.^yyy.: i­it SEAFARERS « U>0 • OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE SEAFARERS­ INTERNATIONAL UNION • ATLANTIC AND GULF DISTRICT • AFL • SHIP BILL'S FATE • ' ­4' • Story On Page 3 Govt Sea Schools 'Useless:' SIU ^^ ^ Story On Page 2 ill SisiiRir • M0i^ j I §hgk Jtkh Shown at work on the Isthmian freighter Steel Apprentice^ %/fI iriv 10 W» jgg^. week,,Seafarer Ben Fischman was one of the first ABs turned out by the SIU Deck Training School. Meanwhile, despite lull in shipping, government sea schools seek more money. (Story on Page 2.) Siahi'Savcr. over '51 LOG story telling how Eric Joseph HELLO, POSO­THIS IS JOE (left) gave his right eye to save Pron's PALOOIOA ! I'LL MEETCHA AT failing vision. (Story on Page 7.) THE SEAFARERS . O.K./ . f I 1 SiSil v^v;4.j • ­i, • ' , • u famed comic strip creators of 'filoe Palooka" and ^ ^ xwwwresr ff ffiie* ^Togo," Ham Fisher and Walt Kelly, Will be; part of the ­ ^ hand May 20 to judge entries of Seafarers in the SIU Art Contest. All ­entries, o of which are shown, will be exhibited at headquarters all (>Stovyi;ou> Page ,3;) .| 1 • •i' • • ' i­"'r SEAFAkEns i^­­m.. Blast Sea School Funds ^ ;rnv. As 'Cart Before Horse' The split personality of Congress when it conies to appropriations for the maritime industry^ is well illustrated by the current furor over funds for the King^ Point Merchant Marine Academy, While the long range ship­­*^ ping bill, essential to pro­ grading schools in Sheepshead applied toward providing new vide the ships needed for a Bay, New York, and Alameda, Cali­ ships. merchant fleet, is facing tough fornia. The bulk of the fund re­ All maritime unions have long sledding in the House Merchant quest, $2,352,000, was for the agreed with the SIU's position. Marine Committee, several Con­ academy. Just the other day, however, the gressmen are beating the drums Minor Role NMU did a complete turn­about on for restoration of $1 million in ap­ Supporters of the academy, the Kings Point question. Its propriation requests so that Kings chiefly Congressmen from Long Is­ New York headquarters last week Point can continue to train un­ land where the school is located, told the press that the union want­ needed licensed personnel for non­ have claimed that the reduction ed no part of Kings Point or any existent or inactive ships. would have a damaging effect on efforts to save it. the country's ability to man the A couple of days later, the Wash­ merchant marine. Actually, judg­ ing office contradicted this view­ At the peak of the man­ ing from the experience of licensed point with a one sentence half­ power demand, proposals were officers unions and shipping com­ hearted endorsement of the school. made to reopen Government panies, graduates from ICings Point "Our union,"­ the statement said, training schools for unlicensed play a minor role in the shipping "approves of the appropriation for Huddled with blueprint of "robot" accounting layout to speed men such as were operated industry in comparison to men com­ the maritime academies recom­ welfare and vacation operations. IBM specialist George Singer during World War II. The SIU ing out of the foc'sle, who get ex­ mended by the administration." <left> explains set­up to headquarters office manager A1 Kerr. strongly opposed such sugges­ perience at sea instead of training tions at a conference of AFL at Government expense. It is the opinion of Washington maritime unions in Washing­ The Kings Point fracas focuses observers that the NMU knuckled ton, pointing out that it was a spotlight on the whole question under to pressure from some of the Vacation Plan Gets Instituting its own upgrading of the need for Government­oper­ heavily­subsidized .operators under­ program to meet the need im­ ated training facilities. The SIU contract to that union. These op­ mediately without long and has long held that such facilities erators depend for their existence 'Robot' Speedsters costly Government schooling. are entirely unnecessary and a on Congressional appropriation As things turned out, had a waste of funds that could better be and can easily be whipped into line Always looking for a new wrinkle to help the Union service Government program been on an issue of this kind. the membership more efficiently, the SIU expects to haye a started, it would just now be Combat Training trim squad of seven" electric accounting machines working getting underway at a time While theoretically Kings Point next week­ to simplify the­*­ when the shortage of seamen is training officers for merchant work of the Vacation and date rig possible, the SIU '^robot has shifted to a surplus. In Bering SM ships, it actually serves a somewhat Welfare Plans at headquar­ accountant" set­up is among the the meantime iiie SIU has up­ different purpose. All graduates of ters. first such layouts put to work for graded several dozen AB's the four year college, course re­ Installation of these modem union administration ^ purposes. who are now manning ships ceive commissions as ensigns in gadgets in a room of their own Most large businesses and: corpora­ under contract to the Union. Strike Gets the US Naval Reserve, in addition will enable the Plans to assemble, tions having been using thdse ma­ This experience points up to their licenses as third mates or sort and collate data in jig time, chines for several years. one of the gravest defects of third assistant engineers.' The com­ thus speeding up payments and The machines, expected to'slice Government­operated training bat aspect of training is strongly verification of checks for Seafarers the time consumed op paper work —its inflexibility. Once in SIU Backing emphasized, with close order drill, applying for" welfare and vacation in half, are produced by the Inter­ operation. Government­oper­ The Bering Sea Fishermen's rifle practice and other Annapolis­ benefits. national Business Machine Corp., ated schools such as Kings Union, an SIU affiliate, has type routines, given a major role in In keeping with the efforts of and can, in some instances, handle Point cannot be responsive to (Continued on page 17) the Union to have the most up­to­ the shifting needs of the indus­ again been forced to strike (Continued on page 17) try. They continue to turn out and set up picketlines in an effort graduates irrespective of the to force the Alaska Salmon Indus­ fact that they are no longer needed. try, Inc., to pay living wages and Vote Begins on New Outport Halls give decent working conditions. The SIU has I>romised to support Seafarers began voting yes­ The fight over Kings Point flared REFERENDUM BALLOT terday in « secret referendum up before the Senate Appropria­ the BSFU's beef and respect the tions Committee after the House union's floating picketlines. This is aimed at securing new, branch cut $1,069,800 from a requested ap­ the second time that the ASt, Inc., iBtenatiooal Unitii «f North Amriea halls for the ports of Baltimore, propriation of $3,856,000 for mari­ has forced the BSFU to strike, and AlUUmC and GUIF DtSIBTCT Galveston and Philadelphia. Earlier time training. This covers the the second time the SIU has come membership approval of a resolu­ academy as well as the two up­ FESB» MAT IS. 1852 THBOUCR )OME l»..li5a to their aid. tion calling for £ $20 building fund nsTKDcnoNs TO votna Last June, after a bitter 33­day assessment to finance the plans strike, the BSFU won wage in­ VotooilW! di* iolldwing iMolitlion fcr marking a cteM U() SEAFARERS LOG in iha < not uw a load pandl in niaikiog dw ball^ paved the way for the ballotirig. creases, union recognition and a loUoti nakod ^ ROT fen Montod. Mark your balM wilk May 16, 1952 Vol. XIV. No. 10 welfare plan increase despite the pin and ink « NOT PUT ANY OTHEB MABMNGS ON Voting as prescribed by the SIU American Merchantmen Page. 10 opposition ­of the industry and a IHBIAUJOT. constitution will enable mem­ As I Sec It Page 13 number pf scabs. bers in all ports to cast a secret Burly Page 16 This year, the BSFU continued FOKEWOID ballot on the issue during the 30­ Crossword Puzzle ... Page 12 its fight, aiming at winning parity At tfan mgulor buaiiiMS miaUngt held up and dovm the Cooul on April 23. day period ending June 15. 1952, and May 7. 1952, the loUowing resoluHoa • ubmitted to oli Branches Sampling of me nberstaip opin­ Did You Know Page 18 in price for red salmon caught in shnultanoously was approved and is, therefore, submitted to the membership Editorial Page 13 the Bristol Bay, Alaska, area com­ as per Constitution. ion in various outports indicated overwhelming endorsement for Foc'sle Fotog Page 19 parable to that paid in other Alas­ * WHDtEAS, tlw Sralarsts Inltmatlonoi Union. Allanlic and Gull Dlilrlct, has dsTolepsd a praoUeo.a( bavlnf Galley Gleanings Page 20 kan areas. So far the ASI, Inc., has doeont. spadcus (• ia>otBci>nt union halls tn'oll molar portsi onA new buildings in the three ports Inquiring Seafarer .... Page 12 refused even to make an offer. miBtEAS. this proclleo has ncovsd to bo good businoso, not only horn tho potnl ol vtow ol delag a good involved, in line with the state­ iob lor our own iMmlMrdiin but also In that.il eraalso a good tmprssslon wi|h tho goaotoi public; aid. ment in the resolution that the In The Wake Page 12 Tried Stand­off WHEItEM. In IhOM ports wim wo bar# srt op now union halls, dirtol rssults along thoto tiase em be Labor Roimd­Up Page 16 soon, such as in tho east ol Ibe Port ol Itew York: and, construction of new hails "has Last year, the industry tried to WHQIEAS.