Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1854-04-08

For the standard.
Goceynn.ent- ompordtirc Ependiture fer ne
West and Atlantic Selibodrd Commerce OF VIZ
1ainoton-seanaen's Friend Society.
Mr. EDIToR IL stated in my Report our need OF
more funds, not only for the establishment OF 9
Home and Bethel, but because we should be under
the necessity of providing for large proportion OF
all the Seamen connected with the commerce 81
Wilmington. ""hs will be obvious from the follow
ing facts: 1. We have no Hospital at all for the
Port of Wilmington q If we had Hospital, but
small portion of our sealncnSare entitled to hosp-
tai relief g. There is probability that we snail
obtain Hospital soon, and until we do, seamen en-
titled to hospital relief must go to the Home OF the
Society, or to houses of a low character There IS
q general impression abroad that wekhaye Hospl-
tai and therefore would state that there is rot
one more convenient than Charleston, S. c., or Nor
folk Va There is Hospital in distant part OF
North Carolina, but not accessible to our seamen
There never have been, and probably never will be
a sailor sent there from Wilmington. 1t was de-
signed for the commerce of Newberne, Washington,
and other commercial towns in the Eastern part OF
the State but is nconvenienty located as not to
be of much benefit to them. And our position is
such that it is convenient for us, and better IN
the opinion of the Government, to be in state OF
vassalage to South Carolina or Virginia. Bat do We
need hospital? Are we entitled to it? Have
proper efforts been made to secure it? And why
are we destitute of it? Before answering these
questions it is important to make brief statement
as to the general hospital fund of the Government
the expenditures for the relief CT sick and disabled
seamen, number and cost of hospitals, &c. We de-
rive information from the Report of the Score
tary of the Treasury for 1852 3.
The receipts commenced in 1862, and there was
paid that year sos, 954 Sc. The amount paid for
the year ending 3Oth June, 1852, $685. 30. The
whole amount collected from Seamen So, 506
A. Amount expended for Hospitals $929,31O 20.
Amount received for old Hospital S12, $40. Bal
ancc as cost of Hospitals $91 AZ 90 Payments
from the Treasury for the relief of seamen to the
on.l Onn En nj. e.
of Hospitals which are the permanent property of
the Government, and it will leave an unexpended
balance in the Treasury, or the Seamens Savings
Bank of the United States of 234 721 Is. The bal
ance reported is $307 63s 70. This, however, must
include appropriation from Congress. Of the
amount expended to establish Hospitals, there has
been received for the board of the Atlantic from
Key West to Maine, sos, 035 for Mobile $49, $50;
for New Orleans $134, 696, and for San Francisco
$3.50 900 90, but for Hospitals for the called
employed in navigating the Western Rivers and
Lakes the enormous and unequal sum of S456,75
20. The amount for Hospitals at Napoleon, Pa
Charleston, Key West, Norfolk and Ocracoke have
received only $76 S35. We would also state that
the Hospital for Ocracolse, n. c. secured in
1912, at the time that Hospitals obtained for
Cleavelasd, Pttsburg, Louisville, Paducah St Lou
is, Napoleon and Natchez, which cost the sum of
$33I ,445 90. 1t under these circumstances
that the sum of $4,000, the first and last appro-
priation since the organization of the Government,
States for the benefit of the sea-graveyard of
storm beaten coast and $15, 900 for Mobile, thus
making $25 600 that year for the whole seaboard of
America. These statistics from the statement
Of the amount Of marine hospital money collected
annually from seamen under the act of July 16,
1898, and of the appropriations by Congress for
Marine Hospitals" &c, commencing in 1880, and
ending 1st July, 1852.
There are States that have established Hospitals !
IN some Of their principal ports, and in others,
suitable accommodations have been provided through
private munificence, and aid from the municipal au-
horties and arrangements are frequently made by |
he Government with these institutions to take
Of sick seamen Such arrangements exist at New |
York, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, and other points.
This will account for there being L. S. Marine |
hospitals at of the large seaports of the
ry But we have neither Hospital Pest house,
Town, State or Charitable Institution for seamen,
Tor even a respectable boarding house where such |
IN arrangement be made at the present rates of
compensation allowed by the Government.
To appreciate the character of our claim for hos
ota it is necessary also to consider the commerce of
Wilmington. We only select few of the lead !
ng articles Our extracts are from the Journal. |
There were exported for the year ending, 31st De- !
ember 1853; 1874 barrels Spirits Turpentine;
g, 282 do. Crude Turpentine; $50, 400 do Resin
g. 1870 do. Tar; 1928 do. Pitch 4o3 do. Rosin Oil;
115,79S feet P. P. Timber; 38, i 81, $50 feet p p.
lumber; 69, 81 bushels Pea Nuts; 7.f15 bales Cot
on; l,9764 casks Rice; 1o2,917 bushels Rough
Rice.
"Threc articles alone amount to four millions
# dollars" From this estimate the aggregate amount
annot be much less than five millions. The duties
m imports from the LIST January, 1850 to LIST Janu-
ry 1853 are S2o5, $685. IS. Wilmington is not only
much the largest port in n. c., but i'll point of
rade inferior to but few on the Southern coast.
there are only four ports South of the Delaware,
hat have as large number of vessels connected
With Foreign commerce. The number of vessels,
nd American tonnage in Forei gn trade being great
r than from Savannah, nearly equal to both Nor
ok and Richmond, and exceeding that of all the
ther Commercial ports of North Carolina
l shall give, hereafter, extracts from Official Re-
orts to establish these statements.
VIM. l. LANGDON, Agent.