New-York tribune., 1872-02-28
SAILORS WRONGS.

THE HOSPITAL REVENUE sTATUTRs-uow JAcn
PAYS WHILE AFL0AT FOR WHAT He CAN
NOT GET WHEN AsHoRE-AMBIGUoUs paw
ILEGgs OF THE sAILORs' RETREAT
The American sailor has been srbectad
many years To imposition and outrage at the hand, =,
others than boarding keepers runners and lana
sharks" Unlike the common laborer. "Jack" is com
PEELED TO pay rbute both to the Custom authorities and
to the State in order TO enjoy Hospital privileges In case
he be taken sick Although the law requires this pay
ment yet the sailor seldom derives any benefit from H.
and frequently suffers and dies for the want Of the care
and attention for which no has been paying advance
for years Several years Congress passed aw that
every sailor who shipped in American vessel should
be obliged TO pay cents month to fund called the
Hospital Revenue and that the payment OF this amount
should entitle him, when taken sick In any American
port 10 Hospital privileges Upon the representation OF
certain persons acting the interest OF the Hospital tho
raised last year. by Congress- TO 10 ccns
month. A State law provides, In addition, that every
sailor who sails from wharvcs in this city shall contrib
81 to the Hospital fund at the beginning or every
voyage In order to provide for the payment OF tho
money by the sailors the shipowner held responsible
by the authorities for the full amount, and the
amounts are deducted from the sailors wages by the
owners OF the vessels Although the sailor invariably
charged with both National and state tax yet few ship
have paid tho latter OF late. obectnS 10 40 80
on the ground that compliance with the United states
law sufficient. and that the State law is unconsttu-
tiOnal 1t noticeable fact Stato
have appealed to the law in single instance to
compel payment when 1t has been refused The penalty
and suffering fall upon poor Jack" When taken sick
he applies admission to tho Sailors Retreat Staten
Islands when he gives the OF the ship in which
he last sailed he is told that the have not paid
the State tax and is refused admission, whom he has
contributed probably the required amount for two or
three years. tOters away from the door and craws
to whatever rookery restingplace chance may lead
In many when tho shipowners have paid both
the National and the State tax the Commissioners of tho
Sailors Retreat fail TO find the sick mans name In the
list OF sailors board tho vessel named. Jack has
sailed under many colors, Smith, Jones, Thompson and
others which he aneied He has forgotten his last alas
the names have become transposed the roll. Ho
sends for his captain to identify him, but that officer B
perhaps absent visit or s again at SEAL and 80 tho
sailor is unable obtain the medical aid for which no
has been 50 long providing, and cOngratulates mmse
he finally obtains admission into Bellevue or the nos
pals Of criminal Institutions
An instance Is cited to show the difficulties when
sailors encounter in their efforts to secure waruS III So
hospitals. On Jan. 81 two seamen VINO had retuhou
from Liverpool in tho ship ResOlute were taken noA
after they had been discharged from the vessel App
cation was made the captain of the vessel Tor
Gates showing that they had made the requisite pay
ments for hospital treatment The captain refused to
comply with the request, saying that he would only
sign tho certificates when the law compelled him to do
The hospital physician at the Custom'house couu
not give certificate or admission unless inc Captain
signed the certificates Application made to the Com
mssioners Of tho Retreat and, although tho shipregis
ters In their possession demonstrated that two sailors
answering TO the Of the sick men were entued
TO the privileges OF the hospital yet they refused ID re-
ceve the applicants the ground that there was no
cantains certificate OF Identification. One OF the Com
mssiOners of Charities also visited Atter suer
ing two days want of medical attention., MSssS'
Pentz Miner shippers furnished certiicates OF uenl
fcatlon and the sick were finally admitted h'O 'o
Staten Island Retreat. -. , .,ou,t ..
There are now several seamen, white and colored aI
Bellevue Hospital and at the Home Tor ASeu CoIYIc"
Persons In TbOmpsOn-st, who have pald I9I ne ~,
who from fault of their own, are algulshnR W o
side OF paupers and criminals. 1t should De OVrn6 m
mind. also, that when sailor Is ADM yea hnoo I ts
at the end of which time, whether o
ousy sick or lncurable lie Is turned adrlt from lne
Hospital and left to provide tOr hSe us ~ ,rerinsD
vessels period less than i've years. lDe odoi5 oas
HarbOr opens its to those Americans wno havhs
feeble or afflicted with ncurable diseases But satslcs
show that the number OF these Is comparatively sha
and that it is the class OF men when the SaOrs hte
60 relievA who real'V Mani 'N"'''~'' ""~H
statistical statement made by persons versed In
these matters shows that the United States and
authorities received last year from sailors for the hcsp
tai fund S241 POI, and that the amount ex0 SICK
seamen was about $4,000 r nneTv naturally arises,
clause OF the act pending in Congress Tor the better
protection of seamen which relates to the ldentncaiOn
OF seanen and provides that the captain OF any Amer
his crew upon his discharge that he has paid his dues IN
full entitled to hospital privileges Thls act
passed. will remedy serious defect OF the present sys
tenn but will not abolish which sailors are oon
tinuay called upon to pay and until TINS DC uOhe an
unjust law which makes an invdiOus distinction against
hard-wOTking, industrious, ana indispensable claSs VI
| men, will remain upon the statute books.
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