The morning call., 1891-07-22
SHOULD BE STOPPED.
The Practice of Exacting Blood.
Money Condemned.
Stirring Report Of Stewart Menzies at Meet
ing Of the Chamber of Commerce.
New Members Elected.

The regular quarterly meeting OF the
Chamber of Commerce was held yesterday
afternoon, President c. L. Taylor presiding.
A resolution was adopted in memoriam
of the death of Robert w. Simpson. SINH
lar resolutions referring to The deaths of
Charles H. Wells and Edmund B. Chapman
were adopted.
Ex-Judge Hilborn read report on the
national pilot laws, in which he stated that
he had obtained sufficient data to make 1t
possible to frame proper bill for national
laws. He also reported favorably upon the
proposition to establish q State naval
militia.
The most interesting feature of the meet
ing was the reading Of an extended report
by Stewart MenZies on the practices of
sailor boarding house keepers in regard to
the obtaining of blood-money from sailors.
After stating that the practice has pre-
vailed 10 great extent for many years and
appears now to be generally established,
and commenting on its demoraliZing inf1u-
ence aud the bad reputation it gives this
port, the report says:
STARTLING FIGURES.
From Information which has been kindly fur
niShed BY the United States Shipping Commits
sioner, II. h. NJ Consul, and consignees OF ves-
sells. your committee has aSceTlllned that during
the year 1890 ;hrre were shipped Oh vessels
bound for Atlantic and Europ an ports over
5000 men, Including about 1900 by American
vessels and 1851 by British vessels, for nearly
al of whom bonus of $40 per head was paid,
IRRESPECTIVE Of customary shipping fees Of So per
head. so That In round numbers the sum OF
100000 WAS paid during last year for blood
money alone ana IL is difficult 10 Imagine In what
way This large expenditure serves any useful or
proper purpose. and il is manIfest-nasmuch as
raies OF freight are directly Influenced by the
port expenses OF vessels-that it must come out
OF The pockets OF the producers of this Slate.
A PERNICIoUs SYSTEM
Your committee is OF the opinion that this per-
nicIous system has TO some extent been encour-
aged by ship-Owners themselves, aud In this con-
Dection reference Is made to foreign ship-oWners,
as the crews OF American vessels paid of
here, In as much as they have not sufficiently en-
deavOred 10 retain their men on arrival Al this
port, aud have acted, there is reason TO believe
fiom tile shOrtslglted point OF view that The
unpaid wages OF the outward voyage sacrificed
by deserIers, ana the saving OF their expenses OF
maintenance while in port, would compensate
for having to ship substitutes In San Francisco
aTa higher rate of wages. THIS policy did not
contemplate the payment Of blood money, but II
facilitated the business of ctlmps and boarding
masters, and has doubtless assisted in building
up the present pernlcious system.
THE SAILORS HOME.
The report regrets that the managers of
the Sailors Home should have considered it
necessary to initiate the boarding-m master.
Legislative action is recommended, and the
report concludes as follows:
Besides the legislative remedy already sug-
ge>tcQ your committee Is oil lie opinion that
teiiaI practical benefit would be derived by action
being taken under the auspices of merchants in-
teresIed III shipping business, with view 10 the
selection and appointment OF competent aud
reliable persons, 10 whom alone would be In
trusted the procure ment of seamen for American
aud British vessels, and 1t Is suggested that It
would be most convenient 10 appoint TWO such
agents, one 10 act on behalf of American vessels
and the other for British vessels. and should this
Recommendation be adopted by your Chamber, IL
is believed that no insuperabe difficulties Will
present themselves in carrying Il into effect. The
customary shipping fees, now being paid by ship
masters irrespective Of bonus ought 10 be amply
SUFFICIENT 10 meet al necessary expenditures for
the CONDENSATION of such agents. These fees
Tow approximate 1000 annually.
The report was adopted and the commit
tee discharged.
IRRIGATION BONDS.
The report Of the Committee on Irrigation
stated that III igati0n bonds issued by dis
tricts are legal, anu tGe committee recon-
mended them to capitalists.
A committee, consisting of Captain Nell
son aud Messrs. McKinnon and Dol5eer.
was elected to frame petition, IN CO. opera
ton with the Eureka Chamber of Commerce,
10 ask Congress for an appropriation to i'm
prove Humboldt Bay.
Hon. Warner Miller and Judge Lorenzo
Sawyer were elected honorary members and
the following active members: Wendell
Easton. James Sennett, John Metcalf r.
B. Hooper, U, S. Duval, Colin NJ. Boyd,
Hobbs, Wall & Co., Jacob Is. Leyinson,
Abraham Powell, Marshall A. Newell. P. F.
Butler, Andrew Anderson, Evan G. Evans,
Solomon Sweet Reuben Ii. Lloyd. James
G. Fair, Husband 81 Brooks, William H.
Boyee. Henry B. Hunt, James B. Chase,
John Taylor, Arnett IL Rivers, w. B. Chap
man, Abner Doble. The total membership
fs