Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-09-30
American Seamen and Shipping.

American Seamen ana onIppih9'
American shipping is as likely to be
Timely topic Of discussion In the mex
Congress as 1t has been In nearly all pre-
ceding Congresses. And just now /,
seems that the consideration OF the qucs
ton 10 to arise in an effort to improve BY
legislation the condition OF American
seamen. There is little doubt that the
conditions OF American seamen and Ameri
can shipping arc to large extent inter
dependent, that unsatisfactory conditions
under which the latter has been compelled
to struggle have exerted an adverse influ
ence upon the treatment Of tho seamen,
The National Seamen's Union for quite
long time has been endeavoripg t.
bring to the attention OF Congress the dis
oouraging conditions under which the
sailors on American ships labor. The
charge has been openly made that sailors
upon our ships are more poorly fed
and more brutally treated than the sailors
upon the ships OF any other nationality.
This Is serious charge and investigation
appears to establish it.
Commissioner of Navigation Chamber
lain has been studying tho subject in
Europe. A treasury commission, consist
ing of Special Agents Baldwin, Irving and
Durham has been making Investigations
horo nd tho rnSult will ba tba fri n ~
of bills, approved by the navigation bu-
reau, the labor bureau, and the treasury
department, for reform. Mr.. Baldwin says
that no found 1t to be only too truo that
American seamen are underpaid, under
fed, overworked and generally driven
about like slaves. The proposed new laws
will DO modelled after those established
by the British board of trade
just what can DO done to improve
these conditions is doubtful. There seems
to be no question that our shipping laws
In the past have on the whole been either
inadequate or OF poor quality, that they
have been poorly enforced; that we have
an inferior consular service; that Ameri.
can sea captains and ship owners are like
other Americans, very hot In pursuit of
the dollar, and their thrift and drive"
often desccnds to mcanness and brutality
In treatment of their crews that under
our methods there is less opportunity to
work up from before the mast than In
other countries that favorites OF the own
ers are made captains over better sailors
These are some of the reasons why the
lot of our sailors Is inferior to that of the
sailors aboard English or French vessels
1t is fact well known to sea going
people that the lot of sailors aboard French
ships appears to be as satisfactory to the
men themselves as it can DO made il is
not lnfrequently that the French scarnen
will remain In the same crew from boy
hood to old age. Yet French shipping
has made but slight increase in the
past ten years Notwithstanding the
government pays two million dollars
annually in bounties to her shipping.
On English vessels there Is a method o {
apprenticeship which undoubtedly i'm
proves the service and character Of tn,
English sailor. Boys are trained in sea
manship and are gradually promoted
whereas aboard an American ship ther,
Is usually no similar method and the con
ditiops are Of q more hap-hazard nature
A large proportion of the seamen OF
English vessels are of that nationality
although for various causes the percent
age has decreased during the rast tel
years to n marked degree, There alst
appears to be more fraternal feeling be
tween the crews and officers of foreign
ships than there Is on American ships,
where the officers have In some instances
sort Of contempt for the common sailor
This is not SO surprising when 1t is con
sidered that the sailor is frequently for
eigner and of the lowest grade More
over the American ships have smalle
crews that generally live on less and d,
more work than crews aboard foreigl
vessels, as the American ship is KEEP
cleaner and more "ship-shape." Indee,
by comparison with most foreign ships
they look like yachts. 1t is we'll know
fact that seamen prefer to ship aboard
foreign vessel and the poorer grad
OF sailors that fall to the lot of tn
American ship. is undoubtedly one reasol
for poorer treatment Really there is lii
tie redress for the abused crew. Seldom
do we hear that complaints of bruta
treatment are upheld In court. Jack is
chronic growier and while wise capital
has no trouble in managing him. an
commanding his respect, Jacks reput,
ton rs the shield behind which RI
brutal officer gets protection when q