The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-08-08
NOT ON DUTY.
Unwise Policy That Controls the Life Saw.
ing Service.

Especial Correspondence.l
CHICAGO, July l7-One would imagine
that the recent heavy storms and attend.
ant loss of life on the lake and Atlantic
coasts would bring vividly home to the
national Legislators the disgraccful fact-
concerning the term of employment and
the pay received 10y the members Of our
life saving service.
Although these men must be OF at least
average intelligence. of bravery far cx.
cceding the general standard and always
and i'm every way reliable, their stipend is
but $50 "a month for eight months in the
year, or SiO0 altogether, and between the
last day Of April and the first day Of Sop
tcmbcr they are not ON duty, tho thCIy
being, | suppose, that II any one Is fpul N
enough to be shipwrccked during q At
portion Of the year not set down as stot4
In the Farmers Almanac he commit.
breach of good taste and his rescue II he
be rescued, Is quite as much an accident
as his death in case he is not saved TAis
state of things as TO the life SAVERS re-
minds me forcibly Of the so called Clcvc-
land system Of street illumination, 10y
which the lamps wcp not lighted on
nights that, according to the calendar,
should be bathpd in moonlight when II
50 happened that the weather clerk sent
clouds to hide Luna's face and rain 70
food the CUTTERS the streets were dark and
dangerous. In one city that adopted the
plan the mayor one night, when moonlight
was scheduled, fen into an open area while
on his way home through the gloomy
streets, and broke his leg. 1t was then
decided 10 change the system and light the
= lamps every night and all night. Two OF
three men To whom ! have told this story
have scoffcd and declared it prcpostcr0us.
N.F l. sssFa.. 4 II
tcruus than the existing facts regarding
the life saving service. II should be re-
memherod that we who object to the pres.
cnt plan do not base our chief fault finding
upon the alleged injustice 20 the mon,
though IL Is good cause for complaining
but upon the risk of loss Of life, to say
nothing Of loss Of property, from summer
storms that Is involved
II the men themselves were not moro
humane than congress, the summer loss
OF life from shore wrecks would be much
larger than 1t is. But, singular as It may
appear, the life savers are allowed to live
during the summer in the vicinity Of the
stations that are their homes in the win
ter, The captain Of each station is permit.
ted to call his crew together by flying the
proper signal, and thcy have never been
known to refuse TO respond to the sum
mons. Sometimes, however the men, or
the majority Of them, chance to be else
where when a storm comes, for, like the
rest Of US, they have TO work If they would
eat, and then the results are liable to be
disastrous. Last August there was q
wreck ON the south shore Of Long Island
which must inevitably have resulted I'm
the loss of several lives but for the cour-
age and presence OF mind displayed by
few persons, three OF whom are women,
outside the regular life saving crew.
On that occasion Captain Rhodes Of the
Long Beach life saving crew was the only
member Of the service within call. He was
assisted by his l3-year- old daughter Jen-
nic Mrs. James b. Rayner and her 10
ycar-old son, Mrs. T., NJ Moseman and
two or three men. The names of the
brave women who filled the breach left
Unprovidcd for by congress, to the saving
Of the IL lives that were imperiled by the
schooner's wreck may have no meaning to
the casual reader but they should be re
corded somewhere I'm commemoration Of
their unusual and praiscworthy services.
The 10000 miles of seacoast belonging
To the United States are guarded by 266
stations, 1865 Of which are upon the At
lantic coast, on the gulf Of Mexico, on
the Pacific, 4i on the great lakes and on
the Ohio at the falls of Louisville, and In
uppurtcnanccs for the saving OF life and
the character of the men employed our
| service Is inferior To that of no other ma
| tion. 1t would certainly appear TO be wise
and humane for the government TO 90 a
/ little further In the matter of expenditure
and provide for saving life the year round
| Instead of only when the almanac says
'luuk out for storms
j. c. SOARING,