New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-11-03
THE SAILORS LETTERS.
THE STORY OF SEAMEN'S RIGHTS AND
WRONGS.


EVILS OF BLOOD MONEY. HOSPITAL TAXES, BOARD
ING-HOUsEs, So, DESCRIBED.
The grievances of seamen, and the democrat
,zation OF the merchant marine OF NewYork by obnoK
ions laws and exacons attracted considerable at
teuton Of by the efforts which have been maze 10
remedy tho evils complained OF. society aiming 70
abolish blood money! hospital taxes, &c. and to break
up the combinations OF keepers ana snip
against the interests OF seamen has been
in operatiop since Sept L. under the OF the Sea
mems Protective Association" Within few days an
other association called the Nautical Association OF the
Port Of NewYOrk has been formed, composed OF men
prominently interested In shipping comprising mer
chants ship-owners, and shipping agents The omcers
of this association President James Ferris vice.
Premdent Theodore Borehsm; Secretary, John wilson
Treasurer Ernest Buttner The objects OF this organiza
ton are to protect the business interests OF Its men,
bers to reform existing evils in the mode OF shipping
seamen to effect tho repeal amendment OF obnoxious
laws governing shpping to assist the destitute families
OF seamen and to cooperate with all other organiza-
lions having similar obecs The principal aim OF those
interested in this movement Is to abolish the Shipping
act OF 1872 the provisions OF which are 10 be
to the interests Of shipping OF this port
The folio wing statements In regard to this matter have
been made by members of the Nautical Association:
Before the passage Of the Shipping act masters OF YES
sells were accustomed to leave orders with persons
known shipping agents. who for certain compensa-
ton per would furnish crew for any vessel and
muster them on board. Here the articles Of the ship
were read them. and they were asked whether they
the nature of the voyage and whether they
had received their advance wages. II any man
answered in the negative he put shore
again and replaced by another whose advance
had been properly settled. 1t was necessary
for the sailor to acknowledge the receipt OF
his wages In the Of the captain prev
GUS the shippngmasers bill being approved by the
obi aabiy,
sailed Shipping agents never collected their bills
for shipping seamen until the pilot had returned and
reported that the ship had to with all her crew
on board they being perfectly satisfied. The advances
spoken OF certain proportions OF the wages to be
earned by the sailor during the voyage These are
advanced to him in the form Of notes or duebills to
enable him to pay his boardng-master and secure an
outfit for the voyage 1t often happens that as the bill
has to ne negotiated for the sailor which is usually done
by his he is cheated out Of his money
and never receives anything for his advance his
board and outfit, which may not equal half OF the
amount Of his duebi Before the passage OF the law
the remedy for this in the fact already cited that the
sailor had to acknowledge the receipt OF his advance
wages before the shipping agent could collect his BILL
30 that 1t difficult for the latter to enter into
spiracy with the bOardngmaster to cheat or rob the
sailor
DUTIES OF TIE SHIPPING COMMISSIONER.
Under the law. which created the Office OF u. g. Ship
ping Commissioner the incumbent OF which discharges
the duties formerly performed by the shipping agents.
masters Of vessels Obliged to deposit the
amount Of the ships bills for advances and fees with
the Shipping Commissioner before they receive the
papers enabling their ship to clear from the Custom
house. The sailors have received their advances
In cash from the Shipping Commissioner, which 1t was
customary for them to do. under the old law, unless
they ordered the money to be paid to other parties after
the ship had sailed. This effect Of the act Of 1872 has
been just the opposite Of what the promoters sof that
bill intended It to be- They designed that the act
should protect the sailor by causing his advance wages
to be paid into his own hands In cash. On this
account 1t happens that vessels sailing between
New-YOrk and other ports under foreign flags
have their crews shipped under the old system. which
seldom causes complaints either from sailors, masters
or owners This they may readily do, since the United
States Shipping law applies only to American vessels
Another objection urged against the Shipping act is
that beside authorizing the Commissioner TO charge q
for every shipped board vessel, which charge
the master to pay obges each SAILOR to pay so
the Commissioner every time he Is DISCHARGED
no matter how short the voyage NAV have been. The
same law also provides that when the voyage Is ended
every man in the must be regularly reshpped, the
fee being charged before he can 90 on another
similar voyage. unless he stays by the vessel, and is
ready to answer at the time fee is charged The
law Is considered especially hard in Its bearing
on the crews OF steamships who were
never In need Of the so-caled protection
which it was intended to furnish. since they
never received advances but earned their wages before
receiving them Nevertheless, they Obliged to pay
the regular fee being discharged The Society named
object that the Shipping Commissioners at this
port mopopozes the business formerly in the hands Of
fifty men for his own sggraudizement, and that by
virtue his authority to decide all cases OF dssatsfac
ton on the part Of sailors with their advance he super
sedes the United States courts to the detrmen OF the
saos One of the strongest objections 70 the law Is
that when sailor who has shipped In vessel which he
has never finds sterward that there Is some valid
reason why he should not proceed in her. he cannot
refuse so to proceed without becoming criminal liable
to Imprisonment. and may be imprisoned on that ac-
count The sailor subjected TO fines for violations
of provisions OF the act OF which he may nave Deeh
entirely Ignorant and it has happened that sailors
making voyage only as Tar as CuDa
and return have had fines imposed exceeding
the whole amount of their wages Another objection
able feature of the that prevents the master Of
vessel from employing any man he chooses In An
emergency ships have had 70 TO sea with INSULT
cien crews the master had NOS time, on sud
denly finding himself At the last moment short OF men,
to proceed to the Commissioners Office. and there wait
until could be shipped for him. Such are some OF
the objections urged against the shipping act 1t also
charged that the Commissioner at this port, and his
friends secured the passage Of the law for their own
personal ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, aud that the Commissioner
has certain favorite, among boarding house keepers,
and also among seamen, aud that certain seamep,
Of this system OF avortsm, debarred from
the privilege Of being shipped by hi petition signed
by nearly all the prominent shipOwners oi New.
York, is now before Congress, asking fos tbs
repeal or amendment Of the Shipping act Of 1874 aud
bill to amend the Objectionable features OF the act intro
duced into the House Of Representatives last March by
the Hon. Lyman TremaiD twice read before THAI body
and referred to the Committee on Commerce TO be
printed. Is awaiting action at the coming session OF
Congress 1t Is the intention OF tho shipovDers and
merchants Interested the repeal Of tho law 10 use