New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-26
TO HELP JACK TARs.
.,.ss.NEErrNG IN COOPER UNION.
GAY UNPLEASANT THINGS ABOUT THE
.o,,,,71oy OF AMERICAN SAILORS AND


POINT OUT WAYS OF RELIEF
,~o audience filed Cooper Union last even
:, The rass-meeting called In the interest," Vi
ie observation Of sailors rights IN 'ne Ainei0'l
the - -, service The meeting was held under
ner' " of the labor unions Of this city and
Wv o-0oklvn and the Social Reform OIuo OF TINS
o. rha audience listened 20 some unpleasant
ooot,on with regard 70 tho present CONDITION
ihs American marine service so lar as the
o. - are concerned and il applaudod NoCnerousiy
..in,ents Of the speakers who roundly de-
'He a not only ,he men whom they described
nou-- responsible for the existing state OF
Is ~ IN, also the Interpretation put by the
AZ present upon the law relating TO the
tO- a,0s between ship-owners and masters and
ss sailor employees
-ne the chair made long speech. in the
as -ss Of which he said that the present condition
,sa American sailor was dangerously near to
O hs,,al slavery Of old He Furthermore said
-. .he maritime laws Of the United States. as
~ we're now construed by the courts. were more
,sra than those of any other country IN the
- He declared that no adequate protection
80 EVEN the sailor against abuse the part OK
.on,ains citing the case Of the T. F. Cakes which
go into port here a few days ago after having
-. elk men al sea from scurvy and bringing
va more for the marine hospital Staten
1siand. These abuses, he said, were the reason
= most Of the sailors in the American mariDe
were foreigners
andrew Furuseth. president Of the National Sea-
,.r,s Union was the next speaker. His remarks
,sra hrief but 10 the point. Il want TO tell YOU
~ sst way 1t was possible for the T. F. cakes
:, come into port after having lost six men from
"a. terrible disease. scurvy. and with twelve more
,,nr III only for the hospital. Such thing happens
moro often In the American marine than in the
marine OF any other country. An English COM
mission that investigated the subject OF scurVy re-
cntlv declared that whenever dea IN resulted from
49, disease some one was as directly responsible
- - the victim had been directly killed Judges
,sve repeat edly said that there could DO no valid
defence or excuse for any master member OF
whose crew died from that disease. And it Is a
melancholy fact that American vessels are the
vors; offenders. In 1894 American vessels. carrying
only 81 Pc cent OF the worlds trade. furnished
mare than thirty-six cases of scurvy. while Eng
ush vessels. carrying more than 61-2 per cent OF
the worlds commerce. furnished only sixty cases.
American vessels have gone back to the scale of
food furnished 100 years and it Is 80 per cent
below The scale OF food furnished the prisoners at
Sing Sing. ! knew Captain Reed Of the T F. Cakes
years ago, and so far as know no vessel OF his
ever Yet came INTO port whose sailors did not say
that the principal article Of diet had been what is
called 'be.ayin pin SOUP. "
The speaker said that the laws governing the
contract between the sailor and his master were
unequal. the sailor repenteC after haN-
Ing signed his contract he could still be obliged 10
go 10 yea. or he was imprisoned until he changed
his mind. he added that nybody who hid such a
sailor from his master was also liable 10 punish
ment Those the laws" he declared. that SEN
you want 10 see 70 Is that what theY 90 10 the
Sd or TODAY they do not do 10 you tomorrow"
'haries r. Adams then spoke az iengih win re-
gard 10 the opinion recently rendered by the Su-
premc Court in which il held that the clause
prohibits involuntary servitude did not apply to
the service Of sailor after he had signed 4 con-
tract 70 90 20 sea Mr. Adams denounced the opin-
ion. and Landed Justice Harlan, who dissented.
Henry Wiseman then read the resolutions pre-
Jean seamen were suffering from conditions which
had largely disappeared from the merchant ma
some and insufficient. and that they We're obliged
70 submit 10 these Outrages through fear OF i'm
they often were forced 10 submit 10 cruel punish
ment and that the imprisonment OF seamen for
XIIIth Amendment Of the Constitution. and urged
the passage of Senate bill No. 80 as being the Dill
men. The resolutions were afterwari adopted
Ernest IT. Crosby depreca7ed the decision OF the
Supreme Court. and said that or late years the de-
cisions Of the courts in interpretation Of the Con-
stitution seemed 10 be 10 make the Constitution
Thing mus. be done he said TO take the un-
But the fault is not much with the Judges. II IS
with the public opinion that permits and sanctions
must be changed so as TO make them impossible"
Coast Seamen's Union. was the last speaker He
spoke briefly of the frlghffu condition OF the
twelve men who were members Of the crew Of the
T. F cakes and now III OF scurvy in the
marine hospital on Staten Island.
THE CAKES INQUIRY AGAIN POSTPONED
The iron clipper T T. Cakes. which arrived here
on Sunday n tow OF the otank Kasbek after a
series of remarkable adventures. towed from
Quarantine yesterday Pier No. A. East River
Captain and Mrs. Reed were TO have been examined
Yesterday by DEPUTY Shipping Commits
sione- J. 2. Keenan,. but The hearing was post
poned Until this afternoon ~ o'clock. The ad-
1ournment was taken hecaUse affidavts are being
secured from several Of the sailors who are at
present In hospital These afidavits will be ready