The Washington herald., 1912-08-18

The water front of any large seaport
is the section to which the idlers. vast
ers. adventurers. and butt ends Of human
ftv gravitate 1t IS the last stand OF the
casual laborer. The soiled clerk. the
broken mechanic. and the newly arrived
immigrant jostle the lonSshoreman IN
competition for a few hours work.
In the cosmopolitan crowd of workers
and idlers it is not difficult to distinguish
th5. real seaman. They have bearing
and a certain singularity which set them
ansrt from all unsavOry invaders of their
realm Sailors have a standard reputa-
ton for bravery. endurance. and gallan-
try but ior prudence. economy or tiIrlit'
none Consequently the subject OF des-
stitution among seaman is usually as
missed with the assertion that sailors are
an improvident. careless sort. and their
periodical distress is to be expected
The life of seamen under tn. best con-
ditions is abnormal. This accounts Tor
nucr Of the periodical destitution which
answers for the existence OF seamen aid
societies government hospitals. and san
atoriums. seamen's friend societies, and
kindred associations to help sick and In
digent sailors.
An seafaring men below the rank of
netty officers except those in the navy.
fshermen yachtsmer. and those engaged
in harbor traffic and in some classes of
coatwise trade are discharged at the end
of the voyage, even II they are going
on the next trip. Even on ships where
employment is for the whole year the
sailors are dismissed and join the ranks
of unemployed seamen when the vessel
is dry docked for her compulsory annual
overhauling IF a seaman sails steadily
in the same ship, behaves himself. is on
hand when required. and always in a
fit condition to work at the end of the
year he would nevertheless have been
unemployed from forty to eighty-fve
days according to the class of trade.
Employment Is Uncertain.
Should sailor. fireman, or ships
steward sail out of port from which
tramp freighters regularly sail, his
work will naturally. be on these ships.
He will be subject to uncertainty of
employment. longer voyages than the
coast or regular liners. and the chance
of being paid of at the end of the voy-
age in a strange port several hundred
miles from home.
Commercial depression ashore when
factories are closed and mechanics and
are idle always decreases the un-
employed seaman's chance OF work. A
sea voyage offers to the artisan or Ia
borer escape from idleness, the oppor-
tunity to see other countries and to
widen his horizon. He seeks the docks
in hope of employment. The unemploy-
ed seaman in America is, moreover.
handicapped by the methods of engag-
ing men through shipping masters.
crimps and boarding masters, who have
sometimes IA monopoly of certain lines
of steamers There is little chance of
employment unless a man pass through
their hands.
There Is another factor contributing to
this problem of unemployment Sea-
fa-inS is chief among seIs Jnal employ
ments This Is not due to economic
causes. nor TO vh!ms of popular demand
Nature locks up about one-hIls of the
sailors territory and forbids him to sail
his ships and Fly his trade for six
months in tire year. b. no sod0kl ad-
justment. art, or science can this con-
dition Of his life be avoided.