contrary, with pride) of the time the Trotskyites sold a strike down the river and smashed a union, all in the name of "party discipline," and to save the party's face. But let Cannon tell the story (pages 126-134): "At the turn of the eventful year of 1933, an organizational movement began among the hardpressed hotel workers in New York City, who had been without union protection for years . . . This revived organization movement offered us (the Trotskyites) our first big chance in the mass movement since 1928. We had an opportunity to penetrate this movement from the beginning, to shape its development, and eventually to have the leadership of a general strike of hotel work­ ers in New York. The affair ended in a disgrace­ ful debacle through the incompetence and treach­ ery of" some individual members of our move­ ment who were placed in key positions . . . "... By chance, a few members of our party belonged to this independent union which be­ came the medium for the organization campaign. As the hotel workers began to turn toward unionism in a big way, this handful of Trotskyists found themselves in the midst of a swirling mass movement. We had a comrade, an old-time militant in the trade, and after years of isolation he suddenly found himself an influential figure. Then we had in the party at that time a man named B. J. Field, an intellectual. He had never been engaged in trade union work before. But he was a man of many intellectual accomplish­ ments, and in our general push toward mass work, in our drive for contact with the mass movement. Field was assigned to go into the hotel situation to help our faction and to give the union the benefit of his knowledge as a statistician, an economist and a linguist. "It happened that the most strategically im­ portant sector in the hotel situation was a group of French chefs . . •. (who) played a predominant role. Many of these French chefs could not speak' or discuss things in English. Our intellectual could talk French with them till the cows came home. This gave him extraordinary importance in their eyes. The old secretary was leaving of­ fice, and . . . the French chefs insisted that Field should be secretary of this promising union, and he was duly elected ..." Cannon goes on to relate how the Trotskyites went all out for the strike. They "poured every­ thing we had into the task to make it successful. The whole New York organization was mobilized ..." The strike had a promising beginning, but then began to encounter some difficulties. The Trotskyites tried to advise Field how to deal with the government agencies. But Field had ideas of his own. "He disregard­ ed the fraction (caucus: Ed.) of his own party in the union—which is always the sign of a manwho has lost his head . . . Field began to dis­ regard the militants of his own party fraction who were right there by his side and should have been the machine through which he car­ ried out everything. Not only that. He began to disregard the National Committee . . . "Each day that went by, our heedless intellect­ ual pulled farther away from us . . . We begged him to consult us, to come and talk to the Na­ tional Committee about the policy of the strike Page Eleven which was beginning to sag because it was. being directed wrongly . . . "Eventually the hotel strike bogged down . . . Meanwhile our enemies were waiting to say: 'We * told you so. The Trotskyists are nothing but sectarian hair splitters. They can't do mass work. They can't lead strikes.' It was a heavy blow to us. We had the name of, leading the strike but not the influence to shape its policy, thanks to the treachery of Field. We were in danger of having our movement compromised. If we should condone what was being done by Field and his group we could only spread demoralization in our own ranks ... "We had before us a fundamental problem which is decisive for every revolutionary poli­ tical party: Shall trade union functionaries de­ termine the party line and lay down the law to the party, or shall the party determine the line and lay down the law to the trade union func­ tionaries? The problem was posed point-blank in the midst of this strike. We did not evade the issue. The decisive action which we took at that time colored all the future developments of our party in the trade union field and did a great deal to shape the character of our party. / "We put Mr. Field on trial in the middle of the strike. Big as he was, we brought charges against him for violating party policy and parly discipline ... "We proceeded resolutely to expel Field and all those who solidarized with him in that situa­ tion. We threw them out of our organization in the midst of the strike." (Emphasis ours: Ed.) There is the whole sordid story. Because they had lost political control of a union, they sold 10,000 strikers down the river. Because they no longer could direct the course of the strike, they pulled out their support (whatever that was— but every man counts in a strike situation) so that the Trotskyites would not be "compromised'* if the strike was to be lost. Yet this is not an isolated incident. Their finky action in the hotel strike follows very definitely from their program, from their concept of trade unionism. The Trotskyites believe, as they have made very clear, that a union cannot exist mere­ ly for the improvement of working conditions and the raising of wages. In that case it would be "reformist." It must be under the control and direction of a "revolutionary" party (the Trot­ skyites, of course), and the union's program and actions must be subordinated to the political program of the Trotskyites. If it is politically important for the Trotsky­ ites to call a strike—say, for example, in a de­ fense plant during wartime, in order to weaken or overthrow the "ruling class"—they will not hesitate to do so, even thought the workers and the country stand only to lose. The unions are important only insofar as they can be used to carry out the overall strategy of the Trotsky­ ites. Nothing else matters. If necessary, they will not hesitate to smash a union, if by doing so they stand a chance to pick up the pieces. Lack of space is the only thing that keeps this article from being three or four times as long. The Trotskyite record, like that of the commies, is a stench in the nostrils of the labor movement. But even this brief article is enough to hang these political finks by their own record. There is no place in the labor movement for characters who place the interests of a poli­ tical party over and above that of their trade union which puts the bread into their mouths and gives them job security. The Trotskyites have gotten no place in the A&G District—the membership never went for their line of hokum. And as far as the SUP is concerned, the few Trotskyites there have dug their grave themselves—as they had to, inevit­ ably. They are on their way out of the "reform­ ist" labor movement, along with their co-con­ spirators, the commies, so the chances are that you won't come across very many of them. But, if you should by chance, let them know very definitely that you don't go for their kind of disruptionist bull. �THE SEAFARERS Page Twelve LOG Friday, Koi^ber 4, 194d NEWS Seatrain NJ Crew Sponsors Frolic In Louisiana Port SEAFARERS PULL TOGETHER Down in Belle Chasse, Louisiana, the word Seafarer packs a lot of good will among the local folks. And you can thank the men aboard the Seatrain ships, especially those on the Seatrain New* Jersey, for creating a con­ siderable measure of this good will. The deaths of two Sea­ farers, Charles A. Miller and Lester K. Hodges, were" re­ ported to the LOG this week. Brotherly Spirit Works Overtime On a recent. stopover at Belle Chasse, where Seatrain ships tie-up and which is sort of a hop, On Steel Worker skip and a jump from New Or­ leans, the crew of the railroad car carrier New Jersey played host to the community for an evening's fun and frolic. Scene of the gambol was Belle Chasse's Spotlight Tavern where the boys set up a full three hours of motion picture entertainment, amateur vaude­ ville and dancing. The carnival atmosphere was enhanced by the customary popcorn, potato chips and cokes, also supplied by the boys from the New Jersey. The number one spot of the film presentations, went to the SIU's documentary of the famed Wall Street beef, "The Battle of Wall Street," which created a considerable stir among the Belle Chasse audience. Seafarer Rob­ ert Lester, motion picture hobby­ ist on the New Jersey, furnished the sound projector and screen. Brother Lester also brought along a dozen musical and short features, which he ran off after the "Battle," including "Show­ boat," featuring the Andrews Sisters and "New England Holi­ day." For the rest of the evening Bill Grey was at the helm as master of ceremonies. When the session ended, the New Jersey's Delegates reported that there were no beefs, either from the" good people of Belle Chasse, or the sound Union crew of the New Jersey. In fact, they said everyone was downright happy about the whole thing and was looking forward to a repeat performance. - The boys aboard the SS Steel Worker, Isthmian, keep the old Union spirit working overtime. Not long ago the Steel Worker Seafarers bought a nevv wash­ ing machine and up c.nme the question: "What to do with the old one?" In typical Union style, the crev^ decided at the Sept. 25 shipboard meeting to turn it over to another SIU ship. Indirectly, the purchase of a new washing machine also had recreational benefits for the Steel Worker crew. The $13 that was left over from the original col­ lection is to be used in getting additional athletic equipment ^r the crew, it was decided at the shipboard session. The Steel Rover attempts to refloat the Beaver Victory (rear). Despite two days of tugging and straining, the Steel Rover was unable to budge the ground­ ed Beaver Victory more than a half-degree from the shore of the East African coast and the Isthmian Steamship Com­ pany dispatched three tugs from India to refloat the helpless ves­ sel. They failed too, and the ship is being unloaded at the spot. Russell Lund, Utility, on the Steel Rover, reported that his ship passed the Beaver Victory while proceeding from the Ara­ bian Sea to the Red Sea on Sept. 9. The attempts at refloat­ ing the Beaver Vic were made several times at high tide, with steam up high. Voice Of The ,Sea' By "SALTY DICK" Although practically every Seafarer who has been elected to a Port Agent's job has served as a Patrolman, it might be a good idea to add the following to the requirements for the im­ portant Agent's posts: That all candidates have at least one year's experience before being eligible for the higher job. Mfchael Kolonik has a problem concerning love. He" plans on saving some money and then asking the girl to become his one and only... The recent ac- HITTING THE ROAD IN HONG KONG Brothers Miller, Hodges Die In US Hospitals Brother Miller died on Sept. 23 at the US Naval Hospital, Long Beach, Calif., after being removed from the Isthmian ship SS Meredith Victory, on which he had been employed as Sec­ ond Cook and Baker. Burial services, arranged and paid for by the Union, were held at Westminster Memorial Park in Long Beach. Meredith Victory crewmembers H. Lanier, R. D. Ewing, M. Pasquale, J. Paerels, N. W. Kirk and R. J. Cella serv­ ed as pallbearers. Flowers were sent by crews of the Santa Clara Victory and the Pennmar. Brother Miller, who resided in Providence, R. I., was born in New York Nov. 20, 1912. He joined the SIU" in New York May 25, 1943 and held Book No. 25904. Besides his mother, Mrs. Mary J. .MiUer, of 254 Lenox Ave., Providence, R. I., he is survived by a sister. HODGES DIED IN BALTIMORE Brother Hodges died sudden­ ly in the Baltimore Marine Hos­ pital on Aug. 2. He had been an SIU member since May 18, 1944, when he received Book No. 33962 in New Orleans. The body was brought for burial to Lake Luzerne, N. Y., where Hodges lived with his family. An Oiler, Brother Hodges made his last trip on the SS Southwind. He was born in Sara­ toga Springs, N. Y., July 19, 1893. Surviving are his mother, Mrs. Josephine Gilroy, of Lake Luz­ erne; two sons, Lester K. of Milwaukee and Edward A. of the U. S. Army; five brothers and five sisters. Brother Hodges was also in good standing and the Union paid burial benefit. tion of the Alcoa Ranger crew Annual SIU elections are com­ willing the shipboard washing ing up soon. A good Union man machine to the nearest Union will always have "Voted" stampHall in the event the ship is ' ed in his membership book — ever laid-up or transferred to unless, of course, he was at sea another flag sounds like- smart during balloting. thinking. Maybe other crews will Sorry to hear 4hat "Red" Honfollow suit. neycutt is in the New Orleans Ivan Duming of the SS Ca­ Marine Hospital. Maybe some of valier is waiting on tables . . . you guys can find time to drop Some men say that our publica­ him a line. It'll make Red aw­ tion, the SEAFARERS LOG, fully happy . . . Some time ago should be financed by an annual Bob Creel said he was figuring assessment. Others prefer the on staying'ashore for awhile. But present voluntary method of do­ Bob's apparently like all seamen nations. What do you think? ... and can't get the salt water out Some of the boys who have been of his mind. He's back at the calling at Trujillo City are buy­ Union Hall in New Orleans wait­ ing beautiful salad bowls for ing for a ship. But then, who their wives. takes an oldtimer seriously when Jack Nagler would rather he says "no more sea for me." look at a race horse than a beautiful woman. Don't ask me why. I can't see it myself... Fred -Barthes may have to leave his ship soon because of a broken finger . . . Jack DoThe experience Henry C. Sanabria got while shining len is heading for the Staten Island Marine Hospital for a brass-as a Deck Gang man aboard SIU ships ought to spell. But he plans to head for prove mighty valuable to him one of these days. The one­ old New Orleans as soon as time Seafarer is now attend-* ' rz: he recovers. iHg the United States Naval Sa-abna began saUmg as an SIU permit man. He remained in the Regardless of when you run Academy at Annapolis, Md., Union until late in 1948, when into John Ulas, he's dressed to and who can say that Hank he rejoined the Navy in Balti­ kill. Right now, John is- waiting for a job as Bosun—prefers a won't .some day make his more. He took the Naval Academy long trip ,.. Irving Blumenberg star as a ranking Navy examinations for enlisted rrien is reading the New York Times brasshat. in April 1949 and shortly after while he nurses a charley horse. Sanabria entered the Academy was informed that he had made He got it roUer skating . . . this month as a plebe—the Navy the grade. Tommy Horan just left the East Among the SIU ships Sanabria Coast. About 30 years ago, he term for a first-year man—after a stint as a seaman at the Naval sailed were the SS Mooring danced in all the night clubs Station, Bainbridge, Md., accord­ Hitch, Alcoa; SS Steel Designer, of Europe, but always managed ing to Anthony Stanton, FOW. Isthmian; SS Overling Victory, to be aboard ship and working and the tanker Nathaniel Pal­ Discharged from the Navy in the next morning. He recently mer, Palmer Shipping Company. 1947 after a four-year hitch. celebrated his 58th birthday. -Brass-Polishing May Help Seafarer Now Academy Man Michael Kolonik believes in riding in style when he sets out to see the sights of the town. This photo was taken vhoi he was working as Chief Electrician aboard the SS Steel Executive. �Friday, November 4, 1949 THE SEAFARERS LOG Page Thirieen Digested Minutes Of Sill Ship Meetings INES, Aug. 27—G. Quinones, ALLEGHENY VICTORY, Sept. Chairman; F. Loriz, Secretary. 17—F. Beers, Chairman; E. Au Few hours disputed overtime in busson. Secretary. Ship's Dele­ Deck Gang, dispute over ^ two gate reminded delegates that all dollars in lieu of linen in Black contested overtime should be Gang and no. beefs in Stewards. turned in to him before ship's J. Soto elected Ship's Delegate. arrive in Los Angeles at which Deck beef on equalization of time he will send copies prop­ overtime was squared away in erly written up by Captain to typical SIU style after a dis­ headquarters. Under Education cussion of matter. Steward said crew discussed topics from Un­ he will issue linen to men in ion's Bulletin, including Pana­ amount turned in. Recommended ma boycott question, sending, of that the cold water shower be arms aid in US ships, and Un­ checked. ion's fight to protect indemnity rights of injured seamen. ^ % TRINITY, Sept. 9—J. Bolz. ter to Ore SS Co., re: food sit­ 4. 4, 4. Chairman; J. P. Mason, Secre­ uation. Same to be referred to JEFFERSON CITY VICTORY, tary. No beefs in any of the de­ Patrolman. No major beefs. Sept. 4—R. Sweeney, Chairman; ELSCTtON partments. Motion carried to try Ship's Delegate brought up J. Riley, Secretary. Motion car­ Black Gang beef regarding pro­ to get second pumpman added ried to excuse Bosun and Deck to manning scales. Under Ed­ longed watches occasioned by Maintenance. R. Sweeney elect­ ucation, the Union and its prob­ time changes at Sandy Poiht. ed Ship's Delegate. Chief En­ \9BO OPFiaAl^ lems were discussed. All hands To be referred to Patrolman up­ gineer is to be asked to replace agreed that the new overseas on arrival. Suggested that U- whistle in engine room with Bulletin that is mailed to each brary be replenished while ship, something less.noisy. One min­ ship is just what we needed as is in drydock. Steward will take ute of silence in memory of Bro­ it gives members the up-to-date care of this. thers lost at sea. S. t. X goings on in our organization; X X i STEEL VENDOR, Sept. 18 — ROBIN GRAY. Motion by J. Crowley, seconded Sept. 4-.Tex by J. Bolz, carried calling for Wiley Parrot, Chairman; Vincent Morton, Chairman; R. Oden, Sec­ vote of thanks for the Stewards Orencio, Secretary. Delegates re­ retary. No beefs in any of the Department in appreciation of ports accepted. Brother Maher departments. Jack Heacox elect­ its fine work in feeding the moved and it was carried that ed Ship's Delegate by unani­ letter be sent to Headquarters mous vote. Suggested that Ship's crew. stating that crew is wholeheart­ Delegate see Captain about edly in favor of the new General painting PO mess and about get­ Fund assessment. Motion carried ting water cooler fixed. Steward that new members of crew who sent report on shortage of meat have not contributed for pur­ stores to New York Hall to see chase of washing machine should if something cannot be done t. t give $3.00, out of which Ole about this situation. JAMES T. RENARD visit him at his home at 1059 WILLIAM H. ALLEN, Sept. 4 Hanstvedt is to be reimbursed Anyone knowing the last ad­ Flushing. Ave., Brooklyn, N. Y., —John Morris, Chairman; John dress of Brother James T. Ren- as soon as possible. Very im­ Jakubawszek. Secretary. All del­ for the sum of $8.00, which he ard, whose death in Bremen, portant. egates' reports accepted. The laid out. Remainder of contribu­ Germany, while a crewmember Ship's Delegate said that Union­ tions are to go into ship's fund 4 4 4 of the Ames Victory, has recent­ GEORGE MELTZER ism should not be .preached after deducting cost of films and ly been reported to his family, The material which you re­ from the barroom floor. Charges developing to reimburse Brother XXX will please forward it to his quested has been forwarded to to be filed against crewmem- Joe Dioquino for pictures taken. BEATRICE. Sept. 16—A. Lob- brother Louis J. Renard, 6149 the New Orleans Hall from New S' SI jt> bers accused of slanderous re­ MONROE VICTORY, Sept. 11 bregt. Chairman; G. Clark, Sec­ 62nd Ave., Maspeth, L.I., N.Y. York. marks against Union, for mak­ ing statement to communist —E. F. Spear, Chairman; H. Lea, retary. - No beefs reported; all The family is anxious to get 4 4 4 newspaper and for hiring a com­ Secretary. Serano elected Ship's overtime okay. After discussion James' personal belongings, and HORATIO ALVES DeSILVA mie lawyer to pay off despite Delegate. No beefs reported. Sail­ of -the matter all hands agreed will be grateful for any assist- Get in touch with Frank Co^ sentino, 198 Bond St., Brooklyn, advice against this. Motion car­ ed- out of Frisco short a Chief that ' supper should be served' N.Y. He has important informa­ ried that no one is to pay off Cook, who is to be replaced in at 4:30 PM on Saturdays and 4. 4- 4. first port of call on East Coast. Sundays in port. There was also SOL MARICINO tion about your citizenship pa­ until beefs are settled. Wages to be divided between discussion on the problem of ob­ Please get in touch with Mrs. pers. it 3^ ifc SEATRAIN NEW JERSEY, galley crew and Steward. Mo­ taining fresh milk in San Juan. Warren, 915 St. Paul St., Balti­ 4 4 4 Aug. 29—John Jellele, Chair­ tion carried that all beefs, no Delegates are to see Patrolmen more, Md. Very important. WALTER CHAMBERLIN man; Secretary Si Magnan. No matter how small, be submitted about this. Steward recommendVery urgent that you contact 4 4 4 beefs. Ship's Delegate reported in writing to Ship's or depart- ed that delegates see the Port ALFRED L. GRAHAM, JR. your son at 209 Pelton Ave., that repairs had been caught up ment delegates. Amendment to Steward ..about supplying more You are requested to get in Staten Island 10, N.Y. with in New Orleans. Bill Cham- motion carried that if beefs con­ fruit juices in port. touch with Herman Rabson or 4 4 4 plin. Deck Delegate read four cern only one department it DAVID HERON Benjamin Sterling, 42 Broadway, XXX sections of agreement pertain­ should be handled by that de­ INES, Sept. 17—G. Quinones, New York 4, N. Y., regarding Get in touch with Mr. & Mrs. ing to discrimination, duties, partment. Members reminded Chairman; F. Loriz, Secretary. the injuries you sustained aboard Wm. Riebenstein, Apt. 7, 1408 working by Mate, and time off. that Union pamphlets are avail­ Ship's Delegate will see the Pa- the SS Helen on or about Dec. Logan Ave., N.W., Canton, Ohio. trolman about getting the foc'sles 7, 1947. Deck Delegate requested meet­ able in recreation room. 4 4 4 painted. Few hours disputed ov­ ing of Deck Gang immediately EDDIE BURNETT 4 4 4 4. 4> 4' after this meeting to elect new Get in touch with Benjamin MARION E. MOODY SEATRAIN NEW JERSEY, ertime in Deck and Engine De­ delegate. Steward will order new Sept. 27—Bill Champlin, Chair­ partments, everything else okay. Will you please get in touch B. Sterling, 42 Broadway, New coffee pots for Deck and Black man; W. R. MacDonald, Secre­ Lengthy • discussion about whose with Herman Rabson or Benja­ York. Gangs. At Deck Gang meeting tary. Ship's Delegate reported job it is to clean recreation room. min Sterling regarding accident 4 4 4 Bill Champlin was re-elected man missed ship in New Orleans, After majority of Brothers blew aboard the SS A. P. Hill on or MELVIN JONES Deck Delegate and given a vote forcing other two Oilers to stand their tops, it was agreed that about Nov. 10, 1947, in which This injured Brother is in the of confidence. extra sea watches. Motion -by the three departments are to John J. Blair was injured and Garga Hospital, Ancon, Canal Zone, and would like to hear which you witnessed. Jellelte carried recommending rotate on the job. from his friends. that maintenance of SEAFAR­ 4 4 4 JOHN NOVAK ERS LOG be put on assessment 4 4 4 BILL DORAN Get in touch immediately with basis and that membership to the office of Richard M. Cantor, Your Aunt Mary died. Get in vote on this in referendum vote. XXX Room 1109-1111, 51 Chambers touch with your Aunt Ann. PONCE DE LEON, Sept. 5— Cab situation in Texas City dis­ St., New York 7, N. Y. cussed and Beulah, who is an Whidden, Chairman; Tindell, JOE STACOWITCZ 4 4 4 AFL member was commended Secretaryv- Ship's Delegate re­ Get in touch with Tommy SEATRAIN TEXAS, Sept. 18— ALEXANDER MENDICINI to membership. ported that Captain had lifted Griner, at the New Orleans Hall. Your mother is anxious to hear Frank Prazler, Chairman; John XXX all logs. All okay in the depart­ from you and asks that you write Messick, Secretary. No beefs in DEL MAR, Oct. 2 — Harold ments, delegates reported. Mo­ THOMAS B. GRINER tion carried to post minutes of Tennani, Chairman; Robert Cal­ any of the departments. Motion to her as soon as possible. Write to your mother at Coracarried that Headquarters take lahan, Secretary. Ship's Delegate 4 4 4 last meeting on bulletin board. zal. Canal Zone. up with Seatrain Line.s the ABRAHAM WERMICK read letters sent to the LOG and Motion carried recommending Get in touch with your mother that we do not turn in for the SS Puerto Rico Advocate. question of having an escape THOMAS W/HARRIS launch service in Genoa due to No beefs to report. Treasurer hatch cut or installed in after at Swan Lake Road, Ferndale, Contact Richard M. Cantor, 51 N. Y. She is worried about you. passageway of the crews' quar­ fact thqt Captain paid for same. reported that $27 was on . hand Chambers St., New York, as soon ters on starboard side, also cut­ 4 4 4 Discussion on ship laying up in ship's fund after purchasing as possible. GEORGE WADE GENTRY ting a door in forward end of for repairs and if laid up, wash­ Union films. R. B. Callahan elec­ 4 4 4 ing machine be left on ship ted Ship's Delegate by acclama­ passageway, and that they take Get in touch with your mother, JOHN P. DI DIO Mrs. C. R. Gentry, 5815 N. Mili­ up with company installation of tion. Rodrique elected Treasurer for next crew. Your Brother, Dominic, wants tary St., Oklahoma City, Okla. square windows in wheelhouse by acclamation. All hands were X. X X you to get in touch with him 4 4 4 SANTORE, Sept. 5—L. Brll- instructed to return cups to mess- so quartermaster may be able to ^ RAY RINGO at 700 Highland Blvd., Brook­ see out when steering on orders hall and not to leave towels in hart. Chairman; L. V. Beaulyn 7, N.Y. Johnnie Scialpi asks that you of a pilot. showers. champ, Secretary. Reading of let- cRieta-rermnder. CiQmwfK? �Page Fourteen THE SEAFARERS LOG Friday, November 4. 1949 THE MEMBEBSHIP SPEAKS SIU Home For Aged, Infirm Called 'Impractical Idea' SAND-TRAPPED IN TOKYO BAY Vacation Issue Should Be Put To Vote, He Says maneness of such an idea, if the majority do not benefit from it, To the Editor: The proposal made at a meet­ it is not practical, for the ma­ ing aboard the Seatrain New jority must pay for whatever I have read with interest Brother Frank Meo's letter, and Jersey by Brother Jellette, for an benefits the minority get. several others, in the Oct. 7, is­ establishment for "the care of As I'm writing this letter in sue of the LOG written about aged and infirm Seafarers," the recreation room Bosun A. members staying too long on seems to me at this time to be Wassfrom and AB F. . Serrahn one contracted ship. inopportune and impractical. are expressing themselves on the There are too many other is­ welfare needs of seamen. One I fully agree with him and I sues, vital and paramount that of Wassfrom's views is that sea­ think this matter should be hold the majority of Seafarers' men should assess themselves brought to the members and interests, such as the continued five dollars- a year towards a voted on. There are lots more fight against the Taft-Hartley la­ pension fund so that when a than some of our Brothers think bor law, the oppressive Coast seaman has, say about twenty who have spent two or three Guard authority over the sea­ years service at sea he would be years on certain ships without men, a welfare plan, tentatively entitled to a pension. putting their heads inside of a advocated by the SIU early this Hall to attend a meeting. This of course would be un­ year and to be made the object feasible unless the shipowners NOBODY WANTS IT of a thorough study for the wel­ This is how the Citrus Packer, Waterman, looked on the did most of the contributing to fare of the membership, etc. twenty-sixth day after being driven aground by a typhoon. It may very jvell lead to, and this pension fund. Serrahn, who It's regrettable that Brother is in his early twenties, believes Reports from crewmembers painted dismal picture of life encourage, apple-polishing. I Jellette, when he proposed this a fellow should save when he's aboard the beached vessel. With the fresh water supply almost am sure that no Brother wants plan, did not have some facts re­ young for his old age. This is gone and the plant shut down, men washed out of buckets this kind of a situation aboard lating to these "aged and infirm a commendable view, ^ but if the and prepared food on deck. ' Ship's Delegate R. E. White SIU contracted ships. Seafarers," for I believe it's seaman saves his money it will submitted hpoto. So far, the Packer has been on the beach So I agree fully with Meo more than two months, having ran afoul of the typhoon on reasonable to surmise that "aged be for nearer goals than his own that the membership do some­ Sept. 1. Seafarers" are in the minority physical decline. thing about it. There is no doubt in the SIU, and infirm or dis­ These are divergent senti­ in my mind about the outcome abled seamen but a small frac­ ments, but what these men are if the issue is brought before tion of the total membership of emphatic about is there is no the membership for action. the Union. need for a Seafarers Home at This is an important issue at This idea of a home for the this time. It would seem reason­ the present time. Other import­ old arid infirm is idealistic in able, therefore, that if a Seafarer content and does not take stock had a pension coming to him You can hear the cry aboard know, let's pass our information ant issues have been settled byof existing realities. The aver­ after his sailing days were over some ships: "Why hold educa­ on to the others who don't. And membership votes. I recommend age seaman does not have any he wouldn't give a damn about tional meetings aboard ship? I if we don't know all about it, the same action on compulsory vacations. notion of getting decrepit and a convalescent home. If he were have a full book, I know all we can sure learn. Frank Rose even those whom I've met and too sick, or enfeebled to enjoy about the Union." George L. Midgeft sailed with who are old in years, his pension he could still have But bookmen certainly should do not regard themselves as , access to the Marine Hospital understand and be familiar with candidates for a convalescent ^ ^gifa^e every feature of their Union as home. plan for the seamen he would the permitmen. Union policy It may well be when the SIU be entitled to full medical care, is a flexible thing and changes has fully studied the social as-1 despite a long period away from from time to time to meet new conditions. In order to protect pects of a seaman's life ashore the sea. in order to foster a welfare plan, A subject as vast as the wel­ yourself and your Union you Clinging steadfastly to the which would include a pension fare needs for seamen could be must keep up witl\ these hope that their son, John P. Floyd, who disappeared from the for the seaman, medical care written about almost ad infinitum changes. SS Gateway City shortly before for himself and his family at all —I hope I've 'done at least some Take the Taft-Hartley law as the vessel docked in Tacoma, times, etc., that we will have small justice to this subject. an example. A few years ago Wash., on April 1, is still alive, learned enough to set up the When and if this home for actions that • were taken for Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Floyd have delicate apparatus for the care, "aged and infirm seamen" comes granted as standard union pro­ of the aged and infirm, when up at a meeting ashore let us cedure are today a violation and appealed to Seafarer.s for aid. such a time comes that is pro­ hope those in favor of it have punishable by fines and are open The missing man's father ap­ peared last week at the office of pitious enough to warrant it. some concrete facts to offer why t^ law suits. the SEAFARERS LOG and ask­ But what I'm stressing here is it should (30 instituted. ed that the appeal be published. GET THE WHYS that despite the worth and huJohn J. Flynn Mr. Floyd urged that anyone Union education meetings with information that might be aboard ship are necessary to ex­ helpful in locating his son should THE PASSENGER UNION, TOO plain why your Union aids other write to him at Route 2, Box unions. They also provide you 163, Fairmont, No. Carolina. with an opportunity to offer con­ SEARCH FUTILE structive criticism on any phase Floyd's parents were notified of the Union policy. of his disappearance by the Wa­ The Union education meeting terman Steamship Corporation. is also the proper place to air He was first missed at 6:15 PM your views—not in the gin mills on April 1, when the ship dock­ JOHN T. FLOYD where you give outside groups ed at Tacoma. He was last seen like the commies, wobblies and by his shipmates at 4:30 that lina 26 years ago and spent his other supermilitants who have afternoon. A $50" draw requested early life in Fairmont, where no interest in your union, but by Floyd was found with other he attended school. He worked only their own political inter­ possessions in his quarters. An in the Wilmington shipyards ests, a chance to poke their noses intense search by the Gateway prior to 1942, when he joined in your affairs. City and the Coast Guard proved the'' Navy. After serving about three years, he was released and The place to find out why futile. your Union takes certain stands The Gateway City's iSkipper began sailing on merchant ves­ and policies is at the educational told relatives of the missing man sels. meetings, where you can ask that he was a quiet person who Brother Floyd sailed in the questions and give answers to got along very well with all Deck Department. He served as your shipmates who have the hands. He was known as a sober, Deck Maintenance aboard the same problems as you and where' serious person. His father told Gateway City. He became a full "Sir Charles" Oppenheimer shows this picture of some these problems can be solved the LOG that quite often John bookmember of the SIU on Oc­ shipmates and H. W. Nixon (center), AFL railroad man from for the benefit of all concerned. would stay aboard ship in pref­ tober 2, 1946, when he was issued Atlanta, taken aboard the Alcoa Polaris. Others in photo are So let's attend those meetings erence to taking liberty in ports Book No. 46175 in the Port of New York. Before receiving his Hank Henry, James Harris, T. E. McHenan, Russell Manieri, Brother—and take part in them, of call. . Paul Bulerson and Harry Swift, too. If we know all there is to Floyd was born in North Caro- book, he sailed as a permitman. To the Editor: Education Sessions At Sea Held Vital For All Hands Parents Maintain Vigil For SIU Man Lost At Sea �r^gyrr'T---" Friday, November 4, 1949 THE SEAFAREHS t OG SPARKLING IS THE WORD FOR THIS CREW Page Fifleen, SIU's Legislative Program Endorsed On Allegheny Vic To the Editor: tion of this money in the USA. We are anxiously awaiting the commencement of this boycott, and the sooner the quicker. Regards to all the beachcom­ bers in New York, and tell all the spots on 47th Street to get ready. We are homeward boundf Jimmy Naylor SB Allegheny Victory % In our most recent shipboard meeting we discussed the new Bulletins which are being posted to all ships, and the various items contained therein. We should like to bring the results of these discussions to our Bro­ ther members through the medi­ um of the SEAFARERS LOG. We feel that, through these Bul­ letins, we have taken another decided step forward and knit­ ted our Union into a more com­ pact and efficient organization. The crewmembers of the Alle­ gheny Victory wish to give it a definite vote of commendation. Four items contained in the Bul­ To the Editor: letin were discussed in our re­ I have been in the Atlantic cent meeting. Namely: $10.00 and Gulf District of the SIU for General Fund Assessment, At­ a little over six months after' lantic Pact Aid in U.S. Ships, quitting a well-known West Seamen's Claims Bill, and the Coast union, of which I waa^ Patrolmen paying off the Steel Vendor in Staten Island, N. Y., on Sept. 29, reported back Panamanian Boycott. a member for some years. I. to the Hall with praise for the "clean ship." A glance at the above photo, taken by crewThe $10.00 assessment to the would like to state a few things member Joe Dioquino, Messman, shows the redson why. A good SIU crew, like this one. makes General Fund was put to a vote that I think are worth letting , the difference, every time. and carried unanimously. The everyone know. First, let me say I am an" activities in Washington of our representatives regarding legis­ American. What I wonder is how lation affecting directly, or in­ can any sailor want to be a directly, our profession is heart­ commie after he has seen what ily endorsed by the entire crew.^ the rest of the world has to Various steamship companies: offer. That's something I can't affect the family's .economy? The LOG is a fine publication certainly retain lobbyists in see. To the Editor: ' There would.be expenses at both and is read here from cover to Washington, and it is only na­ One of the luckiest breaks I' As a constant reader of the coasts, which just couldn't be cover. It is really a Seafarers tural that we should fight fire have ever had in my life came LOG, wife of an old time sea­ managed at .allotment rates over "Bible" and should receive the with fire. To our competent Un­ when I got my pro book in the man, and the mother of two a long period. support it earns. We read of the ion officials we say, "Keep up SIU as a result of my organizing ' teen aged children now in high constant effort to protect our activities in Cities Service. school, I am vitally interested Before compulsory vacations men. wherever their ships carry the good work!" COMPARE in the compulsory vacation ar­ are voted in, it might be well them, and the families of SIU In order to protect our country from retrogressing to a mediocre After years in another union, to check on the impact of them ticles. men have confidence in the Bro­ maritime power we believe the I find that I value membership When one is buying a home, on men-of-family, who are good therhood and its strength. SIU should throw all our guns in the SIU for several reasons: the payoffs are budgeted out to Dads, and there are many in in the battle for carrying all At­ 1. The officials of the SIU are Mrs. Evelynne Y. Siebert the cent, the food bill is ever the SIU, for they are friends of lantic Pact Aid cargo in Ameri­ never too busy, or think they're Long Beach, Calif. present, and all other family this family. can bottoms. We have the ships! too good to see a rank-and-filer. cbsts must be met. Some of the We have the men! Let's use (That is something you just recent articles seem to give the don't find in a lot of unions.) 'em!! impression that the writers have 2. There is a strong unity (on BOYCOTT APPROVED no dependents to worry about, which good unionism is based) The one item in the Bulletin but family men who are respon­ existing throughout the organi­ which was viewed with most sible providers, are concerned zation, in all departments. approval and enthusiasm was about the money they may send 3. The accommodations and ^ To the Editor: blame for their spineless effort the pending boycott of Panama­ to their families. services which the SIU offers to face life. nian ships. We are all cognizant If my husband had to be on I want all my shipmates and the "beach" for much more than friends in the maritime industry There is ho absolute perfection of the fact that a great deal of its membership are something two weeks, we, likely, would be to know that I was not expelled in any man. We have all made American shipping is being sail­ which I am enjoying very much.., back on the "dry cereals" diet from the Marine Transport Work­ mistakes in this life, and we ed under the flags of foreign (I am referring to mailing serv-... which has been our lot several ers of the I.W.W. I tossed in my know that all organizations have nations, when a great majority ices, representation, recreation, times. This was before we;-were Red Card January 5th, 1949, be­ good and evil men within their of these ships would provide halls second to none, and the. rest. And I just had 10 AM jobs for our own SIU men. SIU people. cause I tired of an organization ranks. These half-baked emanci­ These ships are operated un­ coffee in the Hall.) that preached class solidarity pators should remember that the der sub-normal standards for the May I say in closing, thank FACE TWO PROBLEMS and practiced racial hatred and only perfect man who lived on Further, if a seaman were earth was crucified and I'm sure profit of some of our wealthiest Clod I'm in a Union that fol­ class segregation. paid off in New York, and lived these people can not liken them- steamship companies; but do they lows real union principles. It out here, just how would this Such action on the part of se^ves to him. bring wealth to our country? gives me the feeling that I have these people was a direct viola­ They deprive our own men of a real friend. Robert E. Hostler tion of their own constitution. I realize these people will rant jobs arid thus • prevent circula-! Looking Ahead These are the people who could and rave, but they should realize I've walked through this do no wrong. A SEAFARER TAKES A HOLIDAY labor movement alone, and have I challenge these people to de­ yet to see the day when I feared fy this statement. It's about time to write what I thought was w^ in the maritime industry be­ necessary to defend my Union gan to clean out the dirty linen Brothers from exploitation. closets of some of these halfbaked emancipators who insist It's about time some of you upon calling every one phony emancipators learned to face who don't agree with their ma- some of the tirade of abuse you've been handing out to other larky. people.. Some of these half-baked emancipators should remember Remember, my ex-fellow work­ that when jmu become a petty ers, that "Truth has no Parties." cockroach business man^ you Joseph Buckley have left the workers class and (Ed. Note: The above letter are seeking to become a two-bit was written by a man whose capitalist. opinions of the Wobblies are A genuine active merchant sea­ important because of his long man is never afraid to use the experience in the IWW. Bro- . right of free press to express .his ther Buckley's conclusions bear opinions openly, nor does he re­ out the contention of many in main ashore when shipping is the trade union movement that good to prey upon his fellowmen the Wobblies no longer occupy Harry Wplowite, FWT, on who toil for their daily bread. the proud position they once the Del Alba, stows that clean A good Union man tires of the held among workers many The straw-hatted gent in this happy scene is no farmer. gear in anticipation of time endless tales coming from weed- years ago and have deterior­ He's "Reds" Rinehart, SIU Deck Engineer, as he appeared off in those South American heads, gashounds and goof-ball ated to.the point where they with his family during a recent vacation on the Eastern ports. Photo by Harry Thomp­ addicts who constantly whine are now a hindrance to the that the capitalist system is to labor movement.) shore. The Rineharts make their home in Baltimore. son, FWT. SIU Gives Most To Members, Says Waterfront Vet Compulsory Vacation Would Work Hardship On Family Man, Seafarer's Wife Declares Buckley Hits 'Emancipators' As Being Far From Perfect .-M �•w Page Sixteen THE S E A F A R E A S LOG Friday. Noyember 4, 1949 The 'Hog' - The Seaman's Favorite Ship I-''' If s- f 1 Retired Seafarer John Bunker, a frequent contributor to the LOG seems to regard the old Hog Islander ships with a great deal of affection. He suggests that the LOG solicit contributions from the membership on subjects tike *'The Hdg ' I Remember Best," "My Most Memorable Trip On A Hog," etc. Well, you write them. Brothers, and we'll print them. Let's hear from you. By JOHN BUNKER •'I As I stood on the deck of a West Coast ships. They were al­ ship the other day, a youthful most as well known as Hogs member of the crew beside me and are often, like the Kearny pointed to an old freighter steam­ and Pascagoula ships, mistaken ing out to sea. for the Hog Island type. "There goes an old Hog," he Slightly longer than their con­ said. temporaries from Philadelphia, This particular ship wasn't any the West Coasters had about the more like a "Hog" than a collier same tonnage and accommoda­ is like a tug, except that she tion.?, Among them were such had a hull and a funneL But well known freighters as the it emphasized how fleeting is West Caddo, West Camargo, West fame, even for ships. Lashaway and West Chetac. • The old Hog Islander, famous among American sailors a gen­ SIMPLIFIED CONSTRUCTION This is the SS Schodack. typical of the Hog Islanders which were famous among American eration ago, is all but unknown In designing the "Hog," the seamen of a generation ago. A product of World War I. the Hog has almost disappeared from now to newcomers at sea. To Emergency Fleet Corporation at­ the seas. Younger seamen, however, refer to any old ship as a "Hog." them any old ship is a Hog. tempted to have a ship as sim­ For the benefit of these young­ plified as possible, with all un­ sters, and the rest of the mari­ necessary curves eliminated — United States Lines operated a War II, when they were put Moore-McCormack Lines alsoi time fraternity who may not a ship that could be manufac­ fleet of them on their service under the Belgian flag. They had a fleet of converted Hogs on know the story of the Hog, here's tured in hundreds of factories all to England and Ireland, with were (all with the prefix "Ameri­ their Scandinavian service, in­ some facts about that rugged over the country and assembled conversion for passengers. can" to their name) the Press, cluding the once well-known These were successful ships ship, of prewar days. Shipper, Farmer, Importer anc Scanmail, Scanpenn, Scanstates, as quickly as possible. and ran until the start of World Traveler. Scanyork and Scantic. Consequently, the Hog Island WORLD WAR I BABY freighter was straight and square, All of these ships ~ that re­ It was in World War I that a ship that could be turned out mained under the American flag the Hog had its origin. by December 7, 1941, saw ex­ a4 well by a bridge builder as a tensive service in carrying the The demand then, as it was shipbuilder. cargoes of war to the fighting in 1942, was for ships. Any kind She was a strange looking ves­ fronts. of ships, but especially ships that sel, sporting a flat deck without When oldtimers get together, when old hands are at the bar. could be mass-produced. A number of them made the camber or sheer. She had virtu­ When the talk drifts 'round to shipping wherever seamen are. The Emergency Fleet Corpora­ ally no deadrise (the upward They will praise the tankers and admire the trim C-2 run to Russia, including the tion purchased a 900-acre tract slope of the hull from keel to the And give credit to the Liberty, where credit may be due; Schoharie of South Atlantic, a hard-fighting Hog that shot her in Philadelphia for a yard in sides) and no "tumble-home. But" there is one thing certain—as sure as "channel" fog— which to make ships en masse, The midships section was' almost That when the toasts are offered, the oldtimers hail the Hog. way through t o Murmansk against subs and planes in fa­ and the naval architects design­ as square as a box. mous convoy PQ-18, Sept., 1942. ed a standardized type that could Distinguishing feature of the Wherever seamen gather and "oldtimers drink their beer be turned out on a, mass pro­ Hog were sharp, straight lines, You will hear them tell the praises of that ship without a sheer. WAR SERVICE She isn't much to look at—she isn't trim and fine duction basis. without the usual flare at the For the architects had made her too darn straight of line. A total of 58 Hog Island ship9 Built at a cost of $60,000,000, bows common to most ships and were sunk in World War II, and the yard didn't get into full the traditional sheer along the But she's good in heavy going, and she's steady down below. And she rides like a liner in a North Atlantic blow. of the remaining Hogs still in swing until after the Armistice, sides. service 56 survived. 1940 saw a but the hulls were finished any­ She carried coal to Rio and went to Trinidad for ore; DEPENDABLE SHIP OSS of four; nine went down in way and a sturdy little freighter She freighted tea from Ceylon and hemp from Singapore. 1941 and 32 the next year. Thir­ resulted that was to become the She was criticized at the time Every pilot knew to see her from the Hudson to the Clyde, teen more were sent to the bot­ backbone of the American mer­ of her building for not being a For there's not a dock the whole world 'round she hasn't been tom before the end of the war, chant marine 'for 20 years. beautiful ship, but the Hog was beside. [n addition, 37 were transferred Appropriately enough, these dependable and seaworthy, nonThe 'mamselles in the Skipperstrasse, in Limehouse and Marseilles, to foreign flags; 11 to Brazil and Ships were known as Hog Island- theless, and veteran seamen will Knew her like the girls in Shanghai half the world away. 10 to Great Britain. &s and, among seamen, more vouch for the fact that she was Most famous of these old intimately as "Hogs." |a better seaboat for smooth rid- Y'es, wherever sailors gather and oldtimers quaff their beer 'reighters were the Robin Moor Hog Island was a marvel of ing qualities than Victories, Lib- When the talk drifts round to shipping, many stories you will hear. and the City of Flint, the latter American industrial technique,' erties, C-3s or any of the mass- —How they sank her short of Murmansk, how they bombed her lecoming a cause celebre after probably the first shipyard for built ships in World War II. How she took the cargoes over till new ships were on the way. it was captured by the German tiie mass production of freight- Few ships have ever been battleship Deutschland in 1939, ers that the world had ever built that were drier at sea in Aye, they'll sing the praises, as they gather 'round the bar. and interned for a long time in seen, and the inspiration by a heavy blow. Of the C-2 and the Liberty and other ships at war. •which Liberty ships were mass- Hogs were considerably alter­ But of this you can be certain—as sure as English channel fog— Norway. The Robin Moor was torpedoed in May, 1941, long be­ built for World War II. ed in later years for various That when the toasts are offered, the oldtimers hail the Hog! fore our formal entry into the The first keel was laid Feb. routes and shipping services. war. 12, 1918, and the first ship, the Quistconck, was launched Aug. 5, 1918. The last vessel was fin­ ished Jan. 29, 1921, the 122nd ship to be delivered. A total of 956,750 tons of ships The The following follnwino' item HOTVI H.OC T_ i-i, ... was ....i. sub­ In line with SIU policy to pass on to the membership and wad_ it up in balls bout the were turned out on this one­ mitted by members of Local the latest developments in Maritime the following, taken size of your hed. You should git time salt marsh. Fifty ways were Union No. 126 for "educational from the BAKERS' AND CONFECTIONERS' JOURNAL — bout 3 bolls. It shood rize'agin, used during the peak of pro­ purposes:" which in turn swiped it from the AMERICAN BAKER — is then its redy to eat after you duction. As a baker in the Navy, I ran directed this time to the Stewards Department men, more bake it sum. If you cant find across the oddest formula for speciiically to the Bakers. NOT THE SAME iny bred pans you can mash up making bread that I have ever We hope the Bakers and the membership all benefit sum tjn cans and use them. You'll A large number of ships simi­ seen. It was given to me in the find that the bottums will burn lar to Hog Islanders, such as the Philippines and was said to have from this astounding recipe. furst so about % way thru you well known Waukegan and been used by an infantryman gotta turn them over. The furst Westmoreland, were built at when the regular baker was is to much an then agin it aint. its done. The mixln, that is. time you make this bred it mite Kearny, N.J., but these were wounded. It looked to me like a If its rainin you gotta use more. Now it will start puffin up. not be so hot but its eezy after, larger than the Hogs by several gag. But gag or no gag,here it 1 helmit of water, size 7y4. If (if it dont that wont hurt it nun), a while. This resapee is by radio. hundred tons and had a. deeper is, verbatim: using swamp water boil furst. Us bakers calls this fermentin. This is anuff stuff fer bout 50 draft by three feet. RESAPEE FOR BRED If using helmit that sniper saw,That a mess of little bugs inside Hogs measured 390 feet over Furst you take 5 handfulls of furst, afor you saw him, hold ^making alcahol, I think. Inyway, min but if the furst few min in all, with a 54 foot beam and a sugar. Enuff lard to make hevy like a bowling ball. Directions from this point on you gotta start chow line duz a lot of bichin 27 foot draft, being propelled by paist when you mix it with su­ fer puttin all this tagether: It beun more carefull cause this you'll have anuff^ for the hole iland. O yes, if your making 2,500 h.p. turbines. gar. 4 or 5 good pinches of salt. dont make much diff. how you doe is reel delicut. After it puffs this for the C'O. it gotta be Also built by the Emergency If you use seawater forgit the mix this but do it fer quite up reel big, nock it down. SumFleet Corp. for the United States salt. 5 helmits of flour. Handful awhile. It will git real thick.* times it will fall all by itself and nicer and richer so thro in an extra handfull of suger. Shipping Board during World of spud yeast (which you gotta When it gits to where you cant save ^you the truble. Cut it off —By W. H. Ormsley in the War I were a fleet of so-called make yourself). Sometimes this hardly git your hands out, then j in chunks with your bayonett American Baker. li' To The 'Hog* Upgrading Course For Stewards Department Men � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Seafarers Log Issues 1939-1949 Description An account of the resource Volumes I-XI of the Seafarers Log Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Paul Hall Maritime Library Microfilm 1939-1993 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Seafarers International Union of North America Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource November 4, 1949 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Vol. XI, No. 30 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Paul Hall Maritime Library Microfilm 1939-1993 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Seafarers Log Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Newsprint Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Description An account of the resource Headlines: INTERNEES ARE WARNED OF PHONY 'AID' SIU BRANCHES REPORT BIG VOTE TURNOUT AFL CONVENTION VOTES TO AID TWO SIU CAMPAIGNS BOSS PAID PENSIONS SIU ORGANIZER ANSWERS CS LIES CITIES SERVICE STILL TRYING TO KEEP CREWS FROM SIU PROTECTION SHIPPING STILL SLOW IN BOSTON NY EXPECTING SLIGHT PICK-UP STEEL AND COAL STRIKES AFFECT MOBILE PORT FRISCO LOOKS TO COMING WEEKS MINUTES OF A&G BRANCH MEETINGS IN BRIEF SEATTLE: STUDY IN UNION-BUSTING TROTSKYISM: ENEMY OF DEMOCRATIC UNIONS SEATRAIN NJ CREW SPONSORS FROLIC IN LOUISIANA PORT BROTHERLY SPIRIT WORKS OVERTIME ON STEEL WORKER BROTHERS MILLER, HODGES DIE IN US HOSPITALS BRASS-POLISHING MAY HELP SEAFARER NOW ACADEMY MAN THE "HOG" - THE SEAMAN'S FAVORITE SHIP UPGRADING COURSE FOR STEWARDS DEPARTMENT MEN Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 11/4/1949 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Seafarers International Union of North America 1949 Periodicals Seafarers Log