The Washington herald., 1907-03-24
Easy Victim of All Sorts of
of Sharps on Shore.
HIS WAGES SPENT QUICKLY
systematie Robbery Practieed by
Shipping Masters and Boarding
House Keepers-Ho.v Captain
May Avoid Paying His Mea Wages.
Unable TO Protect Themselves.


his wages is perhaps the most extraordi-
nary When his account is made up at
the end of long voyage and he is en-
titled to so or Sl00. he win haggle for
hours over a charge of cents for to-
bacco. When it is settled, he VIII 90
out into the street to toss dimes 10 the
children or get drunk in some alley and
have his pockets picked by the first man
or boy who runs across him. according TO
. writer in Charities
A case OF this kind was brought to the
attention of the Legal Aid Society OF
Philadelphia last winter. A seaman on
a vessel carrying cargo of logwood TO
Chester. Pa. landed in Philadelphia one
morning early and was met by runner
from one OF the large tailoring shops on
South street The runner, 10 get hold
on him. lent him $40 in change on the
spot and took careful charge of him on
the way up. In the train there were "a
number of children and the seaman
amused himself by throwing quarters
into the air for the boys TO catch. When
he arrived he was conducted to the
tailors shop, where he was given all he
wanted to drink and sold long list Of
articles OF clothing and other supplies.
These articles included aprons. a clock,
knife, razor, scissors. and pillow cases,
and amounted in all 10 the sum Of SIS,
worth probably but $40 or SIS.
When the seaman was sufficiently in
toxicated not TO know or care what hap
pened to him, he was taken to a dis
orderly house a square or two away.
Here, with the conniyance of the pro-
prietor. he was robbed of s5-a further loan
from the tailor. The next day the sea-
man was paid off before the British con
sal, the money was taken by the tailor
who bought him ticket to New York
and sent him Of penniless and without
the clothing Just sold 10 him. One of the
curious facts of the case is that the sea
man was a canny Scotchman. a man
who in his own home doubtless would
have saved and boarded and guarded
against all attempts to entrap him as
only the hard-headed Scotchman can.
Sailor Lacks Shrewdness.
This general inability or unwillingness
of a seaman 20 protect himself from the
many men who make their living of his
wages is a characteristic which has sew
eraI causes. The constant danger, the
severe labor, the monOtony Of life at sea,
the lack of intercourse with the business
world, as we'll as the opportunity for de
ception given to his enemies by the nature
of the business, and its Present regula-
tions. tend TO make him lacking in self
reliance and shrewdness. 1t is never be-
cause of his large amount of wages that
ne is eXtravagant. a seaman usually
gets from Sl5 to so a month in our
service and that of Great Britain: other
nations pay somewhat less. out of this
amount he must provide himself with
everything except food and lodging while
on board ship. and from the amount OF
wages due him at the end OF the voyage
there are always deductions of a greater
or less amount. These may be legal or
they may not, but the tendency to Illegal
ity is fOstered by the opportunity of TAX
ing advantage Of the man in several
ways.
The illegal deductions are mostly from
fines and OVeTCharges. A seaman wants
his tobacco on long voyage, sometimes
soap and matches and often mittens,
caps, and other warm clothing. The cap
tain OF a United States ship is com
PEELED by law TO keep a shop-chest from
which he IS 20 furnish these articles at
regular scale of prices. An unscrupu-
lous captain can make frequent gleanings
Tor himself while still adheFing TO the
legal scale. by charging for articles never
received and amounts never required.
ON long voyages this often. becomes quite
q large sum.
Docking by Fines.
Another method Of docking mems wages
IS by use of fines for certain onenses.
such as quitting the vessel in port with
out leave or for refusal to 'join," for
willful disobedience to any lawful COM
mand at sea, and for willfuIy damaging
the vessel or cargo. Shese regulations,
perfectly proper and Necessary for the
maintenance Of discipline in this enlight-
ened age, when corporal punishment IS
not allowed for such offenses. afford,
nevertheless. an opportunity for abuse
In a way more Injurious than putting a
man In irons or knocking him down
An unprincipled captain can and does in
vent unnecessary and futile commands
and then at the slightest reluctance fine
man for disobedience. This is frequent
ly done, and between the masters word
and the seamans the government official
before whom the account is paid has no
easy time in deciding These disputes ana
those arising from the entire forfeiture
of wages because Of deserticn cause the
numerous lawsuits which are handled by
legal aid societies and other lawyers
DeseruOn is an offense which should be
severely punished. and il is only recently
that Great Britain has done away with
Imprisonment for failure TO Join" or, as
II Is called. desertiOn before sailing. I'M
8g st na 1feFv
United States and English laws for de-
sertion in foreign port, and TO this is
added forfeiture of wages. As a matter
of fact, owners and masters have had IN
the past rarely either the time or the IN
ciinattou IN most cases to commence pro-
ceedings to send men TO prison and to see
them through but they invariably keep a
mans clothing and his wages. often. toe
when a ship Is in for some weeks. and
the payment of seamens wages mounts
up to large sum. the master By abuses
and annoyances, viii compel the men to
desert, thus not only saving the owner
much money. but actually making money
for him by retaining possession of the
wages already earned. This is often the
case in such ports as Melbourne, Rosario,
and Rio Janeiro.
Banks for Seamen.
~ Nealttiob D0 Ae6aAuS dS eatf aOI uiiiafS
that, If a seaman succeeds in getting out
of 1t all, free from all charges. e sum of
money Of some size. he should give him
self the luxury of wasting IL riOtously in
port It is like so much prize money-a
lucky tnd-and so TO be spent for fear IL
viii be seized By some of the sharks only
awaiting their opportunity Yet since the
establishment of satings banks for sea-
men by the British government and the
extensive E,nrL- Of the sear,ner,Is hn-nos il,