The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-08-10
UNION EFFECTED.
Shipnasters Join the
Ship-Owners.
ACTION WAS UNANIMOUS.
It's Results Are Expected to Be Far
Reaching and TO Bring About
Permanent Membership.

A meeting was held Yesterday afternoon
at the office of the British Consul by the
masters of the various English merchant
men in port to take official and definite
action in the matter of protection against
the demand for blood-money for sailors.
which many boarding-naster are irving
TO enforce.
After full discussion of the situation it
was unanimously resolved to resist the de-
mand for blood-lnoney and to make appli-
cation for membership in the Ship-owners'
Association. An agreement to this effect
was drawn up aad signed by all the mas
tiers present.
committee of four was appointed to
confer at once with the ship-owners and
empowered it to act. Another meet
Ing will be held tomorrow at 2 P. NJ. at the
same place to receive the signatures OF
such masters who could not be present 1t
yesterdays meeting.
AT 3:15 the committeeman called at the
ofilce OF the Ship-owners' Association and
presented themselves to Secretary Will
liams. He stated frankly that the agree
ment had been signed by sufficient num-
Der OF masters to warrant him In admit
ting them TO the association, and this was
accordingly done. 1t may be safely set
! down that within two days every master
o. British vessel in rort. including those
taking grain at Port Costa, will be a men,
Der of the association.
The logical result of this movement will
be to effect n combination OF the Ship-own-
ers' Association with the great Shipping
federation of England. which controls
about segen.eighths of all the sailing yes.
sells which leave Great Britain. Core
spondence will Immediately be opened
with the federation and with owners of
vessels which make regular voyages to San
Fran cisco with view to establishing per-
manent membership.
Now that the English ships have taken
un1ted stand against blood money, and
have joined you. Is 1t not likely that the
boardlna-mesters will combine to counter
act the movement" asked CALL man of
Secretary Williams Yesterday.
be answered: This new deal will be a
permanent benefit to the boardng-mas-
tcrS-1 mean TO the honest boarding-mas-
ters-thoSe who are satisfied to receive Just
what the sailor owes them. | will be m ch
surprised If they do not become allies OF
this association. l. will Go away with the
pulling and hauling of sailors. Boarding.
masters can ship their men here and re-
ceIve what Is coming TO them in straight
forward buslnessiIke way. They will not
have to watch the men aud each her 1t
has been the habit IN this port when sea-
men are plentiful for bOardin g-masters to
make presents TO the Shipmasters TO take
their men so that they will be certain OF
getting pay for board bills. 1t is also true
that there are Weil-autilenticated Instances
where the boardin g-hOuse keeper and the
shpmaSter have divided the blood money.
This sort OF business has tended to ref ct
upon the In tegrity of shipmasters who, by
force of circumstances, have Ead 10 pay
big blOod-money. With the arrangement
entered into to-day the board ing-master,
the ship and the captain Will be pro-
tectPd."
But suppose the boardiDg-masters COM
blne and refuse 10 let you have sailors 2"
was asked.
They cant do it," was the prompt re-
Spouse. How Will they get rid of the
sailors they have on hand now? llthey
keep feeding these men all summer and
fall and winter on credit? Scarcely. You
have no idea how many idle Seamen the
are on this coast. not only here, but all
over. Coasting vessels are being laid M,
and every pert OF Puget Suund is thick
with men anxious to 60 TO sea. On three
days notice we c0ud get $50 or 800 sailors
from Seattle, Tacoma and Port Townsend;
but what IS the use Of bringing men TO q
port already nvercfOwded " henever the
supply runs short here we can draw Oh
Puget Sound
COasrag vessels have paid the Ship
owners Association 81 month dues per
man. HE dues Tor 10 voyages are half
that amount These dues are devoted o
paving the expenses of the organ'Z .tion
and ii at the end Of the year the receipts
prove greater than the outlay (Which IN All
probability viii he the case) there will BE-
a rebate pro rata. vessel returning
direct 10 San Francisco from the United
Kingdom or the Continent would be IL der
continuous dues. but when she undertakes
some other voyage, after diScharging al
her port If destination, the dues stop and
are not renewed until her next arrival
here. The membership Of the association
Is growing so fast that it is believed that
tbs rebate on dues paid will be sufficient
n II, u To mi H. q q