Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-06-16
Thinks Foreign Ships WILL
STEER CLEAR Of US. PORTS
R. P. Schwerin Describes One
Probable Effect of the New
t.. Seaman's Bill i
81 r. p. scHWERIN
Vice-President and General Manager
Pacific Mail Steamship Company.

the labor leaders Interested in trade
both ashore and afluat and the ship
owners. ship managers and agents, the
Seamens Bill became q law on March
4, 1875. During the hearings before
the house committee on the merchant
marine and fisheries, many men inter
ested in American steamers in the
coastwise trade appeared before that
committee for the purpose Of stating
their views as to how the different
requirements OF this proposed legisla-
tiCn would affect their actual opera
tions. -. .."
II is doubtful whether any set of
men were ever subjected to a more
bTow.beating cross-examination than
these gentlemen, whose only desire
was to frankly aud freely tell the MEM
bers OF Congress- forming this com
mittee exactly what their troubles
might be should the bill become a
law. There have been some sensa-
tfonal charges in regard to lobbying
in Washington, but few Hobbies ever
had such force and power and the
limited freedom OF speech and conduct
as the labor lobby looking after the
interests OF this bill --.' -.
Ii was apparent to the gentlemen
who appeared before this committee in
behalf OF the steamship interests that
their connections with this American
enterprise on the high sea was highly
copdemnatory and that their past his
tory was filled with riotous glee over
the brutal treatment of their employees,
the loss of life at sen, the destruc
tion of property which they controlled
and operated, and, above all, it was
shown to the satisfaction of some OF
the cross-examining lawyers. members
of the committee, that they knew abb
solutely nothing about their business.
In fact, one gentleman, a member of
Congress, on eross-examination de-
veloped to his own satisfaction that
the more free freight and passengers a
steamer carried the greater would be
the steamers loss, and, therefore, by
partially filling the ship with cargo
of life-boats, cutting down the num-
her of passengers, thus limiting the
passengers and cargo, the ship would
be money-earner: whereas, under
previous normal conditions, she evi.
IDENTIFY was money loser. .....
It was apparent that it was this
kind of information that the commit
tee sought and acted on, and, as a re.
suit, approved this law as written by
the president of the international Sea-
mems Union $50 80 i - T.. =
Any uniformed person reading the
title, which carries with it all the dig.
nifty of United States legislation, would
naturally be impressed with the fact
that here lis something which is going
to benefit, first, the American sea-
man, and, secondly, promote safety
at sea- The legislation is now the
law of the land and il remains to be
seen whether anything but dire dis
aster will come out OF these high
sounding phrases, which, in words,
represent SO many better conditions.
Abfogates All Treaties.
What has the United States Con-
gress committed this nation to? 1t
has instructed the president of the
United States to serve notice upon all
the maritime powers with whom we
have commercial treaties that such
treaties must be abrogated. They
must be abrogated for this reason:
that from the earliest time maritime
law has provided that seamens were
the wards of their nation and had to
be cared for by the nation no mat
ter In what part of the world they
might become in or INDECENT, and at
all times were they under the protec-
ton of their eonsuls. Marine hospi-
tails were established and appropria-
lions made to care for sick and i'm
jured sailors. and TO return them to
their home ports In return the sea-
man signed articles, under such rules
and regulations as were. prescribed by
his government to stay with his ship.
until the voyage was completed, and
he was as morally and legally bound
to stand by his contract as the owner
and captain were morally and legally.
bound to stand by their contract with
the seaman, under the laws Of his ma
ton, which provided for the employ
ment and protection of the seaman
and for the protection of the property
which he had shipped to safeguard
and ere fer.
BY this bill the United States says,
so far as the lGrts OF this country
arc concerned, this shall cease and
these contracts shall be Iof no force
or effect and the moment a foreign
ship enters United States port, any
seaman or the entire crew may &C
ashore, without the right of arrest and
without the obligation. to further fl.
fill their contract to return with the
ship to its home port or 10 fulfill the
voyage for which they shipped"
The argument put forward by the
labor lobby on this point was to the
effect that the American mere antile
marine had been handicapped IN its
by two conditions: first,
the increased cost of building ship
in the United States; and, second, the
increased cost of wage to the crew.
The bill provides that the foreign sea-
men, shall have the same wages rs
the Americana born, by the simple de-
vice OF having the men break their
contract and come ashore, with or
without the solicitation of the sea
mems unions business agent, then
they would reship, perhaps on the
same or another ship. at the going
wages out Of that port, and by this
A. - 6SI