The Republican journal., 1882-03-23
How Ship Owners are Robbed.

The China Mail of Feb. ID, contains some III
terGsting and suggestive facts concerning the
three months extra pay law and its operations.
1t says that the extra wages collected under this
law during the year 1881. by Col. Moseby. the
I. ;. Consul at Hong Kong, showed a total of
=. l69. 20, while the sum paid out by the Consul
during the year relief to seamen amounted
to no more than Sl13. The Mail very truly saws
of this exhibit
These figures conclusiycly show that 30 far
Il Hong Kong is concerned the tax imposed up
on American shipmasterS frequenting this port
for the relief Of distressed Seamen must be dis
bur>cd for some object other than that which is
i'll ended. Under previous C0nSuls it is TO be
feared that the sums collected under this head
failed to reach the Treasury at Washington
but as all this has been radically changed by the
present representative of the United States in
this Colony. the money merely finds IFS way to
the capital, a>. We presume, a general asset.
In fact, we believe it has been the practice
with former consuls. to pocket fees. amounting
in some cases to $4,000 to $4,000 per annum.
the greater portion of which was eXacted from
American vessels. Is it any wonder that our
ships have been unable to compete with those
of other nations in the foreign carving trade:
This extra wages tax is but small part of
what our ship owners have TO contribute TO
the private bank accounts of dishonest officials.
OF which. as in the case of Col Mosebv event
ually finds its way into the United States Tres-
>urv. The Mail says the total receipts al the
Hong Kong Consulate during 1881 Were sol :
51G.e5, and the total expenses s1341 81 leaving
a balance of S14,115.34, "to be RENTED 10 the
Treasury.
Capt. Robert {. Adams, in his entertaining
book. "On Board the Rocket relates his rXpe-
rlence, i'll port Of Asia, with the extra pay
law. His ship was obliged to lay idle for seve-
raj months. The crew Were unwilling to leave.
and Capt, Adams would not drive them away.
as was done by some other captains. Finally
the men. knowing they were not wanted con-
scented to leave: "but the consul, in reply to the
application, held up the three months pay law.
and my choice was 10 keep the men or pay
sixty dollars each besides the wages due"
Attached to the Consul's office was a shipping
master. who gave personal attention to all de-
tails Of business connected with crews. and he
came forward and offered to allow the men to
desert" upon the payment to him of fourteen
dollars apiece. which was to be called two
weeks board" Capt. A. says:
felt compelled in justice TO my owners, to
adopt this plan, and connve at the rascaitv BY
which an I'm just law was evaded by those en-
trusted With It's enforcement. The matter was
arranged so as to do no violence 10 my con-
science in the matter of oath and declaration OF
dtsertion. This shipping master, after short
term of service. was able to buy "A half interest
in large ship. and probably approves Of the
three months pay law. The previous Consul is
said to have taken away eighty thousand dollars
after Il few years residence.
And this Is how our ships in the foreign trade
are robbed under a law which was perhaps nee
essary in the time of its enactment. but which
is no longer so.