The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-07-14
POOR JACK SADLY SWINDLED
HdRDSHIPS THIT THE SIILOR ENCOUY.
TERS THE WNRLD OHER.
some or the Abu~c. that Come Under the
Alteration Of shipping Commissioncr Dun.
cnn-The Decision In AN Illustrative tn,e

Attention Of shipping CommisSioncr Dun.
cnn-Tbe Decision In an itiustrniive Case
Complaints roach THE sun from time ~
time Of the manner In which American sailors
are necccd abroad and ut home. They are sub
icrt to rapacious landlords. who get all thsit
earnings and soon bring them in debt. and thrn
charge bonus for finding them ship This
Is done by going TO the Captain and ingrccing
TO share the bonus with him. which IS. per.
haps. from IS n go a head. on condition thd
he lets them name his crew When tho Captain
gets his men abroad to port where no can
hire others cheaper. 1t II his interest 10 get rid
Of them. and he ran generally manage 10 do ii.
Then they subject to the rapaoity Of n now
set of landlords. and have to pay additional fees
to rascally shipping masters and collusvc Com
suls. The following extract Is from letter from
an old sea Captain OF excellent standing;
Rp D Ssys a.. cr S dy' on. sa %
Who has been appon'cd United s1,es shipping Com
liverpool They are then taken to The Con.uaie. whers
their advance for shipment Tee fiye .hinrs m 70
is taken rom them for ihe snphg masrr The sup
dollar. stated I'm the "taun of tees" II Is said thai
Xxx nSiicr because they had some share in the "Gio
money
This Da Costa. who is said by old shipowners
that know him to be a great scamp. is well
known in Now York. where he was once n ship.
master.
Cant. C.. c. Duncan. United states shipping
Commissioner for the port Of New York. saysi
he law requires Consuls to act Hs shipping
comm -sioners abroad. which means discharge
ng h rg ean % who bsyo '% nn 70 my
10 me. that in the larger ports. such as London.
Liverpool, Antwerp Cardiff. and 80 on. the
Consuls deputize in some eases old sh pping
masters TO do the shipping and paying of for
them and that these shipping masters bleed
the sailors. i looked INTO this matter short
time ngo. and the result was called tho atten.
ton Of the Government TO i.
The idea is Capt. Duncan continued.
that the shipmasters deputized 10y tho Con-
suls connive with the Captains. who make II 40
that the men are glad to leave as soon as they
got to port. The accounts are fixed up 10y tho
shipping mastcrs. and the Consuls have no su-
pcrvison over them NJ al. Then the Captain
the shipping master for that purpose. Tho
shipping muster, conni,ing with the Captain.
beeds every on Of them 10 the extent Of tween.
" shillngs, The same dsRraccfu practice
prevails IN New York more than IN amy other
iva try ! in this ofric~." CAM. duncan con.
tlnu"d. " 10 soc that the men are sober when
they are shipped; that they are not shanghnied
aboard TINT they understand their agreement
when they are shipped that their accounts nro
| correctly adjusted ON their return and that all
satisfied. still tho abomiuablo system n
hnckmailing sailors prevails in this port
TO my tribute The landlord bargains
with the shipping broker To- give them thrir
G Gr'Ws ,,r 50 inu'N mnn,y; ana ins men n a.,
men every time whether they arr pay ng any
| blood money. and thcy will DENY IL under oath.
II seems To- me that the Captains aud brokers
ana owners. with some honorable exceptions.
nre nli On the. mako. The shipowncrs say,
Well we have hard work 10 snil our shi ps and
these men nre willing t. pay five or six dollars
inr their chance There il tair competition.
WHY should've not profit by III? II the shin.
owner received every dollar that Jack pays out
II would be different: hut the landlord Will
ngres u give the Captain 30 head Tor the priv
ilegc of naming his crew, and be will very often
hnrge the sailor IS Or 40 all Of which Jaok
has tn pay. and the landlord will divide with the
I .fHftNn sol aha Ilsf
-" | have had n hundred cases MP before tho
District Attorney to- test the matter. but every
IN" Jailed b"caus" ol the ,lmpossibity oi get.
ting the men 20 t.sllfy. Nrvcrh cless. the law
mas worked well. There has not been single
ease OF bln. .lshed on board II vessel since it was
passed. W nre tho men used to be- shanghaied
aud sent on drunk. they now 70 aboard sober
ana orderly every time. Ihoy are mustered on
board. and have n chance to state whether the
landlords accounts are correct or not and II
there ~ nuy mistake II - rectiii.d AT once.
There il not so much friction there was e
first, because the mnst.rs know that when their
The only evil remaining Is .tis bonus money
and that the sailors ~ 70 blame for | tried
here for fifteen months 10 break up that system
disc. insisted thot Csi,ains should sclci
! tneir crews on the hnor hors with
| couldn't get their lavoritrs they must nick
| out the best they could. ana TINT fthey ha9nuy
wien they SAW i'm on the floor. But | had IA
whole community bowling az ma. and the luul-
! lhiNS hlil NtiNilhN WOMB manage 10 Eff mo
| best of ne sometlmrs. They would arrang, ~
| have the men they wanted stick "A pin ia ths
| their huttonhulcf or wehr their caps In II N'r.
| tain way or something else 10y which they could
| plrk out the men that were pnd for. And sp I
| mad Ia let the Captains use their lists and D. <
| their men. make the mon swenr thoy ,ion't
| pay amy bonus money. and that's the best eln
| dc. Another thing We do IL To prevent ali siriks
on the part ~ seiimen by sen ling to other t-rfs
| for men, Inst var. when They attempted ~
! strike we brought crews from Boston ana PM.
| IA. a. Dc
An example of tho con pnnts laid before tho
! Shlpp ng Commissioners may De found IN an m
! ltrrstlng Gus" that hc riird Oh Tues lay Tho
| BARK Atlanta. 193 tons. recently returned from
voyage to Narcotics, for which she shipped
! crew oi SIX primary s'nmen. who w"re m ra
boys lhey WEI necessarily oV"rworkrd. and
were used with unnecessary rou.;hn ~.
! On the outward passage the taUtHin init
mated to them that " they deserted on mr.
| rlNing AT Mntsrllles no ono would mos
sst them Daniel Lynch, "A, lad named
| was drowned while attempting to swim ashore
| 10y the all Of plank outside tn" hnrbor Of Mar
stlll9S. hlcinSans Wac arrested and imprls-
| oned hy the Consul nt Mnrseillc-. and was re-
| turned g. the ship, after an absence Of nineteen
| days The Captain claimed the ri, Int h. i, Ia t
| from klcinsangs wages on account OF his alb
| Sencc. in addition to the expenses of his arr st
| t'r. the whole d,1iu ton amounting t. so -.
Capt Dun'an's decision is AS follows:
man i. I and 'n ,1 ,. s 1.'a ~' Sa
,is,a month were .,er~or.,d anI ,.gsnH u-ri. "a
10y their captain. relief uom .uacfins ant lerI.
6i %' aa pay S''' Is ''''''' ''""' must reeve
Tn" extent to which this abuse Of unler-
| manning American vessels l. ,lrrud Is ~
forth IN capt Dun"an'- annual report for ls35
3ms "orssy r,%ag. ' , Una, ny'.@, one ss,s
,,, 'i a % t o y ,e1s IL,
'rssmns ve'".l, la,u'uariy steam vs,~s
e,'sg l.. ,9a'l ,ns loT rcao.e, NJ handling lir.i
rn',ei T., NAN Two a The ,,lt or H ,o ~ M
HNH lIH Il In tlllfla