The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-06-09
ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
Something for Shipbuilders and Ship
owners to Consider.

In the New York Maritime Register appears
the following communication from Portland
that will prove interesting to our shipbuilders
and shipowners:
To the Editor of the N. Y. Maritime Register:
In your issue of November Sd, a correspond
ent proposes to convert the balance of the
Geneva award into fund to be used for the
encouragement of young Americans who may
enter our merchant service, and in this man
ner, furnish supply of native American sea.
men.
1 do not think the desired object can be ac
complished in that way; but I do think il
can be accomplished by the introduction of dis.
cipline into the service, through, or by means
of the proposed Department of Commerce
The improvement of the material of the SER
vice, was one of the objects had in view by
the propOser of the resolution at the Boston
convention, for the creation of that Depart.
ment
Our mercantile marine is completely demon
allied, and this, mainly, because of the de-
struction of discipline, and the consequent
driving from it of our best American young
men, through the abuses and extortions of the
Law Courts. Let the service be reformed and
thoroughly reorganized by the introduction
and enforcement of a system of discipline,
akin, as near as may be, to the discipline of
the navy. The discipline to be maintained
OF Commerce, by the appointment, in the
principal seaports, OF competent, practical
men as commissioners, who shall be salaried
men, $50 that there shall be no temptation to
adopt the stereotyped decision of the old
Frenchman, SO long judge of the U. S. Dis
court must be pport-captain, you must
pay.') All cases of disputes on shipboard
shall be brought before these commissioners
Immediately on arrival of the ship, to be
heard and decided at once, without appeal. Let
this be done, and you will see our ambitious,
enterprising American young men hocking to
the service, and, in few years the proportion
OF natives to foreigners, in our merchant ma
rine, will be reversed.
Tho U. S. Shipping Commissioners Office
might form the nucleus of the aforesaid COM
mission, and masters, owners and sailors be
alike subject to its authority, the Law Courts
to have no power whatever in the premises.
When L began to go to sea, fifty years ago,
young men preferred to ship on board vessels
where there was discipline and good order, be-
because they felt safer. Every one had to do
his Epart, the lazy one not being allowed to
shirk off the work on the willing men. Our
ambitious young men do not care to enter the
navy, because they are not in the line of pro-
motion, unless they shall have secured Ca
detshlp. On the contrary, in the merchant
service the cabin boy may become a captain,
as the line of promotion is open. A great en-
enlargement to persevere in his calling, and to
hope for and expect promotion will BIO the
consciousness that the laws of his country will
protect and sustain him, when he becomes an
officer in the maintaining of proper order.
There are occasions continually occurring in
sailing ships when prompt and implicit obedi-
ence to orders is as imperatively necessary as
on board man of war. Why not have SINH
lar regulations regarding discipline? Anoth-
er hindrance to the entering of our young men
into the merchant service is the vile associa-
tons of the forecastle. To be the associates,
even to sleeping, with the scum of European
nations, loathsome from debauchery and dis
ease, and then to take their food with them in
the way they do, are enough reasons to disgust,
sicken and drive away any decent youngster.
Moreover, If he have proper outfit of cloth
ing, &c, it is soon stolen or taken by force
from him by the heartless wretches in the fore
castle, who claim that everything there must
be common stock.
To remedy some of these evils, there must
be an enforced surgical examination of the
crew, after they are put on board their cloth
Ing. &c, examined at the same time. Then,
the diseased can be rejected and sent on
shore, and the unclothed also, unless the mas
ter shall choose to clothe the latter from the
slop chest. 1 say, "eaforce surgical e1an,ina-
TONS" because masters will not attend to this,
unless obliged to, by law. AT this examina-
ton let there be also thorough search for
sheath knives, pistols, and all other concealed
weapons, and the whole taken into the possess
sion of the master-if refused to be given up,
send the owner ashore. By this wedding ont
the diseased and the ruffian, and room made
for the health and we'll disposed. Much is
said and written regarding the great expense
OF sailing you vessels, as compared with the
English and other nations. I think it costs
quite as much to sail an English vessel in
the American trade, as it costs to sail ours.
The Norwegians and the other people of
Northern Europe. live on cheaper food than
the Americans or English, and pay less wages
than either. The Italian sailor, it is said, is
paid twelve dollars per month wages, and
finds himself; in a grain vessel living on the
cargo, outward, at the same time laying in of
the cargo outward breadstuff for the return
passage westward. Neither American nor
English vessels can get along on so cheap
scale as that.
to thirty per cent. less than it now costs, and
with better fare, in the following manner viz:
Every vessel of, say 400 tons register, can have
room in the forward house for mess room
and mess table, to be cared for by the cook,
and there the sailors should be compelled to
eat from table having the necessary dishes,
&c, in the same manner as folks eat on shore.
say compelled, because the old sailors will
not eat there unless they are obliged to. This
has been proved by actual experiment. They
must be shipped with that understanding at the
outset, but the green hands will be pleased
with it, as it will be home-like. They will re-
tain their self respect, and an encouragement
for the old sailors again to respect themselves is
held out to them.
The foregoing suggestions, Mr.. Editor, you
perceive relate only to the manning our vessels
and the disciplining and provisioning the men.
In conclusion, one thing more is necessary,
and that is board of examination, composed
Of thoroughly competent, practical men, to ex-
anime the qualifications of every applicant for
the position of first officer or master of an
American vessel and no man to be eligible to
either of those positions without the proper
certificate from such board. Cure cruelty to
sailors by taking away certificates. l hope and
trust that the Department. of Commerce will
be established; that the State and municipal
authorities will be deprived OF all power to
impose pilotages or other imports upon vessels;
that the Law Courts will no longer be made of
use by unprincipled men for the purpose of
Matchmaking owners, masters or officers of
vessels, and that the Government, through
this department, assuring and exercising the
powers granted to it by the constitution, will
so wisely and efficiently regulate the commerce
of these United States that that commerce
may be restored to its former and rightful po-
sition among commercial nations W. r.
WaddinOq