The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-07-20

that their b'unk-rOOmS" were my
thing but models for light and venti-
lation; that the narrow compartments
in which these men sleep are at fully
Turkish bath heat temperature. I saw
the place where they eat. It is a small
narrow compartment, and may be
likened to a damp. hot stable. Benches
and tables are of the rudest possible
meal had bread, tea, and a sort of
stew. MT Baltic has sixty of these
men.
The thirty-six sailors work our
hours on and foul Off; they are paid
20 dollars per month. Their hunks
are ranged round the fOrecaStle, and
they were sleeping in their clothes
when I saw them; the discolored mat
tresses and blankets looked ready for
the rag-shop or the disinfecting cham
Der.
On contemplating the lot Of the
sailors, stOkers, and coal hadlerS of a
steamship, one asks himself how it is
that me can be found who will con-
sent to get down to such dreary, pain
full, and i'll requited toll, perforemd I'M
der such hard conditions. As a fact
every man to whom escape is possible
must fee from that sort Of life. 1t
must be the more helpless characters,
from whatever cause, who one
thing is to be remembered; b men
are bound to work the round trip
from England; for if they quit at
New York, they forfeit the pay al
ready earned. And another, at Liv-
erpool %, 600 dock laborerS report at
the gates ~alongshore every day seek
ing a job; and on the average only
5000 find employment. The sur
plus 1000 in dictate the possible
state af employment Of maritime la
Dor in Great Britain. The Liverpool
lockers nave a fairly well organized
union, with its own bureau, imparti-
ally and in rotation assigning men to
the work. It has q system Of paying
benefits in cases Of sickness and death;
it has a voice in fixing the wage scale
for the men-a better scale than OBJ
tanned some years ago, low even it
is to-day. But with the men on ship
board, it must be admitted he union
sentiment at present is not strong.
AS one looks at that part Of the
steerage to which the immigrants into
the United State from the East Of
Europe are packed, he asks himself
whether the GCVernnne nt regulations
which are applicable are yet UP to a
civilized standard. To stow away for the
night perhaps 100 men Cor, in another
compartment Women) in q loW-ceiled
space, on layers or in iron births, apart
only far enough to admit of only
crowding ones way along, is stabling
them under worse conditions than cat
tie are ordinarily kept The English
speaking third-clasS passengers have
cabins of two, four, eight berths of
bare boards, it is true, but they are in
| great contrast in possible cleanliness
and decency with the dormitories, or
rather pen in which are confined
the Italians, Magyars and Russian
Jews.
In these observations, OBVIOUSLY, I
cast no especial reflection upon the
White Star Line. IN the contrary, [
am prepared to 81 that its treatment
Of stewards and steerage passengers
is ever better han the average. I
but speak Of facts that have passed
under my own observation, with some
mention Of the views relevant to them,
natural to one who hopes and ex-
poets better things for Labor.
One Of my felloW-passengers on the
Baltic, a gentleman who is tho
roughly conversant with the market
ing Of mems hats, mentioned to me
a recent development in that trade
very significant to the people Of the
United States and particularly to the
hatters and hat-manufacturers who
have been engaged for the past five
months in an industrial struggle-The
gentleman to whom I refer informed
me that within the last six months
the importation of Englsh-made hats
has increased by a large percentage,
and that there had been a great in
crease in the use Of caps. He reason
ed from this that a large number Of
American working men have been
been avoiding the purchase Of nom
union hats as an easy way of solving
the situation by which they were con-
fronted. He said, further, Suppose,
now that the hitherto wearer of Der
by hats should learn the advantages
and comfort Of the capl It has some
decided ones. It is far more easily ad-
Unstable to the head than a stif-rim-
med hat. It does not blow off so east
ly. It lets the wearer can back
against a wall or the back Of a car
seat. It is not so ready to be blown
or knocked Off the head. It does not
show a dent, and is not 50 easily soil
ed. Moreover, it is cheaper. In Win