The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-10-22

American ship Masters ANA Se""
At the session of the Congressional Commit
tee upon the causes of the decaoence OIL the
Sbipbuildine and Navigation interests in the
United States held at the Custom II ouse in this
city yesterday, Capt. Ryan, of the firm of Ryan
& Davis, on the solicitation of the chairman
presented his views. He spoke in modest,
coloquial tone, but with precision of express
sion, and happy choice of words, that indicated
him man of more than usual thought and
culture.
He said, in brief. that one cause of the de-
pressed condition of our merchant marine was,
that the character of American shipmasters
and seamen had so deteriorated, that they had
become incapable of managing the important
interests committed to them. Insurance COM
panies demanded higher premiums, because
70 they had no confidence in the ability of the
masters, or the fidelity of the men, to take care
of the property. the ship and cargo, committed
to them. The masters would not compare with
those in the service years ago; first becapse
they had no regular training as men and officers
in ships, where systematic discipline was
maintained, and second, because there was no
competentexaminihg board to examine and GER
tify the qualifications of those, who were really
.quahned Tor their posts. The men were infe
rior because they were picked up among the
refuse sailors of all other maritime nations, and
then SO long as officers were amenable to courts
controlled by lawyers on shore for everything
they did on their decks at sea, there could be
nothing like discipline maintained whereby
decent seamen could be made out of such des.
perate materials.
His remedy was to have government hoard
for the examination of officers and certify
only those really competent; to have govern.
ment shipping officer in every considerable
port, who should ship and muster his men on
boird, and at whose Office only they should be
paid off; and to have court composed of prac
tic men, (thatis old shipmasters. to try all
offences growing out of the conduct recipro-
cally of officers and men, We do not give the
language of Capt r., nor so good language as
he used, but we should regret to learn that we
have not substantially condensed his meaning.
He said, as sort of summing up, that he
would have the discipline of the navy intro.
duced into the civil service.
We have not space to discuss this whole
SUBJECT, out are constrained to comment upon
only two points. s -o--,
we Shall never carry the rigor OF service on
war Ships at sea into our merchant marina
The whole tendency of the aye is in inst the
opposite direction. All the experiments to he
tried hereafter at least for the next centurv
will be in the direction of more, rather than
less liberty. We are fairly embarked upon this
experiment of democracy before the world. and
are bound to try it out ON sea as we'll as on
the land. 1t will never do, recognizing eyery
one as man and brother, as an eeual fellow
citizen on shore, the moment we get outside
of low-water mark to treat him like dog.
mans man anywhere and is to be treated az
such. If American law and American eouali-
ty are good enough for all races and colors on
land, they are good enough on the longest
voyages and in the remotest seas.
The truth is, here is a barbarsm the ipberi.
lance of the dark ages, that needs and il tes-
tined soon to get an overhauling. There is a
better way of controlling men, even bad men,
than representing and danning them. We
admit the necessity of prompt obedience, of
having one imperions mind to control all
others in moments of peril on the sea, but be-
lieve that these are not incompatible with
fraternal treatment of men, and kindness and
courtesy taking the place of hauteur and Sc
verify. E9.5
We presume that in the forests and on the
rivers of Maine there are as many mon en-
ployed in numbering ihere are employed on
the nnA--r IN both the merchant and fishing ma
rine. Who ever heard of complaint of want
OF discipline among crew of swampers? What
court was ever called upon to settle complaints
Tor malicious assault, maulne with a hand
spike, spearng with pick pole. and Shaving
with narrow ak by head river-dtiver nnon
MS crew? And yet the peril of riyer.dr;yino
10 equai ana the exposure greater than of the
sailor al sea, and the need of discipline and
pro "nf obedience in his field of labor inst as
imperative. 'N'' as
w hat makes the difference? ,Jusr tb;. ,h..
swampiDg and river-driving are institutions
that have sprung up in modern times pnder
the regime of democracy. The head Of the
gang sleeps under one end of the same old
quit that covers the barker, the teanaster and
the cooE' and every man dips his knife mot his
1ork) into the same pot of beans, and drinks his
tea-ano-molasses out of the same tea.kett,e
Is tnere any held of labor in the world where 90
much elective labor is got out of men for the
same money as in this very employment?
But the customs of the sea come dovn .,
most as they are, from ages of tho ,nou,a
wien 'ne o'stnctIon between master and man
was as wide as between noble and peasant
Inc sea changes every thing, but NOTHING
changes at sea. The men are put down at one
END OF the ship, the officers maintain a sol;t,,,
state at the other. They no more eat together
sieep together, or talk together, than if thew
belonged to two different Hindoo castles. We
cahnot Draw out the picture as we would. The
result OF all this separation. reserve. assump-
zion on the one hand and degradation ON the
otner is and always has been woful want of
discipline. The worm being crushed turps
The man degraded to brute, becomes a brute
:, anu Tue sea becomes cruel with floggings,
oioody beatlngs, cowardly kickings and homi.
cides. The courts are busy at every voyage
Trying to introduce, by Intellectual punishment |
upon Inc sea the democracy and fair-play that /
prevails on shore, bnt which the Interchangeable
oid sea never seems able to learn.
Capt. r. speaks unwittingy, with the pre-
possessions of his Glass; when he saws that all /
offences committed by officers upon men at
yea ought to be tried, if at all, by practical men.
mat is retired shp.masters on shore. He
las been twenty-eight years at sea. twenty Of
mem as master Before such court is con.
"tuted each member of it should 20 before an
4amining board, and only these questions
mould be asked him: DO you believe the Decla.
a a. Of Independence, ,ohere At o6arn,s. that
men are created equala Do you believe St
aul, when he declares: God has created of one
1000 all the nations, &c.? If one man, who
as been ship-master for twenty years. could
rom ms heart answer afirmatively, let him
onstltute such court. Till such examna-
ion was passed, woull leave the controver.
les of masters and men to be settled by the
quitable sentiments, discriminating Judgment
I'D humane feelings of such man as Asbur
Ware, even if he had been lawyer.
The ODD FELLOWS RELIEF Assoc1A-
ION" added twelve members to its number
tuesday evening. The Society now num-
srs three hundred and forty-five. 1t has
'oSn very rapidly since January last and 10
ne Oh those MANS for fbo ,oal :.