The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-04-23

lVt, percentage, ZO.Z4.
Norwegian-Seamen, 1874: desertions
10; percentage, 1884.
French-Seamen, "a; assertions, s.;
percentage, 9.52.
Russian-Seamen, 20; assertions, 4
percentage, 1886.
What Deserter Means.
The term "deserters" used in this
connection Is a misnomer; it would
very properly be concentrates" be-
cause. instead of deserving, all these
seamen, with few exceptions, were en-
ticed, decoyed, or by threats and in
Limitations forced from their vessels
by syndicate of crimps. styled sailor
boarding house keepers; and this too
often with the knowledge and consent
and even the 'connivance of captains
and owners, who adopt these dishonor-
able means of voiding contracts usually
made for three years, and thus profit
by the forfeiture of the entire wages
of the seamen, instead of discharging
them by mutual consent and payment
of the wages due. After their capture,
the seamen were detained" in the So
called sailor boarding house until sold
to departing vessels.
The monthly reports Of Seamen's
Astoria, enable us to present some ex-
ceedingly significant figures, showing
the amount OF "ransoms" paid to the
syndicate for these seamen concentra-
dos. by vessels needing their services
on leaving out port.
OF the 1873 vessels mentioned, we
have definite reports of III. as follows:
Eleven lost no men while in port.
Three shipped "a men outside OF the
syndicate.
One hundred and four Including one
steamer) shipped 800 men through the
syndicate of crimps.
OF the 500 men the syndicate
received for 691 s55 each. .s3S, 005. 90
And for 112, prices varying
from sos to S1O7.5O each. $685. so
OF the whole number of S62
men shipped in this port,
there are 80 of whom we
have no record; but, assum-
| ing that of these the syndi-
cate shipped the same ratio
as in the foregoing, then we
may add "a men as shipped
| by II, and we will say at
their minimum price of $50
each .................... $4,000
| Add TO this sum approx
imating .......-......... 100000
for Waterman. at $3.50 per
| day each, which the syndi-
! cate charges each ship for
watching its own men. and
| we have the heart-sicken- ----
! ing sum Of. ................S Sol ,2I3.oU
which the syndicate took from these
seamen for decoying, enthralling and
/ selling them in this port of Portland.
And. besides these items. your COM
mittee is advised of other sources OF
revenue derived from these seamen by
] the syndicate, the amount OF which no
man knoweth.
A Monumental Outrage.
The whole thing is an unnecessary
inexcusable and monumental outrage
without a scintilla of Justification, and
considering all the circumstances at
tending the means used, and the meth
DDS employed in filching this sum OF
money from these seamen, IL has few
parallels in the annals of crime; and
IL the perpetrators of ii were sentenc'
ed for this one years business, as oul
statutes contemplate, ! 900 years eact
of Imprisonment would not expiatt
their crimes.
Such are the direct results Of sea
men shipments in this port for one
year.
But there is another chapter to bt
added.
All deserters forfeit their entire &C
cumulated wages. and, by as careful al
estimate as We are able to make, con
s.dering wages paid. time for reaching
ports of destination. and final arriva
in Portland, the forfeited wages o
these misnamed deserters, almost all o
, whom were literally taken from thei
ships by the syndicate of erimps
amounts to but little less than $50 900
) making substantially 100000 of whicl
3 these visiting seamen have been rob
) bed and despoiled in one year in thi
( highly civilized and Christian city
/ And while we may truthfully charge !
upon the syndicate. still Is 1t not true