Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-06-16


ming to discontinue its service,
T. Honolulu being cut out of the
fall: schedule. ..~.
The foreign shipowner, reg rdleSs of
the crews contract, must let his ship
remain idle unless he takes the crew
put on board by the union and at the
wages which they specify, nor will he
be allowed to obtain any seamen eX-
cept through the seamen's union And
to still further cinch this condition
under the. guise OF safety at sea, 40
per cent Of the crew of every ship,
foreign or American, of over 100 tons,
excepting yachts and fishing boats,
which leaves an American port. must
be able seamen and these men must
prove they are able seamen by pass
ing an examination. before United
States government inspectors ...
II they pass the eXamin alton they
may obtain United States certificate
and they are not able seamen in the
eyes of the law unless they hold such
certificate The United States gov
eminent proposes to examine every
foreign sailor who comes to the shores
of the United States, snd grant GER,
tificate as to his ability as q seaman,
and il there are not ;en6Hgh of these
men who can pass such an eXamina.
ton, then foreign ships cannot pro-
coed on their return voyages, or con-
tinue their voyages, unless a sufficient
number can be educated to fiji the
necessary 40 per cent requirement.
Need Many Examiners. z
The certificates mentioned above ap-5
ply only 10 seamen, but, in addition
to the examination of the seamen,
men in all other departments of the.
ship must be examined as to their
qualifications for certificate as life.
boatman, as the Law, requires that a
life-boat must carry one, two or three
life-boatmen holding certificates show,
ing that they are qualified for such POI,
sition. Imagine the corps of exam
liners, speaking all the Languages on
the face of the earth, which must be
employed to carry en- the examination
of several hundred thousand men, and
imagine how rare will be able sea-.
men holding certificate of life-boat.
men, holding q certificate when the
seamen's union has trouble with some
shipowner and does not propose that
his ship shall go to sea, for without
the ship having the required percent
age Of certified able seamen or the re-
-Quired percentage of certified life
boatman, the ship is helpless to pro-
coed to sea. -.
Can any employer of labor, either
ashore or afloat, believe that any leg
islation in behalf of the labor could
so einch the situation that labor could
absolutely dictate every possible con-
dition, and without any liability, and
does any employer OF labor or, in
fact, any laborer himself. deny for one
moment that the leaders in this move
.meDt-are not going-to take every adj
vantage which this law permits "
But we have legislated in this bill
to provide that we win undertake to-
arrest the masters of foreign vessels
citizens or subjects of other powers,
and punish them in our courts for acts
which are entirely lawful in their own
country. Does it seem possible that
other nations will patiently submit to-
having their citizens. such as the mas
tiers and officers of its% vessels, ar
rested in foreign port and
tried and fined. and. perhaps, i'm
Brissned for acts which, are entirely
lawful in their, own country, and I'M
der their own flag? ~ -. -. r..
We perhaps have a right to say that,
IF you come to our shore you shall
do as we tell you or you shall not
come at ALL and perhaps our far
sighted Legislators who have been pros
noting the United States shipping bill Z
considered, when they practically said
this in the seamen's bill that it would
bring about condition in which for
cign sAips, WOULD not. come to Amer
ion Iorts and then they could say
70 the United States that we are with
out either our own merchant marine
or the service OF a foreign merch ant
marine. and. therefore, it were abso-
lutely necessary that the United
States government should establish
and operate its own merchant marine
A prophet might sec these things and,
while the writer does not profess to
be a prophet, it might seem that the
only excuses for enacting this bill into
law would be to bring. about such 4
condition with the ships OF foreign ma
tinns as would compel the. people of
the United States to own and main
tain their own merchant marine, aad
SO Congress world be forced TO PASS
the Dill which apparently was found
distastefm in the la5t session Of Con.
gress. - ~. 4
The limited States his some very