MERCHANT MARINE AND FISHERIES SEVENTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION ON Committee Prints Nos. 1 and 3 TO ESTABLISH A SYSTEM OF UNEMPLOYMENT Statement of- CONTENTS Latimer, Hon. Murray W., Chairman, Railroad Retirement Board... Gray, Herman A., War Shipping Administration. Johnson, Gilbert R., counsel, Lake Carriers Association. Cooley, Edward H., Massachusetts Fisheries Association. Further statement of Hon. Murray W. Latimer, Chairman, Railroad Harrison, Gregory A., counsel, Pacific American Steamship Association Glatzmayer, Joseph J., vice president, Harbor Carriers of Port of New McHugh, Patrick, Atlantic Fisherman's Union... Owens, John R., International Longshoremen's Association_ Dushane, Matthew, Seafarers' International Union. Callaghan, Cornelius H., Maritime Association of the Port of New Hogan, Samuel J., National Marine Engineers Beneficial Association__ Kormes, Mark, actuary, American Merchant Marine Institute____ Hines, Louis G., legislative representative, American Federation of Radcliffe, Dr. Lewis, Oyster Institute of North America Standard, William, general counsel, National Maritime Union.. O'Grady, Rt. Rev. John, National Department of Catholic Charities__ Reports of Departments on Committee Prints 1 and 3. Communications taken from committee's files... Estimate of contributions and benefit: 283 301 III UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE FOR MERCHANT SEAMEN THURSDAY, JUNE 24, 1943 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, ON THE MERCHANT MARINE AND FISHERIES, Washington, D. C. The subcommittee met at 10 a. m., Hon. Henry M. Jackson (chairman) presiding. Mr. JACKSON. This morning we are beginning hearings on the matter of unemployment insurance for merchant seamen. We will call as the first witness Mr. Latimer, Chairman, Railroad Retirement Board. I might say, before Mr. Latimer proceeds, that there have been two prints or there actually are now two prints before the committee— Committee Prints Nos. 1 and 3. Print No. 2 will not be considered, as No. 3 supersedes print No. 2 entirely and is in lieu of No. 2. That is correct, is it not, Dr. Gray? Dr. GRAY. Yes, sir. Mr. JACKSON. So I might advise the witnesses just to forget No. 2 and to consider No. 3 in lieu of that, if you will, please. STATEMENT OF MURRAY W. LATIMER, CHAIRMAN, RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD Mr. LATIMER. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, my name is Murray W. Latimer; I am Chairman of the Railroad Retirement Board. This is the third time I have appeared before this committee to advocate the enactment of unemployment-insurance legislation for the benefit of the merchant seamen of this country who alone among all the nonagricultural and industrial employees of this country remain and have been without the protection of unemployment insurance, with one slight exception. The Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act does cover certain maritime operations operated by the railroads. The Railroad Retirement Board has held that certain maritime subsidiaries of railroads are subject to that act. But that is a matter which is now in dispute and is being adjudicated in the courts. Apart from that one exception, which is a small one in any event, no maritime worker, by virtue of his maritime employment, has had the protection of unemployment insurance at any time since the first unemployment insurance laws were enacted in this country, beginning with Wisconsin in the early thirties. 1 |