Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-10
month as the fair pay Of a good man, and
preaching loudly and widely OF ssiorst

month as the fair pay Of good man. and
rights.
Backed by the cr.mps. the strike was
successful, and for a short time the artis
nc'ai rate of pay WINS continued, but 10
ffpally yielded. Lesser breeds without the
law conspired with panied and rebellous
skippers, and ships began to go to sea with
sailors shipped at lower rates. though pos
sfbly short-handed and manned with
scabs' from "scab boarding houses" To.
DAY wages are at the old low level. and
men are turned into the street more quick.
ly-though still kept in touch with The
crfmp for the proper disposition of the
coming SIS allotment. Meanwhile the crimps
are working with might and main TO es,ao.
lish sliding scale of wages. to begin with
$50 for the first month and decrease month.
ly, so as to bring the total to the normal
four months wages, four months being the
accepted length OF a passage around the
Horn or the Cape.
II the scheme should succeed, as IA pos-
sible, should the United States shipping
commissioner forget the duties of his Of.
fee the first months wages will undoubt.
eddy be raised to $40. and then the crimps
will receive their old income. under the
law designed to lessen IT. Success is hardly
probable, though even with the concur
renee of the commissioner. for, though the
sailor would benefit and so try to help the
scheme. the war will really be between the
crfmp and the shipowner, and the crimp
must yield. When the buzzard fights the
hyena there Is scattering Of feathers-and
aughter
The Policy In San Francisco.
The crimps in San Francisco adopted ops
pGsite tactics to defeat the purpose Of the
present law Instead of raising wages they
combined with the shipowner TO loweH
them from so, the normal rate out of that
port, to SIS month The difference OF 50
a month for four months-s2a-was paid TO
the crimp by the owner as legitimate blood
money" and this. with the sl5 allotment,
made S':t-only 81 less than the old stipend
secured from four allotments Of $40 each,
Thus the San Francisco crimp is only
mulcted of this amount by the hostile legis.
amount before, and the sailor receives IS
more for a four months passage than bee
fore. How beautiful
But this system cannot be maintained.
Wages. depending on supply and demand,
will seek their natural level, and the crirnp,
scheme as he may. Will have to be cons
tent with the months allotment plus the
blood money which the skipper or owner
will be content to pay for men. The only
direct good coming of the change in allot-
mentor the sailor will remain in the
power of the crmp so long as the latter
can draw on his futures that the sailor
will be paid off with more of his own
money. and thus be enabled in a measure
to seek his own boarding house, pay his
expenses in cash, and buy his own clothing
thus lessenng his subserviency TO the
crimp, and increasing his own self-re.
spect.
But this result, though small Will be q
distinct gain; the only possible good to the
sailor in the retention of the present one
months allotment is that if penniless he
may find lodgment and food against his
future value at the shipping desk. This
gument is advanced by friends Of sea men
who quail at the thought Of his walking
the streets, hungry and cold. a resul; of
the abolition of allotment.
Used to Hardships.
Do these people understand that walking
the streets. hungry and cold would not
trouble a sailor half as much as il trou-
bles tramp? The sailors life at sea is a
drill that would kill the average tramp. AT
best he can have but four hours sleep at
time: he is always hungry. and at meal
times fed upon food that most dogs would
his hunger. He is worked abou; fourteen