The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-06-16
SHIPPING MEN COMPLAIN.
ASKING FOR THE REMOHAL OF SHIP
PING COMnISSIONER REED.

ana sonmen 10 the Treasury DephT'o"'
WASHINGTON. d. c., June s,-Senator Evarts
has received the following petition when
brings to light rather strange state OF aualrs
In the Treasury Department, and demonstrates
that there is decided objection on the part ol
great many people Interested in the shipping
business Of the port OF New York to the reten-
ton in office of United States Shipping CON-
missioner James G. Reed:
NV York, May g, 1890.
The Hon. VIVA Ev1rn United states SENATOR Washing
ton, n c.
Tho undersigned merchants shipownerS masters,
and others having business with the once OF uhReu
States Shipping Commissioner OF the fort OF new hork
respectfully request you TO sec Secretary "huom OF
the Treasury Department. who has tho power OF ap'
pontmont and removal OF Commissioners ana urge
him TO remove the prescott incumbent James q Reed
Tor reasons set fUrh In numerous peutlons ana ai-
davis on file with the Secretary Of tho Treasury And
further ask Won 10 use your influence with the sec.
rotary to appoint in his stead competent and expert
onced man In shipping matters
Should Secretary Window decline 10 remove MIR.
Reed we will thank you to cause committee oil Con-
gress to be appointed and sent here to investigate Com
missioner Reeds doings in order that he may he re.
moved Also ase ask tho Secretary of tho Treasury
to promuHae N ruling as to the proper Interpretation
of section 454a Revised statutes, touching tho pay
mont of wages money due seamen on being discharged
by the master. Section 4, $40 reads as follows:
merchant vessels shall be discharged and re-
ceve their wages in presence OF duly authorized Ship
ping Commissioner, under the title except In cases
where some competent court otherwise direoS"Ac-
Commissioner seed inv arAbly demands and receives
not only the accounts the master but tho money due
the Also the master being i'll no permitted
to pay The seaman himself as the law specifies
Of every vessel making voyages from port the Al
lantc TO port in the Pacific or vice versa shall pay to
nation of the agreement at the time that sucn
nan Is us haIged Whichever hrst AND IN te
days after the cargo nus been delivered or with nNe
pen, and IN all rases tic shall, at tho time OF
ms Discharge DC entitled 70 be paid on Secopnt sun
.ommiss!oper Reef notifies CAPTAINS to pay not ex
from the vessel other the Commissioner oDIrs
Captain TO pay the amount advanced over again TO him.
man to retand the money or lose IL; ,-
not less than forty light hours before paying
charging any seaman, deliver TO him or II Ito Is to I've
shipping Commissioned iui and IrLe account Of his
WAGES, and all deductions to be made theretrom any
:tGtiOn 4SI- 4rt,tle %upSn payment being made
snippnx Commissioner shall! II required sign ana give
si ma n % tive % the 80
ms be received as eyiIenes that ne has re-
Tnsse Nj Nj Semaor are "ny Of the more i'm
am q p. G%m S r HsssI She Jaw
your influence tor I'll. removal OF tile present Commits
b@rFts az and
90 south street James L. Ward& Co. ll3 Wall street;
William stree, L smith GO. y william .tIosi
Co. street Mer Cush,"n 3 soash
street; Abel Abbot S south street afford Co, q
Parser 90 Is ;ogtn street! Dixon Keen Coenues
Barnes 50 south street Marcus hanIer = South street
Whether or not Senator Evarts will move in
the matter remains TO be seen; he has not
since he received the above.
II will be noticed that the petition states that
petitions and atltdavits bearing on this same
subject are on fl!e witt, the Secretary of the
Treasury. Notwithstanding this statement,
when delegation OF business men interested
IN shipping in New York waited on Secretary
Window short time ago to ascertain what
steps. II any. had been taken to investigate the
office OF United states Shipping Commissioners
bent OF which frequent complaints had been
made. the Secretary informed them that that
was the first intimation he had had that any
-ured. however, that they were on file in the
office he caused an inquiry to be made. and as
tors. officers. seamen. and owners. all protest
ing against the manner in which Commits
sioper Reed administered the law, and asking
Tor his removal.
AS these com plants had been received they
ably hut Tor this publication would never have
seen the light: 1t is six weeks since that dele
cation waited on Secretary Window. and al
though he promised to give the matter his
arly attention not.a word has been heard Of
Il since.
hese petitions and atiidavlts containing over
100 signatures OF merchants shpowners and /
'eamen. and. while they are too yoluminous 10
90 given in delail' summary OF them may
prove Interesting reading
The first intima.ion that there existed any |
with the manner IL which the |
Affairs of Commissioner Reeds office were |
leing conducted was received in March SS9. |
within short time after President Harrisons |
and was contained in petition |
,hipowners, and shipmasters, asking that Capt. |
AIvah T. Blanchard OF Brooklyn be appointed |
United States shipping Commissioner in tho |
Jlace Of James e. Reed.
Capt Blanchard Is retired shipmaster and |
shipping merchant, and Is very POPULAR among |
hose interested in shipping. besides being an
lctive Republican. HIS application was en- |
lorscd by the subcommittee Of the Reuubli- |
'au organization Of Kings county, but he didn't |
His peiiion was nankcd by one signed by
AZ officers and seamen OF the nited States
lgement OF the United States Shipping Com
nisioners, Office by James {. Reed was in a.
hem in the way of irregularities and delay in
eceiving their pay and discharge on the ter
nination OF their voyages 1t was aNerred that
n some instances. although ne CAPTAINS ac-
counts had been perfectly satisfactory 10 them.
hoy had been compelled 10 wait ten and |
we've days for their money.
Another. to which WAS attached sixty -hTe |
igDatures said:
We, undersigned American CITIZENS officers and
nj OF tile port OF New York many OF uH having our |
ONES and dependent families IN adjoining states
Ghch We Invariably desire t. reach with our earnings
n pockets kt tn" earliest Practicable hour after
Oinpletlng our respective voyages resneCttuIiy ask
hat you VIII Mt your riest convenience cause such
hange to be made In the MANAGEMENT of the Lnlted
tateB Shipping Commissioner office lt this port, by
he appointment of practical and experienced man in
hpping matters Commissioner. AS VIII enable
nd our dependent fAnlIies instead Of the Now York
= Tor landlords To ENJOY tho fruits OF our labor We
especrnly submit that IT. has become rule nc that
ihce when the money TO pay uH our wages has been
eposited there, to unwArrantAl ~ raise such legal
|
cunts between our employers and ourselves for cash
supplies provided and received by us during the
ge, as 10 HeCeAhitate delay, IN many instances tho
mount or dlnerenc Involved beng less than wond pay
ne days board whereby We, who happen 20 lie tho
ictllns have been compelled 10 wait ten or more
avng left our ships and being without friends have
cen compelled 10 enter a sailors boarding house.
here our hard'earnsi money Is inOrtRaRed and our
antilles deprived Of what they would otherwise get
ltretTom. In such cases we are denied the comfort
oven visiting our homes looking on tho faces Of
oyAge perhaps with tho same result in the end We
arnesy pray that you will IA soon as may be, MI tho
lce OF shipping Commissioner at tho port OF New
ork by the appointment OF practical man to Ako tho
lace OF Tho present incumbent, to whose negligence
no Improper administrator OF the law Is due our |
rleYances as above.
1t will be noticed TINT in the petition last
uoted reference Is made to the benefit de-
ved by the sailors boarding house keepers.
nd In this connection the following affidavit.
'hich within short time has been filed here
18th the other papers, may be worthy OF
erusal: