New-York tribune., 1918-04-22
Barge Captains Ask Higher Wage
That They May Educate Children
Youngsters Born Raised and Live Their Lives Tdewater
Boats Within Sight of nd-Decare $40
a Month Not Enough

of the notion that he and his fellows
are as decent as the usual run of
folk, if not moro so. "Take us by and
large" he said, "and you'll find us
about the same as the bunch over on
one of your nice, clean avenues. Hav
ing no churches, we don't go to church
much. | don't know as we're very long
on praying and psalm singing, but we've
got the kids to fetch up and the wives
to keep our neghbors straight. The
police don't help us much, SO we've got
to do our own sweeping up at times.
sit was only last week that a guy
blew in here on boat from down East
somewhere with fresh young thing
in the cabin cooking his dinner We
waited on them in a crowd-the men
and the women Of the feet-and found
out that they didn't belong here. The
man went into the river in a sort of
careless, accidental way, the girl was
towed out that night without a soul
left aboard her. That's the way we
handle them" =.
Families Run to Twelve
The Red Ball skipper has three chill
dren who, in spite of his ability to pro
tect them from evil influence on the
water, he says he is anxious to see
housed somewhere ashore. He wants
them to go to school, he says. and fit
themselves for something a trfie more
ambitious than fatboating. The skip
per Of a ncighboring barge boasted a
family of twelve children, and exhib-
tied eight Of them in evidence of good
faith. OF this family each Of the twelve
children claims a different Birthplace
81 haven't been twenty steps away
It.<,,,
the skipper father. 81 hate to think of
my kids growing up and never seeing
or knowing anything more than the
East River and the measly stretch of
the ocean between here and New Lon
don. But what else is there for them I?
IL they don't get any schooling they
won't be good for any job that's better
than mine. My Bob here in year or
two will be old enough TO take out
boat of his own. The company that
hires him will give him stove, a
bucket and lantern to start house
Keeping with, and set him down in a
cabin where he'll stay on duty for
tWenty-four hours a day for the rest of
his natural life. 1t isn't such hard
work. but 1t certainly is confning."
What the Companies Say
In the Offices of several of the barge
companies IL vas dullllLCcU lnaC IN some
extent the complaints Of the men were
Justified, but no remedy for the con-
dltlons were suggested. 81 had heard
1t sald that the men were dissatisfied
with their $40 award" said Frederick
I: kellcrs, of the McWilliams Blue
Line, but don't see how anything can
be done for them at present. The scale
IS as high as the returns from our bust
ness could possibly warrant The men
have the cabins of their boats rent
free. and the money they receive en-
anles them to provide properly for their
families as long as they all stay af1oat.
1T is unfortunate, of course, that the
chlidren are kept out Of school. 1T is
unfortunate, also, that men with grow
ing families should confnc themselves
to this character Of work. The Job of
a barge captain is amply we'll filled by
any man who has passed his phvsical
prlme or who is otherwise incapaci-
tated for more active employment"