Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-06-10
BUcKING THE TIGER AT SEA.
4 Growing Evil on the Atlantic Steam
ships.
Nstc York Tribune.

Nstr York Tribune.
The subject of gambling on ocean steam
ships, and particularly on those belonging
to the great passenger fleet of the North
Atlantic, has been often and vigorously
discussed. II has not, however, been worn
threadbare, and will not be until some cor
rcctive has been applied to an abuse which
is continually growing. An interesting
communication to the controversy is made
| in the current number of the North Amcri-
can RerieiD by Captain Kennedy, late COM
mander of the Germanic. The chief
significance of this article lies in
the fact that il is frank state
tic of the attitude of the steamship compa-
MES toward the vice which is practiced
aboard their ships, and of the motive which
! impels them TO adopt that attitude
II has often been assumed in discussions
of the subject that owners deplored the
evil, but, were unable TO devise means OF
preventing it. Again, the blame has some
times been laid upon the captains, and they
have been urged to exercise their supposed
supreme authority at sea and simply stop
the business by a word, alter the manner
of autOcrats. Captain Kennedy bluntly
says that he was powerless TO prevent
gambling on the Germanic. Cant you do
something's once asked an old passenger,
not a gambler, who had been grossly af-
! fronted by outrageous behavior in the
smoking room. 1.-The only satisfaction that
| could give him. remarks Captain Ken
nedy, twas that l could do nothing
whatever, as no authority had been
given me, gambling not having been pro-
hibited by the company" He did, how
ever, suggest a complaint at the office in
Liverpool, the result of which he detected
in later voyage, when respectful re-
quest that gentlemen would not play for
high stakes was posted in the smoking
room. 1.-THE gentlemen" he adds, ito
whom this notice was addressed, If they
saw it at all, laughed, shrugged their
shoulders, and played for what stakes best
suited them Doubtless Captain Kennedy
could have stopped the open gambling on the
voyage, since passengers are not wont 10
despise the authority of captains ut sea. In
saving that he could do nothing what
ever he must mean that he had no per-
manent jurisdiction-that the company
would not have backed him up.
Coming TO the last paragraph OF Captain
Kennedy's article, it is interesting, and
after all the explanations, excuses and sur
misses. to which free indulgence has been
given in the past. rather startling TO find
this unhesitating, unequivocal answer TO
the question why gambling is permitted:
'All Atlantic passenger steamers are furn-
ished with u large supply OF wines and
liquors, which are not included in the price
of passage. Men who gamble drink, and
largely. too. The profit derived from the
sale of these wines and liquors during the
traveling-or, may say, the gambling
season are so great that 1t is not TO the In
terest of the steamship companies TO abolish
gambling, or TO interfere in any way with
the comfort and enjoyment OF class OF pas
sengers who so materially added to their
income Our impression is that II Cap
tain Kennedy had said that the companies
supposed il was not TO their interests 10
stop gambling. instead of saying decisively
that it was not, his statement of the case
would have been more precisely accurate:
but for the purposes of explanation, these
two WAYS of putting il amount TO the same
thing. Doubtless the profit from drink in
the smoking and card room is considerable,
but vet il must be comparatively small
item in the receipts of any line, and II GER
tainly seems as if the experiment of sacri-
ficing that part of it which may fairly be
set down to the thirst of gamblers were
worth trying.
OF course, 1t is true that betting on cards,
the ships run and the number of the pilot
boat cannot be absolutely prevented; but
fragrant indulgence in this vice, accom-
panied by such offensive conduct as Cap
tain Kennedy describes, can be prevented.
The proprietors of hotels and restaurants
of the first class do not search the hearts OF
their guests or their doings elsewhere, but
they have little difficulty in preventing OBJ
trusive vulgarity and immortality on their
own premises. a similar exercise of eau
ton and authority would produce similar
results on shipboard.