New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-01-20

There ia point at which even moderate people
Will feel that patience has ceased TO be virtue.
e~..-.=
There is no suggestion connected with the terri
be weather now prevailing that more affects the
mind than that Of the possible suferings OF persons
sbipwreckel upon the coast, amid the horrors Of
tie bitter cold, the furious winds, and the driving
sleet which now surround US. There is something
timely, then in the report contained iu our columns
this morning, that the Committee on Commerce of
the House of Representatives about to report
bill TO fit up the station-hOuse on Squan Beach
and probably the others along the Long Island and
Jersey shore though our dispatch is obscure on
that point-iOr the accommodation of the ship
wrecked, ard to keep there a sufficient stock of
provisions and cooking utensils. Telegraph lines
and means of communication between the beach
and the main land around it are also to be main
tanned at the public expense. At the same time,
we learn that member of the New-Jersey Senate
is about to propose in that body the appointment Of
"a commission to investigate and survey the
coast" with an invitation to the Legislatures of
New. York and Pennsylvania to appoint similar
commissions, to act in conjunction with New
jersey. When this join! commission shall have
agreed upon proper system of measures, and
made the requisite surveys, each will be required to
report the same to their respective Legislatures,
which will then take such further action as they
may feel called upon by the dictates Of humanity to
adopt in urging Congress to make an appropriation
for the purpose.
While we would not discourage any movement
hot rooulf in diuiniahno tho Of that
part of the coast, are compelled TO say that this
project does not seem to be we'll conceived. 1t
would require at least two years before any prac-
teal good could grow out of it, The Commission
could not report before next Winter. We think
there is no need of any such commission. No doubt
there are plenty of men in the Legislature of New
Jersey who, from persona experience and Obserya-
tion are perfectly competent to show what is
NEEDED without being specially commissioned to
spend Sumner in pleasure excursions along the
Atlantic Sd re. Besides the movement already set
On foot in Congress renders action in the jersey
LEGISLATURE comparatively unnecessary. However,
81 Mr.. PeltOns proposed bill does not appear, if
our report may be altogether relied on, to cover all
the points required, we proceed to state wha. iu-
provements ought, in our Judgment to be made in
the arrangements for saving life upon the coast
Tie coast is principally barren belt of sand,
lying at the outside of bays, differing in breadth
from two to ten miles, and inhabited during the
more Indictment seasons of the year BY only such
families as are too poor to remove to the main.
There are life saving stations about FIVE miles
apart, from MOntsuk on Long Island to Cape May,
w-Jersey, but in most districts there are no in
habitants or so few that they can do nothing until
reinforced from the shore. None of the boats in
these stations are provided with regularly organ
lied crews, those who save life at the immi-
nent peril of their own compensated for their SER
yices. While working the lile.car, or manning the
surf-boat to get human beings ashore they receive
no recompense whatever for their toll and ex-
pCsme. II is only when engaged in dischargng
cargo that they are remunera.ed. Now, the first
need is regularly organized and paid crew to
each boat, paid at least during actual service.
Next the statiOn-houses should be twice their
present size. Instead, too, OF giving the care of
them 10 rustic politicians living on the main, per-
haps crossing to the beach but once or twice year
il should be made incumbent upon all the keepers
to reside on the beach, using the present stations
for dwelliIg -houses. In addition to making the
stations more comfortable, and better adapted to
keep out the snow and rain, and furnishing them
With provisions such as hard bread, meat and bis
cut, wells should be dug, or TANKS for ran water
provided, so tina. sailors and immigrants who have
escaped the fury Of the sea may no. die of hunger
and thirst on the shore. At present theae neces-
sar.es by sheer force supplied BY the poor farm
ers aid fishermen, whose only pay is the thanks Of
| the recipients. It is fac. that New-lork ship
| owreIs or at least many OF them, are utterly OBJ
hyious to their Obligations in this regard. We can
cite many cases where farmers have enertained
and clothed two or three hundred starving people
using up all their store e provisions, and on apply
ing to The consignees Of the vessels for their pay
have been refused the first cent Of payment. The
man who lodged aud fed the passengers Of the
New Era has failed to obtain anything 10 return for
il The cost of feeding, aud of Transporting the
pssstpger. Of the ship NewYork to this city, can.
not yet be collected, and viii probably be paid il
the sane way.
| In tie beginning Of the movement for supplyiD
the coast with life saving appliances, il was purely
benevolent unde rtaking. set on foot By the New.
| York Lfs-SaTng BensToleas Assoc:asieo. Aai