Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-08-23
Rudolph SpreckeIs Declares
Pacific Mail Manager Act
uated BY Selfish Greed

Charging that r. p. Schwerin. gem
eral manager OF the Pacific Mail
Steamship Company, In pleading for
the repeal OF the La Toilette Seamen's
Act, Is deliberately misrepresenting
conditions to the public, and that he
receives a princely salary at the ex-
pense of labor employed under his
management Rudolph Spreckeis, one
OF the Spreckels brothers, has pre-.
pared for publication a scathing IN
dictment of the Pacific Nails attitude
The article is an answer to Schwerin's
attack on the bill.
Rudolph Spreckels Is reputed TO be
the chief stakeholder In the Oceanic
Steamship Company, and is a brother
OF John ID. Sprecl.els. now in the Ha-
waiian Islands. He declares that the
Pacific Mail, II complying with the
Seamen's Act, would still earn more
than $4,000,000 a year, based on its
earnings in 1914 and 1913 with Orien-
tai crews employed Mr.. Spreckels'
article says:
Contract labor and slavery on our
shore are forbidden by law and yet
we tolerate condition of servitude
upon the high sea which, II generally
understood, would make the people of
America ashamed. Under present
treaties and maritime practise the
sailor-man is obliged t. ship for a
round trip voyage IT. in hfs opinion.
wrong conditions prevail on shipboard,
or finding an opportunity for lettering
his lot, seaman leaves his ships
employ in any foreign port before
completing the voyage. he may be ar
rested. imprisoned and forced to re.
turn TO the ship and continue the voy-
are.
End Slavery on Seas.
THAT so-called civilized nations
lend themselves TO s1ch inhuman prac-
tises passes understanding. 1t is TO
the credit Of this nation that its en-
frightened statesmen have taken the
first steps to end slavery on the sea
There is bill TO promote the welfare
OF American seamen IN the merchant
marine of the United States
Selfish men representing ship own
ers are now exerting every effort to
defeat that worthy measure. One such
individual has circulated pamphlet
which reeks with that disregard for
human rights so common to capitals
tic greed. He pleads for continna-
ton Of the present system because.
under the proposed new law. his
steamship company would be obliged
10 give up employing Oriental crews
on It's American steamers.
In order that the danger to passeu- 4
gers travelling on ships manned by
Chinese crews and officered by white
men may be fully appreciated, the fol-
lowing language is quoted from de-
cision of the Circuit Court ofsAppeals.
Ninth District, May 9Th, No. 1896. 100
Federal Reporter. In re Pacific Mail
Steamship Company:
There can. in our opinion, be no
doubt that the crew CT ship must be
not only sufficient in numbers. bu-
also competent for the duties II may
be called upon To perform. The case
shows that the City of Rio de Janeiro
left tho port OF Honolulu en- the voy
age under consideration with crew
OF 81 Cinnamon, Differed by Whit
men. The officers could not speak
the language of the Chinese, and but
two OF the latter, the boatswain and
the chief fireman. could unde-stan
that of the officers.
Consequently, the orders of the Of
icers had to be communicated either
through the boatswain or chief fire.
man, or by signals and signs. So far
as appears, that seems to have worried
we'll enough On the voyage in ques
ton, until the ship came to grief, and
there arose the necessity for quick |
and energetic action in the darkness
In that emergency. the crew was Who'll
IL inefficient and incomnetent as the