New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-08-03
rhe persons and the presses which are exultug

The persons and the presses which are exulting
in the idea of the failure Of the attempt at improve
ments in our merchant marine service by the abo-
ton Of advance pay, are perhaps little too fast.
We do not understand that the state of things in
this City, and the terms on which crews are now
shipped, are at all such to justify the assertion
that merchants have backed out of their resou-
tions ard knocked under TO the sailor landlords and
the shipping masters; and, whatever may be the
case here, the fact certainly is not so in other i'm
poriont ports. Witness the following paragraph
from The Boston Herald of the 3lst ult.:
"Anumber of our most extensive ship-owners held q
meeting yesterday afternoon at the Board OF Trade
rooms in the Exchange and discussed the question OF
advance wages to soameu. They appeared TO feel
col fGen that the movement will be successful In TINS
city, and Alr. Hooper, Of the arm of Appleton ~
Hooper, stated that there had been no great difficulty
in obtaining seamen uncer the nO-advance system
that number Of ships have left port under the new
reg ulatts and he thought that union on the part OF
the merchants woula certainly carry the reform
through"
That certainly does net look as though the Boston
merchants intended to be hustled off of their own
quart .decks, and what can be done in Boston
certainly can be done here.
1t is one of the great advantages Of the change
proposed in the way Of shipping men, that it will
give, both to the men themselves and to the EN-
pIoyeis, the opportunity of some choice in relation
to each other 1t will enable employers who are
willing to treat their men justly, even generous
ly, to make demonstration of that fact, ard to
bring it home to the knowledge of the sea.going
public: while, on the other hand, it will give the
men an opportunity to exercise choice as to the
vessel in which, and the owners for whom, they
will rail. Hitherto, the shipping crew has been
very much like Chinese marriage. Neither party
has been permitted to see the other till after the
bargain was complete, and Of course dlsappoint-
ment has been rather the rule than the exception.
1t certainly will not escape our shrewd mer-
new system, is the time to bestir themselves,
and to make themselves known. A little judciOus
generosity at this moment, and the readiness to en-
counter, if need be- seine little extra expense and
trouble, may be the means Of establishing for some
houses, and some masters and some vessels, s-rcpu
insure them picked crews. Under the old system
by which every ship no matter how good her outfit,
or low Just and generous her oxners-was obliged
to take just such q crew as the shippingmaster
might put ON board, and according to which it was
all matter Of mere chance whether the best ships
and best officers did not get the worst men-tae
owners certainly had but very little ndacement TO
be particular as to the sort Of officers whom they
employed or as to the provisions which they made
for the comfort Of the men. 1t is one Of the great
est recommendations of the proposed change, that
it tends to establish a natural relation between
good ships, good officers, good owners and good
crews; and that both sailors and owners instead Of
all standing on the same level and being moved about
hther and fhither at the pleasure of the shipping
masters, without any choice or volition Of their
own, like the pieces on a checker board, will be
enabled benceforih to play their own game, and to
find the places naturally due to the qualities which
they possess.
All the worst sailors, and all the worst owners,
aud all the worst officers, have common interest
along with all the worst shipping masters and
boarding house keepers, in perpe.uating the old sys
TEN. According TO that system, good and bad all
stand upon the level, and no discrimination is
possible. On the other band, by the new system,
thofe owners who are willing to give good treat
ment and good pay, and what is Of still more con-
sequence, who will take care to provide good
officers, will be sure Of having good crews. The
new system invnlves extra trouble, no doubt,
esp. ciay in first introducing it, but it ia trouble
that will pay; AID sure that the better part
Of our skip and mere hants understand their
own interests TOO WELL TO say nothing of the claims
Of humanity to allow such an opportunity TO slip
through their fugerr.