The morning call., 1893-08-31
PURELY ON MERIT.
New System for Sailors
Advancement.
A RECORD FOR EVERY MAN,
The Barracuda Will Discharge Cargo
Here-Sone Educators for
Honolulu.

Sbip-Owners Association yesterday after
noon to take action on several reforms
and improvements which have been under
taken by Secretary Williams. The princi-
pal thing which came up was the second
step in a system introduced some time
since for advancement of seamen, based
on merit and skill only.
Ever since The association began work,
a large record book has been kept, one
page devoted to each man shipped by the
association, with a separate blank for
each trip, which is filled out at the end of
the voyage. This record con tains a men,
orandum of the sailors seamanship. his
conduct and his promptness in paying his
debts.
The second step is the grading or rating
of sailors. Every man shipped is to be
provided with memorandum-book con-
tanning blanks, as above mentioned, to be
flied out by the master at the end of each
voyage. This book will serve as a card of
merit or demerit, according to the work
and the behavior of the holder. Those
who have books will take precedence in
employment by the association over those
who have u books, and those whose rating
is highest viii have precedence over those
who are lower. Other things being equal
men who pay their bills promptly will get
ships quicker than those who are dilatory
This second step was approved by the
board.
1t will serve several purposes. First,
there will be an incentive to sailors to do
their best ana offer them straight road
TO the position Of second mate; it provides
way for employment without the inter-
vention of boarding-master or so-called
shipping-master; it furnishes them with
written testimonial based on a record, not
on any individuals opinion; it shows to
the master exactly what sort of material is
offered to man his ship and it protects
bOarding-hOuse keepers against dead
beats
Thus far there has been disposition
among the better class of seameD TO take
advantage of this system, and Secretary
Williams believes 1t will have general
popularity except among the drones, and
of these the Ship-ownerS' Association will
be only too glad to be rid.
a proposition looking toward the gradual
abolishing of advance money was dis
cuSsed Dut the habit of eXpeDding a part
OF their wages before they are earned has
grown so deep among men cf the sea that
II cannot be uprooted
John Kane, the well-known shipping
master, was ruled out of the association for
conduct unbecoming an officer and
gentleman. Reasons given by Secretary
Williams for this action were that Kane
had taken fees from sailors to secure them
work from the association and that he had
negotiated with ship-owners TO take sailors
from him instead of the ship-owners
Kane's dismissal was confirmed.
Among the passengers for Honolulu by
the steamer Australia, which left yester-
day, were Rev. Father +. Feth and
Brothers Thomas, Francis and An hony of
the Order of Brothers of Mary VINO go to
st. Louis College at the Hawaiian capt.
tai. Father Feith has been stationed at
st. Mary's College, San Antonio, Tex. for
flaa fn.t H. IL 4
he has been the guest of the brethren at
st. jOseph's School AZ Tenth and Howard
streets. He is much pleased with San
Francisco and looks forward with pleasure
10 his work among the 400 boys now az
tending the college a. Honolulu.
Captain John W. Gage, Port Warden,
has founded geological garden at West
Berkeley. Yesterday he added to his
already large collection g group of mon
keys which he secured from the British
ship Celtic Chief.
The court of inquiry of the Liverpool
Board of Trade relative TO the loss of the
British ship Bawdon. hence April 6, found
that the strandtng was due to error in the
position of the vessel. The master was
reprimanded, but his certificate was not
taken away.
No selection has yet been made for the
command of the Pacific Mail steamship
Colon, made vacant by the death OF Cap
tain Averv.
H. W. Hawkshurst. supervising engineer
of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company,
went aboard the Barracuda yesterday TO
make an examination. but was not able to
discover anything additional to what was
published in yesterdays CALL. The
steamer will discharge cargo here and un-
0ergn repairs. The opinion prevails among
the Pacific Mail people here that the eX-
plosi0n was caused by dynamite or other
explosive placed OD board with intent to
destroy the vessel. but they have not the
slightest clew 10 the criminal. IT is abso-
lutely certain, as stated yesterday, that the
explosion was not caused by gas.
The Oceanic Company's steamer Aus
tralia sailed yesterday fol- Honolulu with
30 cabin DaSsengerS-most of them island
ers returning home from the Worlds Fair.
Her cargo consisted of 800 cenIals of wheat,
46O barrels -four. 260 cases green fruit, $50
boxes apples, $50 boxes onions, 5000 pounds
lard, 4S0 sacks potatoes, 1000 gallons wine,
42 cases champagne, and much canned
goods and beer. Total value $4,000. In
her treasure-room she had $4,000 in gold
coin shipped by local bank.
The American ship Belle O'Brien has
been chartered for U. K at 81 5s. Rumors
that she was leaky were without fonnda-
tion.
Once more and for the eight time in the
past year the lighthouse at Angel Island is
without an assistant keeper.
Captain Birkholm has temporarily taken
command of the Golden Shore, vice Hen
derson. who is sick. The vessel is bound
to Port Pirie. Australia, and if Captain
Henderson is well enough when she is
loaded he will join her at Port Angeles
and take her to her destination.
CAPTAIN w. o. Hayden has succeeded
Captain Bendegard in command of the
steamer Signal
The British ship City of Madras will
sail to-day for Ipswich, England, with the
largest cargo of barley that ever left this
port. II consists of 53,O53 centals, or 1850
tons. valued at S5O.0o0. Although she is
loaded down to her Plimsoll mark, the
vessel has space left for $50 tons more.
The schooner Mayflower arrived from
Shelter Cove yesterday. On the trip up,
northwest gale off Point Arena carried
away her jibboom and forestry.
The barkentine Jane l.. Stanford ar
rived last night, forty-nine days from sgd