The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-07-14
The orimpine Laws.

late.
The crimpine Laws.
The deputation which is to wait upon
the Foreign Ofilce shortly after the re-
assembling of Parliament on the sub
sect of crimping in Uunited States
ports. will not find much difficulty In
convincing ministers that the shipping
trade of this country suffers under
real and tangible grievance in regard
20 this important matter Whether II
be the sailor who is shamefully fieec-
.ps the shipmaster whose arrangements
are disorganized. or the shipowner
whose vessels are delayed and whose
pocket is openly picked-all have rea-
son 10 complain and all do complain
most bitterly-of the extoTtion and diff
fculties TO which they are subjected
by the crimps Ia American ports. The
unblnshing effrontery with which this
blood money business is prosecuted
in places like Portland is a matter for
wonder 10 the whole civilized world.
whilst the modus operandi Of these
daylight robbers Is so simple as TO
naturally give rise TO the suspicion
that the Government OF the United
states. or at least. the local executive
share in the plumber which is illegally
extOrted from the poor sailor and his
employer Provided there Is no law
made and carried out for the due OBJ
servance OF his contract by the sailor.
IL is easy to understand how n crimp
ing system is bound TO flourish in a
country where seamen are scarce.
These conditions exist at the present
moment in the United States. for the
laws against desertion may be said TO
se practically non-eXistent so far as
foreign seamen are concerned. whilst
American sailors do not take kindly
20 European vessels. and leave the
wants on the British ship masters
20 be supplied by the gentry who call
themselves boarding house masters
The possible number of hands thus
being limited all that Is necessary is
Ia induce the men TO desert their yes
sells. and then. when the said men are
securely ensconced in the boarding
houses. and piled with drink the
crimp is indeed master OF the situa
tion. No doubt the sailors themselves
lend z ready ear TO the plausible tales
AAN NNfNE AtlAhhaM v nN hFANAt
with stories Of enormously increased
wages, but British seamen may take
il Tor granted that the crimp is playing
solely for his own land. so that If Il
pays him 20 ship his dupes at ever
less than the rate OF wages obtained
Ga England the thing will be done
Very seldom indeed does the sailor
make anything out of his dishonest re
fusal 10 complete his contract. fol
whether IL be in exorbitant boarding
fees or ridiculous prices for slops the
,rimp is bound to fleece poor Jack jus
as he robs every one else The evt
Is becoming every day more grave
every ship master who comes hom'
from the Pacific Coast ports having
the same tale 10 tell Of the large sum-
Oi money harefacedly forced from
him through making good that part o
his crew which has been openly in
dpoed TO desert The game Is pay
ing one. for the men who carry OF
the nsfarious trade are rich and pow
erful. whilst their organization is al
that Il can be made by Yankee cute
ness and British gold. In England VI
would have a short and easy way o
deed our desertion laws would quit
prevent any such industry from eve
obtaining footing In this country
nut in the United States !; does no
vet seem 10 have been realized that
IS as much the primary duty Of IN
Government TO insist upon the due pei
formance Of his contract by foretg
sailcr as BY seaman Of America
nationality The over sea shippin
trade really belongs 70 no nation i
particular. and the country fror
whence merchandise IS brought ha
every bit as much interest in the We
fare of the carrying industry as th
nation 20 which the goods are des
tined. We believe that every civflixe
country ia the world except the Unite
states admits the necessity OF Insist
Ing apon seamen standing by thei
ships for Il IS rightly felt that con
mercial intercourse between nation
woa,d be impossible II some such res
ulation we're not rigidly enforced. |
the United States matters are rathe
complicAted hv the fact that there ~
lists two different legislatures. IN
Federal ard the State both of whic
appear 70 have power 70 deal with sh
question Save In the case of On
single state however. neither the gen
erai Federal Legislature nor the pal
ficular State Legislatures have spesif
caiir enacted \ desertion law apolyin
10 foreign Seamen. The Federal Gov
ernnent has. Il IS true enacted a SIS
tate declaring that foreign deserstni
seamen shall b. handed over 10 tn
consular authorities of the foreieI
government. II there be treaty hs