Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-09-07
SELFISH ENGLIsAMEN.
Wanled Two.thirds Of Concert Money RaIssd
on Steamers kurania and Umbria.

1t will be remembered by all who read
Hon. P. o. Vickery's interesting letter to
the JOURNAL from London, that reference
was made to the concert given on the
steamer Aurania, and the trouble about
dividing the proceeds between the English
seamens charities and the American inst.
tuition for that purpose.
Mr.. Charles Fl. Adams Of Philadelphia.
thu lecturer and collector of Napoleana, in
a. interview with the Public Ledger, Au-
rus. 80, spoke Of it as follows:
~ went on the Cunard liner Aurania on
July Sd. The Amherst students gave a
concert which Melted SS3.
when this concert was half over, Mr..
Gillg of London, addressing the audience,
asked that two-thirds of the proceeds be
given to the English seamen. / protested
that this was not fair, as the talent was
wholly American and the money nearly all
came from the American passengers, who
were largely in the majority on the passen-
ger list. A set of resolutions were adopte ed
by the American passengers, asking the d.
rectors of the company to divide the pro-
ceeds equally.
THE money was given to the purser with
those resolutions, and the next day a com.
mittee of the passengers called on him to
ask If he understood them. He replied that
he knew nothing about them and cared less,
and that the money would be divided &C.
cording to the rules of the Cunard Com
pany. The money was divided according
to the Cunard rule, the resolutions of the
American passengers notwithstanding.
There is nearly $4,000 year raised at
the amateur concerts given on the ocean
steamers by the passengers, which are, as
every ocean traveller knows, feature of
every ocean voyage.
GAS nine -tenths of this money comes
from American passengers and an equal
amount of the talent is American talent, it
seems only just that the American seamen's
charities should share equally with the Eng
lish or the French. But such is not the
case, and until very few years ago the
ironclad rule ON the Cunard liners was that
all contributions of the passengers for
these concerts should be given to the Eng
lish seamel's charities.
1.-The Amer can Line, to even things up,
devotes all the money obtained at these
concerts to the American sailors"
Hon. J. F. Hill and Hon. P.
0. Vickery of this city returned
from Liverpool to New York on
the steamer Umbria, and upon this voy-
age a concert was given when another dis
pute arose, which Mr.. Adams speaks of as
follows
when we came back on the Umbria /
determined, if possible, to guard against
repetition of this unfair practice land q CON-
mittee of the passengers, consisting of
Senator j. f. Hill of the Maine Legislature;
d. A. Osmun Of Newark, N. j.; Mr.. Rob-
lizard of Montreal, and myself. called on
Captain Dutton and stated that we wished
to divide whatever money might be obtained
by giving the usual concert equally for the
benefit of American and English seamen.
He stated that under the company's rule he
could make no exception.
"At a meeting of the passengers l was
honored by being chosen chairman of the
concert, and Senator Hill Of Augusta, Me-,
was chosen secretary. During the inter-
mission between Parts l and III of the con-
cert presented the subject of division of
the proceeds to the audience, of whom fully
nine-tenths we're Americans, and Mr.. Fin
ley Acker, Of this city presented these reso-
lutions to the passengers for adoption.
"They were vigorously opposed by the
Englishmen present, but adopted by an
overwhelming majority
Resolutions were adopted petitioning the
board of directors of the Cunard Com
pany that the proceeds of all con-
certs on its steamers be divided equally
between the American and English chart
ties for seamen. In finishing the interview
Mr.. Adams spoke as follows:
There was sos collected, which it was
decided to divide as indicated by the resolu-
tons. At the close of the concert discus
sion occurred between the gentlemen in the
dining room, which was maintained vigor-
ously until the steward put the lights out.
and it was perhaps good thing that he did,
for things were getting warm, personalities
had been exchanged and blows might have
been struck.
"The following day some of the English
passengers gave notice that meeting would
be held to discuss the matter and to pass
counter resolutions to send to Liverpool to
offset those passed by the Americans.
1.-The American passengers were all no
tilted of this, and at the time of the meet
ing they were on hand, nearly 500 ladies
and gentlemen, elected their own chairman,
Rev. Mr.. Hammett Of Boston, who said the
resolutions about to be offered were not IN
order, and moved that the meeting be ad-
journed, which was done, to the astonish-
ment of the Englishmen.
81 sincerely hope, as do hundreds OF
Americans who patronize the Atlantic I'm.
ers, that this agitation will continue until
the Cunard and other steamship companies
that pursue these unfair and unjust meth
DDS Of dividing the concert money, can De
Induced by the strength of public feeling IN
America on the subject to change their or
der on all their ships and consent to have
the money equally divided between the
charities devoted to American and Enghsh
sailors"
A oil, kool- rtopo ThnradaV