New-York tribune., 1872-08-07
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
AMERICAN sEAMEN PROTECTED.

AMERICAN SEAMEN fkOIEClhp'
THE RrEEFIrs OF THE NEW sHIPpNG LAW AP-
PRECIATED BY sAILoRs-ARGUMLNIs OF iis
OPPONENTS.
The new Shipping Commission Law went
into effect Yesterday The sailors whom TRIBUNE re-
nor,er met AZ the new seamens Exchange seemed 10 be
entirely satisfied with the law One called the Sea
mons Exchange "splendid establishment" ana sald
that ALI the sailors whom he had met were well pleased
with the law Another spoke very emphatcaly IN its
favor and said that ii would break up the swindlng
beretoore so common and would prove OF great benent
TO seamen He said that he had often suffered from MS
refusal TO pay fees for their service that
interior men had obtained places which he might have
had on the payment OF $40 or SIS to the runners
Sailors he said, are now on common ground
Another was especially pleased with he new DahK
in the seamens Exchange Building, and said
that sailors generally squandered their money on arrV
ing port and at the end OF three days their earnings
would be thrown away for liquor or else stolen from
them; but now they can deposit what they have in
the building whore they are paid or others su
that the captains too, were satisfied with inc new
arrangement as they get much better men ana VIII
know in advance the character OF the crew.
The rooms at the new Exchange are well patronzed'
especially the readingrOom, where there Is register III
which seamen invited to write their names ,"PI'
Duncan the Shipping Commissioner, said that the "oA
was going on finely; that several crews had peeh
and that the clearinghouse keepers who nave iOreu
combination to oppose the law have occasioheu no
trouble He also said that OF the very men "no
the boarding house keepers had attempted W nVu n
been shipped without the knowledge or consent VI '
Ring" and that 1t probable tDat the ehoi'' Vi ~
combination would be futile, He said thlt inc s'"'e
that had been made respecting the bitterness OF
shp-owners were almost wholly false, as all inc hohes'
men OF this class liked the law and its requirements
The statement that several prominent shipo"hers VI
this and other cities have announced that they VIII san
under the English flag rather than submit 10 INC TO
auirements OF the law, he charaeerlLes as aosu
since the English law the very one aiter "heh his
act was modelled though the American regulations are
mucb less stringent in details which the
ship-owners consider most Objectionable. In
| reply to the announcement that there had Deeh no
shanghang, or kidnapping since the war he clted the
| case of a Bostonian who kidnapped in New-forK
wi thin the past two months and left on the Con
necticut shore by the humane captain OF the vessel
The aggregate fees have been estimated at S6OOOO OF
even 100000 per but the Commissioner says that
they will not exceed OOO In repg to the accusations
made against himself and his enormous discretionary
power he SAWS that according 10 tie act the appoint
ent OF officers IL controlled by the Circuit Court, ana
there chance for fraud without the courts KnoW-
edge The salaries, though fixed by the Commissioners
subject TO the approval OF the court. sailors are
now rather scarce the inland trade on the lakes IN
Summer always draws them away, but the Commits
sioner anticipates no trouble III supplying the demand
! good. ,,..,..,
Commission responsible 10 the Circuit Court, but
still have doubts in regard to the ultimate disposition OF
the large surplus received from fees They that
sells are lying in port which cannot obtain crews
and the number s constantly increasing since boarding
house keepers keep sailors away from the Commissioners
Office They also object 10 certain provisions of the act
| As for instance, section ~: " Every such YES
sci (bound to foreign por) shall be provided with fuel
and safe and suitable In which fire be kept
for the use Of seamen To this IS objected that in the
case OF petroleum vessels, OF which there are so many
now running 10 Liverpool, Hamburg and Bremen
| compliance with the requirements OF tins section
will be fatal fires cannot be allowed below the deck
without the risk explosion The majority Of those
who oppOse the found their objections pom the
ooseness with which parts OF 1t have been pre-
pared The shipping masters, whose business IL rllns
are bitter opponents Of the act They reported 70
nave obtained the services OF counsel 70 aid them IN
contesting the act the ground OF ITS being uneons
tuona petition for the repeal OF the law VIII prob
! ably be circulated. meeting Of about $50 board
| ing.bouse keepers held Monday evening, at
Botanic Hall, No 6s East Broadway. II was claimed
that the unconstitutional and unsuitable for
| adoption IN this country. desire was expressed 10
Instituted by the counsel OF the Board
| ing-HOuse Keepers Association
letter has been addressed to THE TRIBUNE by an old
shpping-master, who says that the shipping act
passed will throw large number OF honest men out OF
business He considers 1t extOrton and robbery as
REQUIRES captains and shpOwners 10 out pro-
visions than necessary and also compels them to
ship their at single Office What redress can
have II he Is obliged 10 wait one or more days for
a crew and loses fair wind when he Is ready for sea,
because he allowed % ship his where he
get them 1t folly say thar all the vessel, that leave
this port can be supplied by Olce. The pretense
that the law passed TO protect the sailor is humbug