The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-08-08
WILL ORGANIZE.
British Shipmasters to
Fight the Bonus.
NO BLOOD MONEY TO BE PAID
What the Ship-Owners' Association
Will Do to Kill One of the Worst
Abuses Now in Existence.

The movement among owners and mas
ters of deep-water vessels to thwatt the
rapacious boarding-masters and put stop
TO paving "blood money" is taking shape.
and the first steps toward definite action
will be taken to-day. There is not CAP
tain in port but is opposed to paying the
bonus demanded both from principle and
as matter of economy, but every master
recognizes his inability successfully to
compete with the clearinghouse keeper
when he acts alone, hence the desire Tor
combination. The agency which seems to
offer ample ammunition for successful
fight is the Ship.owners' Association. and
the strong probability is junction Will De
affected between the association aud deep
water captains.
An article in Sundays CALL relative to
the quick supply of crews to four vessels
las. week. and to the system which the
Ship-owners' Association has established.
was reyelatio to many British shippers
In port. and excited much comment IN
shipping circles.
Yesterday nine masters OF British yes
sells called at the Office of the Ship-owners
Association applying for crews. but the
application we're not con sldere0, LOT Inc
reason that none of them were mem Ders
OF the association. The reasons why the
association will not deal snRly with for
eign-going vessels are best given In the
language of George G. Williams. secretary
and manager of the association, TO GALL
reporter yesterday. He said:
1--WE were organized to protect the coast
shipping; we have made our light anu we
won. Our association did not cOntem plate
relief for foreign shipping. Suppose to-
~
for some vessel bound for Liverpool. We
could do it, but we would incur opposition
from boarding masters. and 1t would be
renewed every time we shipped another
crew. We would be getting into rows. and
the worst of it would be that we would not
strike at the root of the abuses. Our assoc
citation would gain nothing il we dealt
singly with each ship.
E"But if all the foreign ships in port
should combine and agree to become mem-
bers of this association | undertake to say
that the principal abuses will be wiped out
at one blow. 1t is no secret that the sup
ply OF sailors now is excessively large, and
as the season advances Ii will be larger
Men will soon be coming In from sealing
and whaling cruises and from the harvest
fields-frst-class able seamen. Many log
giug camps on Puget Sound are shutting
down, and there will be large number of
Swedes, Norwegians and Danes, quite as
skillful before the mast as at cutting trees
and driving logs. In the present depressed
state of trade it will not be easy Tor these
men 10 find employment ashore. and they
will Do glad to go to sea. To-day there
were at least 100 experienced sailors at this
Office anxious to ship"
will you be able TO serve the foreign
ships as we'll as you have served the coast
ers ?" asked the reporter.
why not?" was the Yankee answer.
Our OrganiZa ton is one vast machine. en-
tending from Nanaimo, b. c., to San
Diego. / see no reason why we cannot
furnish crews 10 oreign-bound vsssel-
with the same dispatch you noticed last
week.
Il think we could arrange to take in the
masters of wheat ships in our associa ton.
We do not need allies, but If we can cor
rect port abuses and relieve shipping of
unjust and onerous burdens we will be
rendering the commerce of this port a
great service"
And what will be the cost?"
at will cost about SIS for each man
shipped. We charge a shipping fee of 50
for each man, and 30 cents a month dues or
each man. As the voyage lasts about SIX
months, the dues will be So and the fee
81. a total of So"
four masters of English vessels now load
ing for the United Kingdom at a down.
town ship brokers' Office, and each ex-
pressed himself as more than willing to
join the association. A suggestion was
made by one captain that his assignees
deemed it necessary to ask permission
from his owners. Another captain re-
piled: What nonsense! 1t would mean
six weeks delay. Now. these boarding
masters want $50 a man blood money.
This association proposes to furnish men
for So. l require Nil eteeI men. If pay
the boardinR-masters' demands the ship
will be out $50. If the association fur
nishes them | will save S475. and l have a
notion my owners will approve my act"
Another, who was not familiar with the
workings OF the association, inquired
whether it would agree to keep the men
aboard ship until the hours OF sailing. He
was informed that the association fur
nished armed guards at cost of So so a
day, and that these had proved to be ample
protection. This statement satisfied him.
There will be a meeting of British SHIP
masters to-day to consider the best means
of uniting among themselves, Joining the
association and putting stop, for this
season at least. to the extcrtiou of blood
money.