United States Congressional Serial Set Volume 7955 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1922 edition. Excerpt: ... think everyone who has given this question consideration believes in the advisability of a uniform Federal statute covering seamen who are peripatetic individuals, if I may use such a term in connection with sailors, and that the local workers--the longshoremen and repair men--should come under the State laws for this reason. The Supreme Court has said that uniformity is desirable, and it is, so far as sailors are concerned. I represent the dockmen, who are essentially engaged in work along the coast. So far as the workers are concerned, they are men of fixed habitation, and it is thoroughly desirable that their compensation should be in general accord with that of other workers in a similar capacity, working in a shipyard, and it is merely desirable that they should have compensation covering them throughout their employment LONGSHOREMEN. It is easy to understand the reason why the representatives of the workmen ask for compensation under State laws. The longshoremen are no more peripatetic workmen than are the repair men. They do not leave the port in which they work; they do not go into different jurisdictions. They are part of the local labor force and are permanently subject to the same conditions as are other local workmen. The work of longshoremen is not all on ship. Much of it is on the wharves. They may be at one moment unloading a dray or a railroad car or moving articles from one point on the dock to another, the next actually engaged in the process of loading or unloading cargo. Their need for uniformity is one law to cover their whole employment, whether directly part of the process of loading or unloading a ship or not. PART-TIME MARITIME WORKERS. The large class of employees who occasionally work at loading or unloading...