The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-07-30

What Is the reason there Is so much
corporal cruelty on board American mer-
chant vessels? The charge that there is
such cruelty has often been made, and has
numbers OF times been substantiaJed. Cap
tains. when they come into port profess
themselves the embodimentS Of kindness
and justice, but crews often tell another
story and sometime convince courts that
they are right This was the case with
the Sunrise a number Of years ago. Tie
captain had actually his wife on board and
might have been superior TO harsh uSages by
that association. Ee knew of nothing
wrong, ana said so to the enc, but eVentu-
ally he was sent to the County jail for
term, and First Mate Harris went 10 the
penitentiaTy for four years. and the second
mate, poor, dying cripple, who had The
grave in sight, but who had performed most
ui the brutality, got of with two months.
Sailors are often indiscIlminate but not
great liars. After being bold IN accusation
upon landing every man on the Sunrise was
brbed with $50 60 hold his tongue, and Il
was only by pressure that the truth came
out and was sustained in court. Sentences
followed.
\ tale of woe is told by the crew Of the
NJ. 2. Grace. which has just arrived in port
I46 days from New York. The officers in
Guiding the captain, are described as having
bu,hed, beaten and ir0ned some of the crew
Hook was passed. and one man is said 20
have ended his suffering by taking header
from the main royal yard 10 the deck. The
captain gives an Indignant denial TO the
accusations OF the crew, or any member
Thereof, and there is no way of settling the
matter but by proceedings in court If the
men are right they ought To 60 on with the
charges; but, surprising they are right. they
have no encouragement 70 proceed. know
ing mat they Will have 10 endure consider
able financial sacrifice and practically i'm
pTlSOnment while waiting as y illnesses. II
IS unfortunately tbs fec. sat crews on
America vessels are frequently Ter from
being able seamen. but Row comes Il they
are shipped as sach and does brow ting
ManiIBg, useless work aioft. es we'll as
se4Bi-s tar Fati0R and confinement In iroLs,
aud SaoeAlng daRn With ekle-dHsteTe,
iiaproFe tire capacities Of .hs inca pabiR7 A
CAPTAINS power a. ss& omght to be very
strictly esaea by Congress. and a sche1uie
~ nEaishmeats aid CGwn beyond VIA sh lie
ssogi9 Dot 20. That has beea done IN the
/ British service at least Enr hifC a6isa Is
not pergitte1. The fore astie sho ald knew
iis - .ghss IS wei as ths cabin.
-Is.is absaFd t. sauv OF auy-.i7ird OF 2
meat being isnperishable. All Pavsme..--
require repairs. But some paYemeu,s are
mere durable than others. and anybody
may see shGt the plan Of laying blocks BE-
tween tb3r rails adopted 10y the caoie
solid rock very difficult . tear up. The
stones are nicely laid n position. and be-
tween ,neD IS poured q solution OF Port
land cement which BINDS them together
firmly - hen pavement SO laid Bas t. 90
tore ap woTkmen have 10 &c 10 work with
hammer ana cBisel and i IS only after hard
blows and good wedging that any impress
sion j. made. But On the ctty's portion OF
tie street kick might displace the loosely
adjusted basalts. Hence there Is great
ii - 4
work. Tie one IL scamped and imperfect
and tie other good. Il pays the companies
IN this matter 10 be good.
A communication in contemporary
draws attention 10 the shelving Of the lie
Roy franchise for cable railroad under
which there would have been access 10 the
ocean beach for iye-cent fare. a couple
Of million dollars would have been spent on
the road and hundreds of men would have
been employed. The Supervisors see no
advantage IN any project Of this absurdly
cheap and philanthrOpic nature and neither
OF cOur,e does the Southern Pacific CON-
pauy. Had the Southern Pacific asked for
the franchise If course it would have been
another thing. There would have been mil
lions Of advantage in it to the city. Really
tie Supervisors have great powers OF saying
no" when there Is anything sensible before
their noses-that is, IN tie city interest.
The Germans threaten to send US for the
Chicago Exhibition great gun-the great
est monster Of its kind-capable Of throw
ing a solid ton Of shot - miles, and Cf
course capable Of changing the appearance
Of anything il strikes. But these heavy
guns, from the fact that they become USE
less after a few rounds. are much less 10 be
dreaded than a rifle which lodges bullet
accuT ately at a range Of two miles. Such
yea 10 frrat Il 70 he haEF nd
IS not perhaps much more than a quarter Of
a nile Improvement on the range Of other
rifles, but 1t is deadly enough IN tie forward
direction to make FIGHTING In the ranks
uckllsh work. rifle with range OF ~
miles might inspire confidence In human
targets, because they might escape, bpt not
one limited to two War is becoming too
horrible. The generals and monarchs will
base 10 shake dice for the victory.
One Of Chicsgo's computing minds has
reached the conclusion that if Congress
closes the Worlds Fair on Sunday it will
mean a loss Of 100000 10 the exhibition
authorities. AS Congress Is asked for
much smaller amount and appears Gnwiil-
ing 10 grant ii, why should the committee,
II aGyi>abie, not act on independent lines
without subsidy? On the other hand, IS
II MOI certain that the S7,Oo0w00 which
would be gathered in by the exhibition, II
open on Sundays, will be otherwise absorbed
BY Chicago?
The militia man who was trussed up by
the thumbs tor half an hour and shaved
with coDtemptuous barbering at the COM
mand Of the colonel at Homestead is about
TO bring an action OF damages for $4,000
against all concerned. The case will be one
of extreme interest to every man in this vol
untaTy service OF States from end To end of
America. and In tile public service IL may
be hoped that IL viii not be com promised or
stifled. The legal bearings of such an ex-
IRENE assumption of authority are worthy Of
being put on record.