The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-06
MORE MONEY FOR JACK
The Wages of Deep-Water
Sailors Raised to Twenty
Dollars.
LANDLORDS IN THE FIGHT.
for Ships the Cause-Trip of
the Lakme.

The wages of deep-water sailors on for
eign ships in this port have been raised to
500 month, and at a meeting of the Sea-
mems Landlords Association Wednesday
afternoon it was decided to raise the ad-
vance to $50 man. The wages of sailors
have been ranging from SIS to ST. so a
month for the last two years, and in that
time it cost Jack from S. to 81 80 to get a
berth on board any ship.
The sudden demand for foreign and
American vessels to carry away the syndi-
cate wheat which has been stored so long
in the Port Costa warehouses created a
demand for men, and the natural law of
supply and demand sent the price of the
sailor up in the scale. 1t is said by mem
bers of the executive committee of the
association that wages before long will be
advanced to $50.
When sailors were scarce in years gone
by "blood" money came into vogue, and it
cost the ship all the way from $40 to $50
and $50 man. Then sailors became a
drug on the market; "blood" money was
done away with and the sailor instead of
the ship was taxed. In all these years it
never occurred to the clearinghouse mas
ter TO raise the wages of the seaman.
Twenty dollars a month seemed to be the
standard price, and when the rate was
changed it was not in favor of the sailor.
The advance has always been $40 month
since the passage of the Dingley act, or $40
for trip around the Horn, the duration
of which is estimated at four months. If
the clearinghouse masters attempt to
carry out their advance" scheme they
will come into conflict with Uncle Sam.
Chief Deputy Parker of the United States
Shipping Commissioner office said yes
terday that no vessels, either foreign or
American, could pay more than $40 ad-
vance.
The The Din DingIe :,,5 act especially provides
can give an advance of more than $40 in
this or any consu's Office, and violation
of the law by secret means is punishable
by heavy fine"
sit is true that the wages of sailors have
been ADVANCED to $40 month" said Sec
rotary Hankin of the British Consul, "but
l had not heard of the advance being
raised to 500. The Waterloo, which sailed
on Wednesday, paid $40 and $40 advance.
There are several ships up the river
which will be down in few days, but if
any sailor asks for $50 he will not get it..
The captain may give the advance outside
of the office, but he will take big chances
if he does, for the penalty for an infraction
of the Dingley act is a very heavy one. A
similar attempt was made some years ago,
but it was never tried on through this
Office"
The steamer Lakme is lying at Mission
street wharf taking in supplies for the
Arctic Ocean. She is to act as tender
this year for the fleets OF Liebes Bros,
James Anderson, Roth, Blum g. Co., J.
McKenna Jr., J. & w. r. Wing.
The vessels to which the Lakme will
take stores are the. bark Northern Light,
steamer Alexander, Rosario, Horatio,
William Bayliss, Navarch, Triton, Jean
cite, Karluk and Belvedere. All but the
last three named vessels have been in the
Arctic for two years, and nothing has been
heard from them since the latter part of
last fall A letter was started across the
ice at that time and it reached McKenna's
office little over month ago. The only
news it conveyed was that all hands who
were wintered at the mouth of the McKen-
zie River were well and four whales had
been caught. The Lakme will go as far
north as possible-to Mckenzie River I'M
less the winter fleet has passed out of the
ice. She will return about the latter part
of November.