El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-04-27
THE FIGURES FOR It
General Grosvenor's Strong
Presentation Of The Facts
Of Our Foreign Car
rying Trade


Grosvenor, chairman of the house mer
chant marine and fisheries committee,
who has charge of the shipping bill
which recently was fevorably reported
to and will soon be considered in the
house, has been looking up the question
OF wages paid on board American and
foreign vessels.
II ind, - en.GrosvenOr says, that We
have only one Hne of ships under our
flag in the European trsde-the Amer
lean line running to Southampton. The
United States consul at that port, John
E. Hopley, makes it quite clear that
the going wages of the port are differ
ens in American than they are in ships
of other natioualisies. For instance,
ne report, thas at Southampton first
oticers of American ships get $l2O q
month; the British ships pay between
$6S. 25 and $3.50. Second officers in
Am erican ships are paid $40 and In
British $43.75 to $50 so. First engi-
neers of American ships get $3.50 and
in British from ss7 20 TO sl2l.75 Second
engineers iu American ships get 500,
and In British S6l. 25 30 $3.50. In
American ships firemeu are paid $40,
and in British S23; and seamen in
American ships receive s25, and in
British S19 so.
''At Yokohama, Japan" the general
resumed, John F. Convey. our consul.
general. reports that mates in Ameri-
can ships receive from 500 to $50
month, on British S5S40, on japanese
S25 to S35, and on German from $40 to
S15 Chief engineers Or American
ships are paid Sl5O from $50 to $50 on
Japanese, and from S52 so to SlOO on
German ships. Able seamen are paid
from Sl4 to $50 on American, S14 90
on British, So so on Japanese, and
Sl4.25 ID S15 on German ships. Ga
A merican ships fireneo are paid from
sl4 to $50, on British from SIT to $50,
on Japanese S. so, aud on German from
S15 so TO 800.
In 1894. Commissioner of Naviga-
tion Chamberlain obtained reports on
this same point from shipping com
missicners a. different American ports,
all proving d varying rate of wages,
according to nationality of ship in each
port, and that there as no uniformity
anywhere. These shipping commits
sloDers being asked to state the ad-
of American vessels in this
respect Invariably showed that hig her
wages was one OF them. Philadelphia |
replied that 20 matter how plen siful !
seamen we're, wages were higher in !
American ships. Boston stated that |
sn perIor In American than in foreign !
ships, while the sailors quarters were !
more commodious and comfortable. |
New Orleans reported that American !
seamen received larger wages that for |
eign seamen. Mobile reported better
provisions and better wages. !
ton, North Carolina, repor-
ted better wages and bstser food Wal
deboro reported 'battsr wages, better
grub, aud better usage Norfolk re-
ported better wages, and, as rule,
better treatment Savannah reported
the rate of wages is usually higher on
American ships. This i. all as true TO-
lay ss it was In 1894
III 1t were necessary" concluded
ZEN Grosvenor, IAN actual comparison
If the variation in the wages in the
iitferent ports, with respect to the
nationality OF the ships, could be shown
but that L regard as Unnecessary in
,he light of the citations [ have made.
have only TO add that rotwithstand-
ug these official facts, the opposition
press will continue 10 assert that ships
lnder the American aAg are a. no dis
Idvantage with foreign ships in our
oreign carrying trade"