The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-07-12

little understood by the landsman. The
captain Of a ship must have great
power over his men, because unless
they are obedient to him and to his Off
GERS. the lives of all on board might be
sacrificed and the valuable property
entrusted to his care might be lost. The
sailor therefore has had special legis-
lation provided for him. But as it is
legislation which has been largely got
through by faddists who swing some
times one way and sometimes another.
and is passed upon by men who know
nothing of the sea. il is no wonder that
this special Legislation is somewhat
mixed. and is sometimes too much in
his favor, and anon too little. Then
again the law is often administered by
those who know nothing Of nautical
conditions, and the interpretations Of
the law are sometimes curious.
That there are cases of brutality on
board ships cannot be denied That
there is much less brutality than for
merry must also be allowed. No such
cases as are reported in Dana's 1.-TWO
Years before the Mast" are likely to
occur now, or if they do occur there is
means to bring the perpetrators to jus
tice. In Danas day there was practi-
cally no redress and he gives a horrid
picture of a seamans life.
10. til, I,g
officers of the ship are clearly in the
wrong. there are other cases where the
men are clearly in the wrong and the
danger of conspiracy among the men
is considerable. The officers of a ship
are always physically in the minority,
and though they may have law on their
side, there is very little law in mid
ocean to support them and their only
means of enforcing law is their own
right arms. If the men choose to agree
on a story and can manage to stick to
it when they get to land, an ordinary
scrimmage in which the men were en-
tirely in the wrong, can be made to APP
pear as brutal assault in which the
men were in the right and the officers
get unjustly punished.
Moreover the seaman's union comes
in, The object of this association at it's
commencement may have been good,
but it carries out its plans in anything
but a proper way. 1t terrorizes the
non-unionists in whatever port they
may be found 1t is antagonistic to
the officers of ships and causes dissen-
sions between them and their men. 1t
is object is to restrict the power of Off
GERS. and in order to do so, it is ready
to stir up any crew against them, Like
all associations of this class, it is not
all bad, and it had done some good
things, but it's machinery falls into un
crupulous hands and then is most Woe
fully misused.
1t would be a good thing if there were
an international court at all sea ports
for the hearing of cases for and against
sailors, working under a series of laws
instituted through an international
convention. Such courts might be kept
up by a small levy upon all shipping,
and they could be presided over by Off
Gals who thoroughly understood the
ways of those who go down to the sea
in ships"
With all the care the present courts
give there is frequently injustice done
to both sides, and the injustice fire.
quently comes from lack of experience
in dealing with a certain class of men
action. 1t is not intentional injustice,
but it may injure an industry never
theless.