The Republican journal., 1911-11-16
THAT SAILORS SNUG HARBOR SUR
PLUS.

Would not Exist if the Conditions of Capt.
Randalls Will were Strictly Complied
with.
According to recently published state
ment made by the president of the Board
of Trustees of the Sailors Snug Harbor,
that institution has become so wealthy
that it has more money than it can pos
sibly use, owing to the growth of this
city and the increased value of the in
stitution's property within its limits, the
annual income being between five and
six hundred thousand dollars. The presi-
dents statement is the forerunner of an
application to the courts to change the
provisions of Capt. Randall's will, the
donor of the "harbor, as we'll as the
means of its support, so that the Board
of Trustees can sell land that now be-
longs to the institution and invest the
proceeds in safe securities bearing a
| larger interest rate How this will re-
duce the unused surplus and conform to
the will of the donor is not made plain.
The Marine Journal enters its solemn
protest against any change being made
in Capt Randall's will for the purpose
described above, for the reason that its
provisions are not being carried out as
directed, when there is large surplus of
accrued funds uneXpended annually.
| After disposing of part of his estate
by will, Capt. Randall, near the end OF
| the document, instructs the trustees of
the Sailors Snug Harbor
ITO use the residue and remainder of my
said real and personal estate to erect and build
/ al rih of 10
now reside, an asylum, or marine hospital, to
| be called The Sailors Snug Harbor,' for the
purpose of maintaining and supporting aged,
decrepit, and worn-out sailors. as soon as they.
my said charity trustees, or majority OF
them, shall Judge the proceeds of the said
estate will support fifty of the said sailors, and
upwards"
Many years ago, among the many
necessary rules made by the trustees to
| that an inmate ''to be eligible must have
sailed foreign for five years under the
American flag" necessary rule when
it took nearly all the income of the har-
Dor to properly care for the number of
deep-water sailors that applied Cor ad-
mission. Long since then. however,
| this class of American sailors has become
but memory of the past. But the
coastWise sailors have increased largely,
their exposure and hardships are as great
or greater on our coast in winter than
were those of the oversee mariner, and
as consequence there are as many or
more Gagged, decrepit, and worn-out sail
ors'' of this class in proportion as there
were in the good old days of sailing ship
prosperity. These men are all barred
from the ''harbor" by the rules of the
trustees, but not through the muniticent
will of the late Capt. Randall, and were
he alive now it is safe to say that he
would not discriminate between men Of
the same profession.
Under these circumstances we cannot
believe that the courts would grant the
request of the present trustees OF the
harbor, which according toits presidents
statement has plenty of land and plenty
of money on which to erect buildings
alongside of those already erected to ac-
commodate hundreds more OF 'aged, de-
crepit, and WORKOUT Sailors" of whom
the towns, villages and sea coast cities
of the United States hold many, who
are cared for by taxation, through charity
or by relations of limited means. 1t
cannot be possible that the trustees Of
the Sailors Snug Harbor have over
| looked these worthy men, who should be
their wards. If so, they should at once
suspend the rules las has been done
many times through the appeal of the
marine members) or change the rule al
together so as to meet such conditions,
the facts of which will certainly confront
them in court if they fail to apply their
surplus funds to the purpose for which
thew were intended. The Marine Jour-
| nal