The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1896-05-21
Interests of the Sailor.
They are Looked After In q Bill Introduced at
the Request Of the Commissioner of Nsv,us,,o,

"O~0" hitor IN = Bill Introduced al
'"0 neq"es' Oh the Commissioner Of Navigation
g. In the House, May It'll, Representative
olmKlns OF Massachusetts reported from
Inc committee on merchant marine and
nshNles the bill to amend the laws relat-
ing 10 navigation Introduced at the re-
, quest OF the commissioner of navigation.
, MI. 4. L. Chamberlain. MI. Simkins is
CHAIRMAN OF the subcommittee which has
,lad thls OIL under consideration, and he
, iias amended 1t In several particulars, in
such way that it is believed it will be
inore generally acceptable to the shipping
interests IN OF the country, especially to
those of New England. Only such amend
ments in the navigation laws as would
+ meet with general commentator have
been proposed, as it is felt that the most
Important thing is to secure such i'm
pfoVements as may be made as speedily as
possible, and in its present shape Mr..
olmKlhs and other members of the COM
mlttee believe the bill may be brought I'D
shortly in the House and passed with
little debate
The report drawn by Mr.. Simkins is
comprehensive, and shows complete
knowledge of the interests involved.
Section | of the bill relates to the
business offices of the shipping commits
sioners, and provides that the secretary
OF the treasury shall provide and furnish,
IN public buildings or elsewhere suitable
rooms to be used as offices by the COM
mlssloners of shipping for the transaction
OF thelr business. Mr. Simkins points
out that the duties of the shipping com
mlsslonefs require large rooms, conven-
lently located, which must be kept open
early and lotto 4
only Tor convenience, but also as one of
the first steps in improving the methods
now used in shipping seamen.
Suitable rooms for government ship
ping offices will not alone abolish the
abuses OF these systems, OF wholly pro-
tect the scamen, but they will be great
assistance to the commissioners in the
performance of their duties, and will
furnish places, other than saloons and
boarding houses, where masters can find
a crew, and where seamen may seek en-
ployment under government protection
free from the eXactions ana extortons
of the boarding house keeper and the
crmp.
The salaries of these commissioners and
their clerks, as fixed by the secretary of
the treasury, are now paid as other salar-
les are, but the department has ruled
that there is no appropriation or author
lty Ior the payment of rent and other
expenses Incidental to the proper admin
istraton of their business The object
OF section | is to give this authority. The
cost to the government, it is estimated bv
the commissioner of navigation will be
SIS, COO for the first year, 81, 600 annually
thereafter.
BY an act of March ?, 1895, it was pro
vided that in all sea going vessels built
after June 80, 1895, the crews quarters
should give a space OF not less than -
cubic feet and less than II square feet
on the deck or floor for each seaman.
Sec. > of Simkins' bill is an extension
Of this act makingit apply to all sea going
merchant vessels on ans, after June 90
lS9S, and it also provides that all vessels,
documented or registered after that date,
shat have crew space for each seaman
OF not less than lOS cubic feet and not
less than is square feet, measured on the
deck OF floor. 1t exempts from this provi-
sion fishing vessels, yachts and pilot boats
and all vessels under 100 tons
The present law, enacted in 1903, re-
quires the master of every vessel bound
on foreign voyage and every vessel en-
gagged in the whale fishery to give bond
with sufficient security in the sum of
S4OO for the production of all the mem
bers OF his crew upon return to the
United States. Sec. abolishes this sys-
tenn, and imposes penalty of equal
amount in place thereof. Ths procedure
is prompt, simple and etfectual; the old
system was ineffective and cumbersome
One of the most important sections of
the Dill is sec. 10. In regard to this, Mr.
Slmklns says: ''Whatever may have been
the reason and conditions existing in 1897
and 1904 which led to the acts of those
years comprised in sec 1865 of the Revis-
ed Statutes, they do not exist to- day, and
sec. 10 of the bill proposes to amend sec.
4163 of the Revised Statutes so as to
admit an American built vessel that has
been sold to foreigner to American reg
lstry, If repurchased by an American citi-
zen, unless 1T has been enlarged or under
gone change of build outside the United
States. The old law deprives, without
good reason, an American vessel of part
of its value, because the right of an Amer
lean register has a certain money value
which the vessel must lose at the present
time if it is sold to a foreigner -
Sec. II of the bill provides that prosecu-
lions TOR failure to render reports of
wrecks and casualties shall be conducted
according to the procedure governing
other violations of the navigation and the
customs laws. The present method is in
adequate as well as peculiar, and under it
it is difficult, if not impossible, to enforce
the law.
Sec. Is is designed to prevent cruel and
unnecessarily harsh treatment of seaman
by the master or officer Of an American
vessel. Under the present law it is nee
essary to prove malice, hatred or revenge
on the part of the master or officer who
is guilty of cruel treatment before he can
be convicted and punished for the offence.
This can seldom be prov ed, and so the
present law neither protects the seaman
nor prevents brutality.
The other sections of the bill provide for
obvious improvements in existing law.
Sec. 8 restores the seventh item of sec.
4511 of the Revised Statutes This item
is as follows: "Any regulation as to con-
duct and as to fines, short allowance of
provisions or other lawful punishm ents
for misconduct, which may be sancti oned
by Congress as proper to be adopted, and
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