compeiny is paying the bill." Captains have favored the fishermen's 

 side because they themselves were members of the union. A leading 

 vessel owner of a New England port described this situation as 

 follows: "V/hen the captain is a member of the union, this creates 

 great difficulty in cases that go before the courts. The captain 

 cannot testify against his crew. If he does, he would lose their 

 respect, and the union members would refuse to work on his vessel." 

 Deadlocks in the tug of war between management and labor were also 

 important to the problem, as the following situation indicates. 

 According to an informant wall acquainted with labor disputes in 

 the industiy, "The union has been in favor of safety for its members. 

 The owners have opposed any safety measures until they can have a 

 required physical examination of all crew members. The union 

 opposes the physical examination because it would throw majiy of 

 their members out of work, since they could not pass such examina- 

 tions." There seems to be no end to the situations, forces, and 

 factors which adversely affected the attitudes of organized labor. 



k. Is workmen's compensation the remedy ? The paramount 

 importance of existing legislation as the ultimate source of the 

 protection and indemnity insurance problem is well illustrated by 

 the repeated pleas of vessel owners for the repeal of the Jones 

 Act which extends the provisions of the Federal Employers' Liability 

 Act of 1908 to seamen. From the survey of owners in all areas, 

 workmen's compensation was the most frequently suggested substitute 

 (table A-I30 in Appendix A). 



The interest in workmen's compensation was not limited to 

 vessel owners alone for many insurance men, especially outside 

 New England, expressed opinions in favor of workmen's compensation 

 for the fishermen. The major argument of the opponents to such a 

 measure is that workmen's compensation is likely to be more costly 

 than the present system. This position is shared by some insurance 

 people and also by a few vessel owners. On the other hand, labor 

 leaders do not seem to object, as a matter of principle, to the 

 introduction of workmen's compensation in the industry, but they 

 are inclined to welcome a change on condition the workmen's com- 

 pensation law would duly recognize the special hazards of the 

 occupation. 



Ti/hether workmen's compensation for the fishermen would be less 

 costly than the present system is not part of this survey. However, 

 the inquiry into the protection and indemnity insurance problem 

 shows cleaxly that the application of an employer's liability system 



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