The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-08-09
The New Shipping Law-How 1t Works

A~o new Sn1pP1n8 LaW-a0w ~ WORKS.
A positive denial has been the uniform re-
ply OF the sailor-boarding- house keepers to the
charges of abuse and fraud brought against
them. They are, by their own showing, an
innocent and illuminated class. No unfortu-
nate too drunk to know whether he was afoat
or ashore, has ever been sold by them to an
impatient master, in haste to sail while the
wind served. No happy-go-lucky. just off a
cruise, ever squandered his last dollar in their
houses and was mortgaged by them for his adj
vance wages to an outgoing vessel These
frightful stories have all been invented by men
dacious Jack to excite the sympathies of soft
hearted land lubbers, and to wickedly preju-
dice the community against the honest and
Woodworking philanthropists of Cherry street,
who hunt for the sailor from the time his craft
crosses the bar at Sandy Hook. The new law
forbids the runners boarding an American ves-
sci to solicit dodgers till she shall have been
moored at the wharf forty-eight hours. Still
the disinterested men engaged in that bust
ness throng the Staten Island landings, and
hover in boats about every incoming ship.
They are not prohibited from boarding foreign
vessels, but the experienced seaman in charge OF
the Sailors Exchange doubts that they will
scrupulously obey the law by avoiding the
decks of our own incoming merchantmen.
They are avowedly hostile to the law, which
was framed to prevent them from swindling
the credulous tars wild with the excitement Of
relief from toll and distracted by the novelty
of life ashore So fully does the Commits
sioner believe that the runners will violate the
law that he has chartered steam tug to
cruise in the bay to prevent or detect any such
offence. His embarkation was announced by
telegraph from the clearinghouse keepers of
the city to their associates and runners on
Staten Island, and it is said that he will be
allowed to make an arrest, in order to test
before the Courts the validity of the law It
seems that sailors, whose pockets are lined
with the results Of long toll and exposure, are
considered legitimate prey for the boarding
house keepers, and they have openly combined
to resist this law, which proposes to rescue
the poor fellows from their jaws. They have
long defed public opinion it remains to be
seen if they are strong enough to override
the law, or if it is so loosely drawn that their
lawyers can drive coach and four through its
meshes.
Shipping masters, too complain of the ac-
ton of the law Ii will deprive them Of por-
ton of their business. They are exerting
themselves to their utmost to produce dearth
of seamen for American vessels by shipping
them as rapidly as possible for foreign service;
and they assert that soon some Yankee skipper
will be detained in port from inability Of the
Commissioner to procure him o crew. Evil
IDENTIFY the wish is father to the thought.
Should such a delay occur it will come from
the interested opposition of land sharks to q
law calculated to shield the hardy toiler of
the sea from the greed which seeks him the
moment he enters our harbor and plots to strip
him of his hard-earned dollars. In zealously
and boldly endeavoring to carry out the law
the Commissioner may be sure of the approval
and support of all classes Of the community
whose good opinion is to be desired If the
law proves faulty it can be amended; but it
must be enforced and our sailors protected
when ashore.