New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-12-12
4 WORD FOR A WISE MEASURE.

At intervals for two or three years past we
have urged upon Congress somo action for
tho protection and improvement of tho per-
sonnel Of the merchant marine of this country.
AT first it seemed like hopeless task to get
LEGISLATORS with all sorts Of diverse interests
at heart aroused, for humanity's sake
only. in the cause Of few thousand
men with no personal and little
political influence and few votes. But the
prospect now looks brighter. Powerful humane
societies have taken up the subject, and have
agitated It for two sessions in Congress, until
at last bill has been framed, submitted, and
apprOyed in the Committee on Commerce, and
will, wo hope, como up shortly in the House.
It is called the "Shipping Commissioners
"Bll," and we urge every member to vote
for it for the several reasons set forth at
greater length in other columns.
American seamen to-day arc worse treated
ashore than afoat, and that, as everybody knows,
is using very strong language. They arc abso-
lutely without protection on land. Coming
from long voyages tho crews of our sailing
vessels are discharged in tho streets penni-
less, for the law gives tho shipping-merchant
the right to discharge his crew as soon as the
ship enters port, and to pay them ten days
after. In great city, the sailor, being without
money, naturally accepts the hospitality
of tho first who prOffors it. These are
class of men who keep houses exclusively
for seamen, and especially for tho purpose OF
fleeing them. Once enticed into ono of these
houses, seamen are made stupid with liquor
their pay, ten days later, is collected by the
knav1sh landlord, and retained until all Is
eaten or drank up, and finally the map, again
penniess, is compelled to ship once more.
Often his advance pay is swallowed up
in tho landlords or shipping masters charges
Incredible as it may appear, this inhuman
method of robbery is systematically practiced
in every United States port. In New-York at
least two hundred houses and one thousand
persons are maintained by this nefariOus bust
ness. It is more general and extensive sys-
tenn Of plumber than that of the "Emigrant
"Robbersn which we have lately done much to
destroy. We desire now to see the worst OF
these Sailors Boarding Houses, and the Ship
ping agencies which aid them, swept out OF
existence.
The Shipping Commissioners bill will do
this. 1t is virtually q copy OF tho English
Shipping Act which has relieved the English
ports If this class of punderers. 1t gives the
shipping of crews, the licensing of scamen and
the supervision of all boarding houses into the
hands of Government Commissioner in
each port. 1t will not only relieve tho
seamen from persecution ashore, but 1t will
improve the character Of crews afloat. Ere
quently the present shipping masters, under
large contracts for crews, ship most inexpc-
rienccd landsmen and mutinOus rascals, and
often tho majority of these are in maudlin
state of intOxicatiOn. Vessels and the COM
mcrce they carry are thus at the mercy
Of vicious or ignorant men, and
in this way the present system of
engaging crews is injurious to tho service and
to commerce. All this the pending bill is CAL
cuated to remedy in time, and for these
commercial and humanitarian reasons it ought
to pass. Let it have early attention this ses-
sion, and not be thrust over as at the last for
lack of time to reach it after it had been
unanimously approved by the Committee on