The morning call., 1894-02-15
Sailors Discharged on
Mere Suspicion.
CUSTOMS : SERVICE ABUSE.
A Smuggfer Caught Involves a
Whole Crew.
OWNERS OF VESSELS AFRAID.
If They Refuse to Obey the Requests
Their Vessels Are Subjected
to Delays.

There is storm gathering among the
! officers and employees of transatlantic
ships. both st eamshlps and sailing vessels,
which will reak at no distant day upon
the heads of the Collector. the Surveyor
and the Deputy Surveyor of this port.
A peculiar custom prevails at this port,
which. so far as can be learned. obtains at
no other port of entry in the United
States. Ii rightly used the custom would
prove something Of a safeguard against
smuggling, but if abused, as the ship Of
ncers and sailors now say it is. the practice
must work rot only hardship, but fasten
disgrace upon many an innocent man.
The customs officials are almost masters
OF every vessel which enters or sails from
our ports. Keeping within the strict letter
oil the law hardsEips can be worked and
have been worked upon what Is known as
way steamships until the vessels have
proved well nigh useless as common car
rlers. For instance. upon adyices from
the Collector of the Port of San Francisco
That there Is reason 10 suspect that certain
seamen or officers aboard ID vessel are en-
gagged in the illicit trsIfic of smuggling
the vessel may be detained and searched
at every port, delayed and watched until
Instead of making her trip on time she
will reach her destination days late and
her cargo having been handled and re-
handled, boxes opened and packages
broken. will reach the conslgnees in a
condition that will prevent them from
making second shipment on the same
vessel or by the same line.
Realizing these conditions the owners
and agents of ships have acquiesced in all
Eat1 dc a -, 81
officers. When the Collector or Surveyor OF
The Port OF San Francisco has notified steam
ship company OF the owner OF a vessel that the
chief engineer, his assistant. the cook one OF
HE sailors is suspected of Smuggling and that
the customs authorities want such map dis
charged the man is discharged regardless OF
The fact that he had never been tried or If tried
had not been convicted. If tiled ana convicted
as a matter OF course The man, whether captain
or COOS, has been at once discharged, but when
men VINO have had no trial lave been dis.
charged the reason given has always been that
the Shlp-Owner could not afford 10 have the
customs authorities against INN.
Within Ihe past few days the officers Of ships,
the sailors. and even the heads OF the great
coast ana trans-Pacihc steamship lines, have
become restless under what they are Inclined to
look upon as an abuse OF power, ana IL is not
unlikely that within the coming fortnight
charges Will be filed in Washington against
several Federal officers and an earnest protest
entered against tie exercise OF an authority
which those aggrleyed claim Is not UuIY not
sanctioned. but Is absolutely prohibited by law.
Tie complaint VIII rest mainly upon TWO
cases. day or two since a sailor on The ship
Empire was caught coming ashore with con
Ifaband opium on his person. He was tried,
convicted aud punished, and after that the
Whole deck crew OF the Empire was summarlly
discharged upon The request OF the customs
authorities, the owner vi tile Empire stating
that the discharge OF the men made be-
cause he did not dare run counter TO the Gus
toms officers. The Sailors claim that not
single man was guilty or had guilty knowledge
of the smuggling except the man cap
tured. Yet they were put ashore under Stlg
ma Of chine. thrown ont OF work and added 10
The already oyercrowded ranks Of The unem-
ployed because OF statement from the Gus
toms officers that Iii believed the entire crew
were engaged in smuggling opeI atIOns."
The second case Is that Of young Wyre, as
sistanI engineer Of the steamship City OF Pu-
cba. wye was chased Sy the officers, who
claimed 10 have strong evidence against him.
The man, frightened, waited a lew days after
the accusation was made and then surrendered
himself He was tried on the charge ana ac-
Quilted, aud then, upon the demand of the Gus
toms authorities, after his acquittal was dis
charged. Not only was WyIe's discharge de-
manded, but The discharge OF the entire thirty
Nv men III the engine-Ioom OF The ship Was
asked for, but GoOdaIi, Perkins & Co. refused
the demand, except as TO Wyre and it Is IN
derstood that his case will be further investi-
gated.
Not long since on one of the China steamships
4 lot of opium was found concealed In the sur.
geon's siateroom. and ON the nexl ship another
lot concealed i'll the stateroom of Second Officer
Beckman of another vessel. No demand was
made for the doctors discharge, but demand
was made for Beckman's discharge which was
refused and the officer retained on the ground
that he had been serving the company for years
and had never before ueen aaccused Of any
thng uubecomiGB an officer, and that there was
no evidence against him. the fact being that
some one had concealed the opium in bis ROOM
Under the constant and what they believe 10
be unjust ana unnecessary demands OF The Gus
toms officers the steamship companies are be-
ginning TO repel. When the Oceanic arrives
here there Is officer whose discharge has
and on other vessels are officers under like
charges.
The rule seems 10 be that il Is only necessary
10 suspect a sailor officer 10 ask for his
removal, and IL Is UNDERSTOOD, so say the steam
ship people, that unless the request based or
suspicion be complied with the vessel will be at
once posted. In the case Of Wye letter was
bla goes and the captain OF the ship, by his
own confession, went down and discharged The
man ITO save his vessel trouble" even after the
court had said there was no evidence against
Wyre 10 hold him as smuggler.
FrettiDg under a rule of the Collector which
causes dismissal IL only suspected, and under
which rule an acquttal in a court without even
putting in defense is no safeguard against
the request OF the Collector, the officers and
men on the vessels ars preparing 10 present
their case at Washington. They admit hat
there Is little hope for them unless the Stea m.
ship people will follow Goodal Perkins IL
Co.'S lead and refuse to discharge men until
proved guilty ana then fight any unjust dis
elimination made against their ships by the
customs people. The fight started Is not with
out the backing of good men who will gladly
aid in Furnishing smugglers, but who demand
that men shall not be discharged at the demand
OF a customs officer, even though it be the Col.