Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1911-04-08

sea, no one loses but the sailor his widow and
cnioren- The property is paid for by the COM
hunlty, by you and by me; for insurance shifts
the burden of loss from the shoulders of the in
dlv1dual to the shoulders of the community Per-
rect pohclng of the sea has removed the dangers
from piracy, and losses from state or local dis
are paid for by the states and localities
responsible.
And SO the old principle of common hazard has
been abandoned far the ship-owner is con-
cerned through the operation of maritime insur-
ance and modern laws. But how is it with the
sailor and with and me? 1t Is easy to see
now this has worked to increase the hazard borne
by the crew Formerly the ship-owner would not
load his vessel to the danger point; he would not
risk employing unskilled men too few sailors,
because he did not want to risk his property. Now
ne does not care; insurance will take care of the
risks and the idea Is to make all the money pos
sible
Let look little more closely into the condi-
ton OF the sailors occupation that has been
evolved out of this hodge-podge of laws, ancient
and modern And then we very clearly
how this condition affects only the sailor but
you and me and every other American citizen A
brief comparison of the conditions on shipboard
under the American flag with those under the
flags of other nations will explain why the Amerf-
can boy does not go to sea, and why it is neces-
sary to keep the American sailor a chatteI slave
by law of congress To begin with the American
sailor who would ship over the high seas COM
PEELED to seek his employment through "crimp"
The crimp is the for the notorious sailors
boarding houses" which furnish crews for all
deep-sea-go vessels. He is the absolute master
ship their crews through the crimp. The crtmp
Is paid out of the unearned wages of the sailor.
1t is called advance money" which the law per
mits the sailor to sign away and which the system
compels him to sign away. The sailors call 1t
blood money The money is paid by the captain
directly to the crimp. In fact all the negotiations
are carried on directly between the captain and
the crtmp- The sailor is not consulted at all
More often than not, he is taken on board after
having been literally treated third rail" or
doctor, drink that robs him of all conscious
ness The practice smacks very much of the old
pracuce OF rshanghaing-" The act of December
II, 1888. prevents the payment of this blood
money called allotment to original creditor in
the domestic trade tcoastwise shipping and the
trade to nearby foreign countries) But it is per
mftted in the deepsea trade, and no sailor ever
obtains emp 'oyment a deepsea- going vessel
without having visited the crimp. The crfmp
exists because the law permits him exist, by
permitting the assignment of advance money
One state oregon. actually recognized the system
by statute limiting the amount bIoodmoney
to thirty dollars The crimp ceased to exist
the domestic trade when congress abolished the
allotment to original creditor in 1895
When the>sailor gets aboard he is compelled
live In space feet long by feet high and
feet wide This is the legal forecastle space (72
cubic feetl except In sailing vessels bufl re-
built after Juna 80 1898 The sailors call 1t the
dog hole" to distinguish it the fire hole
thremen's Quarters}. and the glory hole" tstew-