Show What Our Readers Think Think- Defends Bonus Pay for forMen forMen l Men in Merchant Marine Editor Telegram With re regard regard regard re- re gard to the editorial which appeared appeared appeared ap ap- ap- ap in your paper Tuesday April 23 pertaining to the exorbitant exorbitant ex ex- wages paid to merchant seamen I shall acquaint you with the following fa facts ts Effective April 1 1944 the war risk bonus was cut from per cent to 66 3 2 per cent centon on an shore off-shore run 25 per cent ent centon enton on the Pacific coastwise runs and no bonus in zones such as the Hawaiian islands Bermuda Greenland etc Most of the 5 a day bonus has been eliminated eliminated dim dim- except in Mediterranean waters and the waters directly around the Islands of Japan The merchant marine man is not considered a member of ot the arm armed d forces and as such docs does not receive the benefits of the armed forces such as mustering mustering mustering muster muster- ing out pay U US S 0 O privileges service mens men's rates at theaters theater dances and other entertainments entertainments entertainments entertain entertain- ments and the reduced rates of ot travel extended to men in the armed forces Nor do they re receive receive receive re- re their board and lodging and all of or their clothing plus a quarterly allotment of cash to replace worn out clothing Members of or the armed forces force are paid for tor a full year whereas the average merchant seaman is paid for 10 months or less The remainder of the time is spen spent t ton on shore leave which is allotted according to his sea time by the war shipping administration or waiting for a ship During this time ho he Is paying his everyday expenses out of his own pocket In addition to this he receives no insurance except while actually actually ac ae- ac- ac at sea and if a man is Injured or killed while at sea the hospitalization and medical care for that man would be deductible deductible deductible de de- de- de from the Insurance insurance ance his bene beneficiary I ry would re re- re The dependents s of members of the armed forces Corces receive free medical care A A merchant seaman's seamans seamans seaman's sellman's sea sell mans man's dependents if any re receive ro- ro nothing Members of oC the merchant marine marine marine ma ma- rine must belong to a union to tobe tobe tobe be eligible to ship out Our initiation initiation ini ini- Ice fee i h 25 5 a year assessments as as- se and 2 2 a month for dues We are subject to the 20 per cent withholding tax on every dollar we make whereas members of the armed forces are exempt up to In your editorial you Insinuate insinuate ate that we are being paid high wages for a job less dangerous than that of the armed forces In Bari Ban Italy we lost several hundred men In two hours and it didn't make a paragraph in inthe inthe the thc newspapers Through May of 1943 our casualty rate was five to one over the armed forces and is now two and one- one half to one Inasmuch as the government has set up 36 regional offices in the country I feel we are entitled to some Bome recognition for forthe forthe forthe the work we are doing Without Without Without With With- out the merchant marine to deliver deliver deliver de de- de- de liver the goods the war would be lost E. E R. R Penrose U. U S. S Merchant Marine The Germans have plenty of planes to offer the stiffest kind of opposition when they think the emergency impels their use Secretary of ot otVar War Var Henry L. L Stimson |