Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1895-03-30
WASHINGTON LETTER
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE.


this year Congress enacted several i'm
portant amendments to the United
States maritime laws, relating princi-
pail to scnmen engaged in the coast
wise trade, The chief merits of the
new acts, from the Atlantic Coast Sea-
mems Unions point of view ARE AS
follows: They guarantee to seamen
engaged in the constwise trade of the
United States, or between this coun-
try, Canada, Newfoundland, Mexico
and the West Indies, the freedom OF
civil contract-that is, seaman who
ships on vessel engaged in the above
mentioned trade-no matter whether
his shipment takes place before
United States shipping commissioner
or not - may ut his own option,
leave her in any port without fear OF
imprisonment or punishment of what
soever kind. He simply forfeits the
amount of wages he may have earned.
The clothing of scamen shall be eX-
empt from attachment, and any per-
son who shall detain such clothing
when demanded by the owner shall b
liable to penalty of not eXceedil &
500. Seamcn must, at the concluSloM
of voyage, be paid the full amou t
of wages which they may have earned
from the time of joining the vessel
until the time Of leaving her, inclu-
sive, without any deductions whatso-
ever, no matter how many outstanding
bills for ''teaming" or "shipping' or
Snything else may be presented to
them for payment. When shipping
agent demands or receives 81 or more
, from n seaman for the ''chance' or for
"tcamin2" lie is directly violating the
provision OF see. 1909, and is liable to
prosecution for the same.
LABOR BULLETIN -- Commissioner
Wright of the department of labor
proposes to seek the suggestions of
prominent labor leaders and students
of political economy before beginning
the publication of the labor bulletin
authorized by the legislative appro-
priation bill. The publication of the
bulletin will not begin in any event I'M
til July /, when the appropriation bill
takes effect, and may he delayed
month or two longer if Col. Wright is
not satisfied with the completeness of
his material, and with the form to be
given the bulletin. He is unrestricted
as to the scope Of the publication by
! the form in which the provision for it
became law, but he was allowed IN in.
crease in the miscellaneous approprin,
ton of the department of only 50, 900.
He does not propose to publish any
controversial matter or mere express
sions of economic and political opin-
ion, hut he will include in nearly
every number Of the bulletin some
compilations on labor questions, and
abstracts of reports by the states of
the Union and foreign countries. The
annual publications Of the state and
foreign bureaus contain much matter
of broad, general interest, which now
seldom finds its way outside the com.
munity in which it is published and
this matter will be condensed and put
in readable form by the editors Of the
new labor bulletin
VINO TAKES THIs?-There is pleas.
ant position with a salary of 81, 500
attached, looking for someone to fill
it, and secretary Carlisle would be
very glad if the right man would come
forward and take it. 1t is the office
of supervising architect of the treas
ury, which has been vacant several
months, and offered to at least half
/ dozen mel, all Of whom have respect
I fully declined that honor. 1t seems
strange that 800 a week place should
go begging in these hard times, but
the men who are competent to fill 1t
can make several times that amount
outside of government employment,
and those who cannot are not the
men Secretary Carlisle wants in the
department. The salary is absurdly
small for good man, as the response
bilities of the office are very great,
and he is hampered in the way that
no private architect is. Either the
government ought to pay much
larger salary, or else more important
works should be thrown open to pri-
vate competition and the usual
commission paid.
FINE DIsrIScTIoNs-The postmaster
general has issued an order to the
effect that hand-stamped alterations OF
or additions to price lists, invoices,
catalogues or other forms OF the same
nature, as well as like changes in cir
culars or other printed matter, con-
vertng the same into orders for goods,
or making any announcement of the
character of personal communica-
ton, are held to be equivalent to writ
ing or typewriting, and will therefore
subject the matter upon which they
may be impressed, when mailed, to the
letter rate of postage. Mere business
cards, however, or other hand-stamped
additions clearly of an advertising
character may be impressed upon
third class matter without subjecting
it to the higher rate of postage.
FREE RIDES FOR POSTAL CLERKs-The
order of the postmaster general
prohibiting postal clerks from re-
ceiving free transportation on rail-
roads other than on their regular
routes was issued in the latter part of
February, to take effect on March 5.
The postmaster general said it was
not the proper thing, in his opinion,
tor the government to be continually
requesting railroads to furnish passes
for the clerks, rs was the case prior
to the issue Of the order Along tn .ir
routes they could travel without passes
but he dld not think it proper for men
to travel free off their routes.
MORE INDIAN LANDs--The rescrva-
ton of the lnnkton Sioux Indians in
South Dakota will soon be opened for
settlement The commissioner of the
general land office has forwarded to the
secretary OF the interior for approval
the regulations attending the opening,