New-York tribune., 1903-04-07
TRUST TO CONTROL TARS.
PORT SUFFERS ALSO.
Stringent Lascs Needed for Ship
ping and Boarding House Masters.

The publicity given ny The Tribune to the
abuses Of the employment offce business con-
tlnues 10 develop new phases Of the evil. The
scandals attending the operation Of intelligence
Offices which svvindle poor men out Of money on
the pretenoe OF getting work for them OF ship
ping agencies which send men in search of a
passage to Europe TO distant ports and leave
them destitute. are rivalled If not exceeded by
third method Of running these Offices for fraudu-
lent purposes, namely. that Of robbing deep sea
sailors, charging them Illegal fees and in some
instances brutally maltreating them. So out
rageous has this business become in some in
stances that sailors are dealt il as a commodity,
sold like slaves. and the whole deep sea ship
ping Of the port brought under the ban Of a
trust Of boarding house and shipping masters
which controls the market
TIE twenty-five or thirty shipping agencies Of
this port annually supply thirty thousand men
for ships. Under the law the business Of ship
ping masters and boarding masters is distinct
no license for both being issued to any one man.
II point Of fact. the business is conducted on
shares by the Two classes. The boarding house
master keeps the sailor until the shipping mas
ter has vessel. then turns him over 70 tba
shipping master. who puts the seaman on the
vessel.
According TO the United States Shipping law
the ships captain is obliged 10 pay fee for
the men supplied him. but the sailor cannot be
charged
But despite the law the money IS dragged from
the sailor Every sailor who goes 10 deep water
slS1s an allotment note which three days after
his vessel has left port entities the boarding
master 70 any sum up TO one months wages
This months allotment usually covers a small
debt for board and in return for il the sailor
also receives few necessaries for the voyage
such as soap. tobacco and matches; perhaps he
IS lucky enough % get q little cash besides
The balance is taken by the boarding house
master, and 50 Of this amount is paid 10 the
shipping master for getting a berth for the man
II many instances no attempt is made TO dis
guise from the sailor that he is obliged TO pay
3 part Of his first months wages 10 the shipping
master Indeed when the boarding house mas
ter goes over his accounts with the seaman the
latter Is usually told So must be put aside for
the shipping master.
Al example Of the actual working Of the
scheme IL shown in an affidavit by Charles
ArCe-do, who keeps q sailors boarding house
a No. 65 Cherry-st-, and who turned States
evf5ence IN case taken 70 court He put six
seaner On the steamship Adler, TO make trip
q rhe West Indies and return
The shipping master" says the affidavit,
william 7. Jones. and Henry A. Collins de-
Quoted from the wages OF the six seamen S45;
SO each from the wages OF Miniar, Charles
James and Bruse, sailors. and 50 apiece from
-he wages Of Manuel Selve. Juan Pores and
another. There vas charged IN shipping papers
S125 and there was PAID by me So 30 for the
six men before the voyage began
= second and even greater evil arises from
TIE fact that the shipping master is frequently
authorized 10 pay off the men from vessel
The sailor is turned over TO boarding house
keeper BY the shipping master. He is reduced
70 z drunken condition. robbed Of his wages
and al his valuables, and finally, after he has
ba iS
another ship. after being charged fee for his
new place.
The third evil which calls for the action OF
The Bureau Of Licenses concerns not individuals
bur the general prosperity Of the port. The
shipping and boarding masters have formed
trust 70 hold UP the shipping interests Of the
r,o-- So complete is the hold they have on
The supply Of sailors. that they are able TO de-
-nana and collect So a head for the sailors
s7lv1lied 10 the captains Of shipping calling
here Yesterday the British four-masted ship
Helar signed t7venty-four men. The agent OF
The ship c P Sumner, paid SO for every
man. and all were taken from boarding houses
Some Years ago the combination Of shipping
masters was so strong that II demanded s3o
fo- each sailor. and held up the shipping in the
ra-bor for 2 month. The final expense faI4s on
-he sailor. out Of whose wages the shipping
fo-7,s Maid rv the ships agent. in nearly every
case comes.
=, an effort 10 rescue the sailors from the
control q the inhuman and dishonest DoaI oii.s
house and shipping masters TWO cha1l'aDie
r-ra-fzar5ons-the Free Shipping ONCE al NO
: stzre-st- and the Seaman's Rest at No o99
Eves--s+-baxe established free shipping ageh-
cizs Frank 2 Hughes, the director o. me Oh
fee Il Stare-st. which IS conducted unoer t4e
s-,snices Of the Protestant Episcopal Mlsslolldiy
Society. said yesterday;
-,C--L ~orf5 easily ship more, but; as the men men
p-a IN boarding houses. cannot get @ 49, = -
e@-E ,-se-+ combination of boarding masters
go sfi-rtug masters went into eject =
bark Thefis without a DoHlSS % - exe-v man
-s-re ~ A~uo shipped. al1 lpl - a
signed SO vas paid. s ne beTore they were put
on board February y the 81 - +-n-, me-
meas Bay took crew @ Is - gof3r the work for
Tho enlurirg master who was SoIl5 oIl5I5 ,7o+ get a
st5- -cId fhe captain that ne coIi- ~ E-Fe,1
nan without bonus of SO I'D they were
--tf5- .. % A47er the men signed tht az -
took the-n 10 the once ofilc.ee % Since March
80 ssfidTe nave been tied up Tor bonus o. 90
? e Ring,valt. Of the Legal Aid Soc'e'E :
1,sc. has been investigating the efnpio! iiie'' :
-. st,,ee ss II affects the shipping anu
fos-5fnp house masters, said yesterday
.ss,ce in this Office haven't The The
,L+e- iesiraton in saying tnat nc ~ 1a- Ts1resli
-gTrsnt reform could be unoyI ei,-5fre masters
. - - - these men who LOAF Gown A. =
e,s+est car do more harm 70 To- {he heets@5tsble So
week than al the r1llssloI-ea. 1s,bs -
C.--es [sr balance IN SIX r5.-5 If Trade
- essential does the .-SIfres All shipping
Es-c u,er 41t@o5orn 20 be done by oficlalS H.
recty under its contI.sl TsS been felt. The CITY