Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-04-07
.UNSCRUPULOUs AGENTS
LEAVE MANY STRANDED
Americans PennileSs i'm London
Through Sharp Practices of Labor
Brokers I'm This Country.
CONSULATE HAS INTERVIEWED
Ships Officers Deny All knowledge
OF Contracts With Men Who Tend
Horses for Allies, but Their State
ments Are Not Wholly Accepted.

LONDON, April 6.--As a result Of the
activity OF ConsulGeneral Robert p.
Skinner In pressing the claims of
American muleteers and horse tenders
left stranded In English and French
ports by steamship lines. there has been
a decided decrease within the last three
weeks in the number Of Americans left
penniless through the sharp practice
of ships officers and INSCRIPTIONS
shipping agents in America.
The steamer Zestrian. OF the Leyland
Line. recently left thirty-thrcc Amerl-
can workmcn stranded out of Il total
OF l25 She brought over. The line de-
clared 1t had lived up to it's contract
In every way, but finally supplied the
men with return passage.
In many recent cases ignorant work
men. many of them negroes. have been
shipped By American agents, who told
the men they had positions in Europe.
Frequently money Is collected In adj
vance from the wages OF the men
through the sale Of soap and cheap
clothing at Il ridculously high price.
While the officers OF ships are not
actually parties to such sharp prac-
tices-or, at least. it is not possible in
most cases TO prove they are-they
know Of the action of INSCRIPTIONS
shipping agents. and are not wholly
guiitless, in the opinion OF consular
officers.
AMERICAN NEGRO is
ARRAIGNE.D IN COURT
Monroe Smith, negro muletcer, re-
Gently found in the streets penniless,
was arraigned in London Police Court
on charge Of vagrancy. Investiga-
ton disclosed that he came to London
on the steamer Singapore, owned by
Donaldson Brothers, Limited, an Eng
lish concern. The wages paid him was
not sufficient to keep him until the
English company had 4 return sailing
His case was called especially to the
attention of the police judge by the
American consulate general, and the
man promptly was discharged Donald
son Brothers then took charge OF the
negro and provided him with food until
he was able to get return sailing.
New Orleans Is the port from which
the greatest number Of workmcn are
shipped under conditions which leave
them as objects OF charity in England
and France. More complaints have
been filed by worknen against New
Orleans shipping agent than any other.
find on landing in England that they
have signed contracts which leave
them only n few shillings Often the
men who have signed such contracts
are unable TO read and write
OFFICERS OF SHIPS
DENY ALL KNOWLEDGE
Officers of ships invariably deny all
knowledge of the ARRANGEMENTS be-
tween workmen and shipping agents.
The American embassy and the con-
sulate general in London do not accent
the statements of such companies that
they are not responsible for the manner
IN which American citizens, unable TO
protect their own rights, arr. duped.
and are taking complaints up promptly
with the transportation companies
Because of the great number OF
horses and mules shipped to England
and France for war purposes the de-
mand for unskilled labor on ships has
been enormous. All sorts OF men have
heen shipped by agents at the various
american ports, and il is estimated that
more than 1000 such men have been
left stranded in England and on the
Continent since the war began.