The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1909-07-30

CUAS ! JUURNAL kUkUA J
OBJECTIONS OF ALMY
The Coast Seaman s Journal for July
IA reproduces in its editorial column
the letter of United States Shipping
Commissioner H. n. Almv addressed
to Judge Andrade, Police Magistrate,
which had reference to his objection
to shipping men who had been convict
ed in the courts for criminal offenses.
Mr.. Almy's letter and the favorable
editorial reference thereto of the Sea-
man s Journal follow:
| The Journal recently referred to the
attitude of Shipping Commissioner
Almy, of Honolulu, T. H., on the sub
iect of sending criminals to sea in
stead of to Jail. We publish herewith
the letter of Shipping Commissioner
Almy to United States District Judge
Andrade:
Department of Commerce and Labor.
Office of U. S. Shipping Commissioner,
Honolulu, T. II.
May 10, 1909
Honorable Frank Andrade, Judge of
the District Court, Honolulu.
| Sir: have recently been approach.
ed, several times, by the County Sheriff
and a number of prominent citizens
and attorneys, requesting me to ship
men out of the country as seamen, who
were in Jail for offenses against the
laws.
I beg respectfully to call your atten-
tion to the fact that there is always
large number of men on this water
front anxious to obtain positions on
vessels by which they can earn liv-
ing, or get transportation from terri.
! tory where they can not do so. L do
not consider it proper to countenance
the shipment of criminals in their
places. Taking a bona fide seaman
| from jail, where he has been placed
for some misdemeanor, and putting him
aboard his ship, is very different
matter.
A vessel is very convenient place
in which to get rid of an unruly boy,
but | see no reason why it should take
| the place of Jail or a reform school.
Seamen may be rough in their ways,
and, when ashore, create an unfavorable
impression by their habits; but at sea,
away from the temptations of town,
| they are not all bad, and ] can see
no reason why they should be forced
to associate with criminals in the fore
castle.
| hope you will understand that I
am writing to inform You of the re-
quests made to me, and not as criti'
cism upon the methods of the court.
Respectfully.
HENRY N. ALMY,
| Cyl
These views are eminently sensible
and reflect credit upon the official who
expresses them, to say nothing of
demonstrating his fitness for the duties
of his office. Since Shipping Commits.
sioner Almy's attitude became general
ly known much favorable comment has
various parts of the country. AS eX-
employing the interest taken in the
matter we reprint the following, from
Shipping Illustrated, of New York:
story went the rounds of the press
recently to the effect that the son of
a more or less prominent New Yorker
had been sent to sea on the British
shipentine Falls of Garry, now bound
for Sydney, n S. W., in order to cure
him of certain evil propensities that
/
into trouble and caused his people much
shame and modification. Desertion
from the army, stealing, and forging
checks have been among the youth IS
pastimes, which from all reports spring
from diseased mind. From many
points of view the case is sad one
but in it's very nature the experiment
of sending the boy to sea can not be
considered as anything more than q
forlorn hope, with all the chances
favoring the belief that the young
man viii benefit very little, if at all
from his experience before the mast
From another point of view the. ease
is to be regretted, for it is one of those
things which help to maintain the be
lief that life at sea in a merchant yes
, sci is the very life for natural born
; or incipient criminals. The more thi:
belief persists, the less attractive will
sea life become for young men whose
lives are clean and wholesome. Just
as the coinage may be debased by ar
alloy of inferior metal, so can tn,
standard of sea life be debased 10y
making merchant vessels serve as re
fo""'''nrv ships.
With the maintenance of public in
5 terest in this matter, there is hop,
T that the courts of the country will dis
!. continue the habit of extending a very
D doubtful form of mercy to criminals
g at the expense of an honest calling
b 1t would seem that a hint from tn,
n Bureau of Navigation to the shipping
Y commissioners at the various port
might not be out of place.