The morning call., 1894-09-13
VIOLATING SHIPPING LAWS.
The Reason Why the Deputy
Was Removed.
BLACKLIsTINd sEAMEN ILLEGAL
Pithy Correspondence Between the
United States Commissioner
and the Secretary.

The removal of the Deputy Shipping g
Commissioner from the office of the Ship
owners Association on SteuaTt street Gre
ated something like a sensation in mari
time circles. The sailors union long ago
rebelled against the actions of this deputy,
who, they said, was the servant of the
owners and hostile to their interests, and
it appears that United States Shipping
Commissioner Gwin finally adopted the
views of the sailors.
my reasons for removing the deputy"
said Mr.. Gwin yesterday. care these: In
July [ was informed that the ShiD-Owners'
Association was collecting bills in the
presence of my deputy. Upon investiga-
tion, much to my surprise, found this
statement true L frequently visited the
Office of the Ship-owners' Association, but
never in my presence was such collection
made.
Il notified the secretary of the associa-
tiOn that he had no right to make these
collections. 1t was a direct violation of
law and that he must rescind the rule, or
his crews could not be paid off in the
presence of a United States officer. L
wrote Walthew the following self-explana-
tory letter on the subject:
nave received information IDaC WneQ q sell
man is paid off 10 your Office before D-D-
uty Shipping Commissioner il he owe his
boarding master bill you demand, after read
ing 10 him the account and he admits the cor
rectness. that he snail leave the amount claimed
In your hands 10 be paid TO the boarding
master. If he refuses he is paid his wages in
full, but Is given 10 understand that he shall
receive no further employment from your asSO-
citation.
The fact that tile seaman is told that il he
does not deposit the money with you to pay his
I'M m lErR na w hR SrP ia
intimidation. The presence Of Deputy Ship
ping Commissioner under the circumstance
would be construed that this officer a party
10 This act OF intimidation. Uni IS this rule oil
your association Is rescinded l shall decline to
have Deputy Shipping Commissioner present
when your crews are paid of.
"The seaman paid the money under
| compuisioD, because given to understand
that if he did not he would be biacklisted
and receive no further employ in the assO-
! citation.
eva thew wished to establish another
! rule He desired me TO instruct my deputy
| to tske orders for crews from owners only,
| ignoring the masters altogether, upon the
/ grounds that the masters were becoming
| refractory and showed disposition to
| select their own crews. l replied that the
! master represented tie owner ana that If
/ the owner did not choose to exercise his
! control 1t was not my province TO inter-
! fere. The United States articles read that
! bUe agent otdDur pctNtbu lll5 mas lCE anu
! the seaman, ana any man master pre-
| sented To my deputy il Was his duty 10
! ship Upon my decision in this matter
| Matthew notified me that the association
no longer desired special deputy.
He wrote to me long letter In which
| he, who understand was obliged to leave
Michigan for violating the law against
| bribery, had much 10 say about purity aud
reform. In this letter be stated that:
The Deputy Shipping Commissioner
may or may not preside over the paying
! off of these crews a, he pleases, or rather
| as your department pleases, but in this
| class of vessels the rules respecting the
! blacklisting o sailors who refuse to pay
! just bills for board and clothing will be
| rigidly enforced as heretofore
81 consider that Litter. addressed as it
was to a UDited States officer. piece of
| impudence. Walthew did very foolish
| thing when he admitted in black and white
that he was blackisting seamen. There
is law against blncKlisting."