The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-03-04
ANOTHER FLAG
This May Float Above Hills
Steamers Because of Bad
. '-' r.
Navigation Laws. -.

Special to The Journal.
New York, March A report has re-
Gently been given much prominence in
shipping circles that it is the intention
of the Great Northern Steamship COM
pany Great Northern railway to place
under foreign flag it's two steamers now
building for the oriental trade at the
eastern shipbuilding yards at New Lon
don. ~.
Investigation shows that while the re-
port is not entirely correct, there is much
| substantial basis for it. The facts are
| that the competition in the oriental trade
| is SO keen and is constantly becoming so
much keener. that Hill and friends feel
( the need of securing every advantage
possible. Hill said yesterday that the
matter had been considered and the plac-
I ing OF steamers under a foreign flag was
contemplated. 1t was not a fact, how
reached. Neither had the question of un-
der which foreign flag, if any, the steam
! ers should sail been determined, though
| Hills personal preference seemed to be
! the German flag as furnishing shipoWners
| the best results by comforting upon the
captain most effective control of the
| crew. .-.@ ~. T.
Hills objections to the American flag
were not based on the question of ex-
pense or high wages, but on the lack OF
protection to shipowners and the one
sidedness Of American navigation laws.
Steamers, he said, were built at a lower
cost than ships of equal material and
showing equal skill in workmanship and
| construction could have been secured for
abroad The question of wages was one,
he declared, that had been thoroughly
fought out in the railroad world and that
in water transportation, as in rail trans
portation, that was a matter that ad-
| justed itself to modern transportation
| equipment.
Hill felt positive that so far as cost
and expense of operation were concerned
his steamships while carrying the Amer
lean flag, could successfully meet all com
petition to the orient. The trouble was
that navigation laws had been so amended
that discipline among crews was a seri.
| GUS question. -i
THE navigation laws have beer
amended explained Mr.. Hill, Gin wa,
!; that places shipowners and captains at {
, disadvantage in the preservation of prop
er discipline. Sailors, for instance, ma!
leave an American ship at foreign por
j., and demand pay before leaving. It. i!
not allowable to make a contract will
them by which a portion Of their wage
shall be reserved until the voyage i
ended. There must be- proper discipline
+ on the ship. The captain must control til
ship. Otherwise the line will get bal
-freputation and the ships flag will hav
little weight in competition for passen
ger business.
'"The trouble with the navigation law
seems to be that there has not been suffi
cient interest on the side Of the ship
owners to guard against unwise legis
lation. This is probably the natural re
suit of the absence during recent year
e Of any important body of shipowners
: The sailors clearinghouse system is par
: ticularly detrimental to American ship
- ping The practical effect of this syster
t seems to be to drive the best sailors away
d Captains are compelled to take just VIVA
the sailors boarding houses send. The
must take them or none. Sailors mus
: belong to the union, otherwise they ar
e assaulted and driven away, and it is i'm
g possible for the captain to secure ere,
!, Of his own selection. 1t is the thrift
L sailor that docs not go to sailors board
K ing houses and it is this class that tn
It American captains cannot, under curre1
conditions, engage"