The new era., 1911-04-13

ards Quarters). Here the eat
sleep and keep their clothing. 1t has been de-
scrbed as too large for coffin and too small for
a grave" 1t is unsanitary, dark and dirty.
The American sailor Is compelled to sign away
in the foreign trade his right to part of the wages
due him at ports of call Consular agents have de
cared this to be the most prolific cause of deser-
tons from American ships. The act of December
81. 1898, gives the sailor right to half the wages
that may be due him at any port of call. but add
unless the contrary be expressly stipulated In the
contract" The shp-owners to 1t that this
stipulation is always made.
The sailor must compete with the unsktlled
and destitute of all nations and races. because the
law to citizenship repealed in 1854. and the
operation OF maritime insurance has reduced the
standard of skill in seamen. No standard of eff
cheney has been supplied by law. The ship-owners
may hire whom they please and as few men as the
inspectors will let them. There is no standard to
guide the inspectors. And 80 the sailor must do
the unskted mans work at because the work
has to be done and there Is else to do 1t.
Often he must risk his life because the vessel Is
undermanned and unskilfully manned Because
Of this competition with the foreigner. his wages
as small the wages OF the cheapest port OF
call Of his vessel. and he cannot get enough to
marry and live normal life AS vessels grow
larger, his chances to earn decent livelihood grow
smaller
Big Business conceives ships to be for the
purpose of making money not for the purpose of
carrying goods from place to place; for the pur-
pose of piling up dividends matter at whose
expense the. dividends piled up. no matter at
what cost to the sailor or to you and me. 1t
would take away cargo space to provide decent
living quarters for sailors shipboard, and less
cargo means less dividends. To load vessel SO
to minimize the danger from shifting cargo
means less cargo also. Better food more men
and skilled men all cost more money, and there
fore Big Business which is not compelled to take
risks because its property is insured refuses these
things. In fne it is much cheaper to run vessels
with slaves; therefore Big Business employs
slaves
Not only Is American commerce being
Quoted by vessels flying foreign flags. but Ameri-
can oversee commerce in American ships is being
handled by foreign seamen. The astounding fact is
true that not only has America fewer sailors than
any other nation the face Of the globe, but the
great majority OF the men in the American
merchant marine are men OF other nations. And
the majority Of American seamen sailing. by
choice, under the flags of other nations than
their own So when we trust our lives and our
goods on the high seas, entrust them to foreign
seamen, slaves on under manned vessels, living
under conditions that have driven Americans from
the sea- That is what concerns US. And 1t
Germs vitality.
Statistics published by the United States COM
missioner of navigation show that out of every
hundred American seagoing steamers OF over one
hundred tons for the past seven years, average
of 2,24 have been lost each year, and that out of
every hundred foreign seagoing steamers of
one hundred tons for the same period, an average
of only 1873 have been lost. Out of every hundred
American seagoing vessels of over fifty tons for
the past seven years average of Alb have been
lost each year. and out of the same number OF
foreign seagoing sail vessels of fifty TONS the
loss has been only 297 year.
On the Pacific ocean the situation Is almost in
tolerable. The United States commissioner OF
navigation In his report for 1S9s-ss page 20. de-
clared: THE crews Of steamships plying
to China and Japan are almost wholly Chinese and
Japanese shipped before American consus at
foreign ports where the vessels enter and clear"
And this condition has grown worse instead oe
better since that time