The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-02-26
MOI ON DUTY.



CHICAGO July 17.-One would ina Tint
that the recent heavy storms and attend
ant loss of life on the lake and Atlantic
coasts would bring wildly home TO the
national legislators the disgraceful facts
concerning the term of employment and
the pay received by the members of om
life saving service.
Although these men must be of at least
average intelligence, of bravery far OK
cceding the general standard and, always
and in every way reliable, their stipend IL
but $50 month for eight months in the
year, or $500 altogether, and between the
last day Of April and the first day of Sep
TENDER they are not on duty, the theory
being, l suppose, that if any one is foolish
enough to be shipwrecllCd during that
portion of the year not set down as stormy
in the Farmers Almanac he commits a
breach of good taste, and his rescue If he
be rescued, is quite as much an accident
as his death in case he is not saved. This
state of things as to the life savers re-
minds me forcibly of the so called Clcve
land system of street Illumination, by
which the lamps were not lighted on
nights that, according to the calendar,
should be bathed in moonlight. When it
! SO happened that the weather clerk sent
clouds to hide Luna's face and rain t.
| flood the cutters, the streets were dark and
dangerous. In one city that adopted the
| plan the mayor one night, when moonlight
was scheduled, fell into an open area, while
on his way home through the gloomy
streets, and broke his leg. 1t was then
decided to change the system and light the
! lamps every night and all night. Two OF
three men to whom l have told this story
i -
Yet it is true, and not bit more prcpos.
ferrous than the existing facts regarding
the life saving service 1t should be re-
mcmbered that we who object to the pres
ent plan do not base our chief fault finding
upon the alleged injustice to the men,
though it 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.
If the men themselves were not more
humane than congress, the summer los
of life from shore wrecks would be mucl
larger than it is. But, singular as it ma.
appear, the life savers are allowed to livD
during the summer in the vicinity of tn
stations that are their homes in the win
ter. The captain of each station is permit
ted to call his crew together by flying tn
proper signal, and they have never beer
known to refuse to respond to the sum
mons. Sometimes however, the men, o
the majority of them, chance to be else
: where when storm comes, for, like tn
rest of us, they have to work if they woul
, eat, and then the results are liable to b
disastrous Last August there was
wreck on the south shore of Long Islam
+ which must inevitably have resulted i
+ the loss of several lives but for the coui
q 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 tn
: Long Beach life saving crew was the onl
member of the service within call. He wa
assisted by his 1o-yearold daughter Jer
ME, Mrs. James b. Rayner and her /.
year-old son, Mrs. E. NJ. Moseman an
two or three men. The names of til
brave women who filed the breach Lei
unprovided for by congress, to the savin
of the II lives that were imperiled by ii
: schooner's wreck, may have no meaning I
the casual reader but they should be r.
corded somewhere in commemoration
g their unusual and praiseworthy services.
The 10000 miles of scacoast belongin
h to the United States arc guarded by 2(
is stations, 165 of which are upon the A
lie lantic coast, on the gulf of Mexico, s c
'e the Pacific, As on the great lakes and l G
Q, the Ohio at the falls of Louisville, and
he appurtenances for the saving of life AZ
p the character of the men employed OF
II service is inferior to that of no other n
y ton. 1t would certainly appear to be wi
IN and humane for the government to go
lie little further il the matter of expenditu
y and provide for saving life the year rour
h instead of only when the almanac sa
le 'look out for storms. F"
20 ]. G. SOARING.