Norfolk.-I have sent over to the Norfolk Navy-Yard (at Gosport) quite a number of sailors and machinists to join the Navy. Pascagoula.-There being no recruiting officer at this port, there have been but few enlistments in the Government service. A general desire seems to prevail among seamen to become attached to the Government service for the war. Quite a number here have joined volunteer infantry companies. Providence.-Merchant seamen of American, British, Norwegian, and Swedish nationality have entered the Government service during the war to some extent, but very few of other nationalities have left the merchant marine. Baltimore, Md.-As far as I can ascertain, very few merchant seamen entered the Government service at this port. Bath, Me.-I do not think the merchant seamen have generally entered the Government service. Rockport, Me.-From this port I know of only eight seamen who have entered the Government service. New Bedford.—As there is no recruiting office at this port, seamen have not generally entered the Government service, but a few of the seamen have gone to Boston and enlisted. Wilmington, N. C.-Some seamen entered the service on board the United States revenue steamers, mostly Norwegians and Germans. Port Townsend.-No war vessels have left Puget Sound for the seat of war, and only three transports-Centennial, City of Pueblo, and Senator. These experieneed no difficulty in securing all the sailors they needed. 8. METHODS OF SHIPMENT. The following responses to the inquiries of this Bureau are extracted from the reports of shipping commissioners concerning the method of shipping seamen, the number of so-called shipping masters and sailors' boarding houses at each port: New York. We have not obtained any seamen for vessels, all seamen shipped by us (outside of those signed by us on board steam vessels) have been brought to the office by keepers of boarding houses, runners, or by officers of vessels, the great majority by runners connected with the outside shipping offices, of which there is a large number at this port. All the men signed by us bring an order from the captain of the vessel on which they are about to ship, requesting us to ship the seamen specified in the order. As near as we can ascertan, there are at present 30 so-called shipping masters doing business here and about 40 keepers of sailors' boarding houses, 31 of whom are associated together for "mutual aid and benefit" in a society known as the Seamen's Boarding-House Keepers' Benevolent Association of the Port of New York." A San Francisco.-Practically I have obtained no seamen for vessels, all the seamen brought before me to be shipped are secured without my aid. In a previous communication upon this subject, I remarked that the custom of this port is for masters of vessels to procure their crews through shipping masters. Seamen rarely apply to this office for employment; when they do I secure them berths. large number of crews for coastwise vessels are procured through the shipping master of the Sailors' Union and the shipping master of the Shipowners' Association. I endeavored in 1895, under your instructions, to supply sailors to vessels through this office. At that time I distributed a number of circulars that were sent to me by the Bureau, and communicated to you the views of the different owners and agents of vessels who replied to the circulars. I met with no cooperation on the part of the owners, agents, or masters of vessels; on the contrary, there was an opposition to the movement by these persons, as well as the boarding-house masters and shipping master. There is no change in the sentiment of the community upon this subject, and without the assistance of those interested in shipping, I see little hope of doing away with the present method of procuring crews for vessels. There are 12 men whose occupations are that of shipping masters. Certain of these men confine themselves to supplying crews to coastwise vessels, others to American deep-water vessels, others to foreign vessels. There is an understanding among them that the business of one set of men shall not be interfered with by another set. There are 30 houses where sailors are boarded and lodged. The capacity of these houses varies from the Sailors' Home, which will accommodate 250 men, to the small boarding house that will accommodate 10 men. It is noticeable that the number of coastwise seamen who board with private families is increasing; these men are removed from the control and influence of the boarding-house masters. Baltimore.-The whole number of seamen shipped have been brought to the office by masters in person, or sent by them through their agent or so-called ship ping masters, without my aid in actually obtaining any of them. There are six so-called shipping masters in this port, and 15 boarding houses for sailors. Bath.-I have actually obtained about 90 per cent of the seamen shipped at this port; about 10 per cent were brought to this office to be shipped. There are no shipping masters at this port engaged in procuring seamen, and there is but one sailors' boarding house at this port. Boston.-I have actually obtained about 1,500 of the seamen shipped at this port, and about 6,349 were brought before me to be shipped without my aid in securing them. There are 10 so-called shipping masters at this port, and 18 sailors' boarding houses. New Bedford.-I have obtained about one-half of the seamen shipped from this port and about one-half have been brought before me to be shipped without my aid in procuring them. There are four so-called shipping masters at this port, and about 15 sailors' boarding houses. Newport News.-I have obtained about 40 of the seamen shipped from this port, and about 288 have been brought to me from other sources. There are about three so-called shipping masters, and about three sailors' boarding houses. Norfolk.-I have obtained about 1,262 of the seamen shipped from this port, and about 100 have been brought to me without my aid. There is no general shipping master at this port, but there are two boarding masters who occasionally furm.sh men for American vessels, which are signed before the United States commissioner, but usually confine their services to foreign vessels. Pascagoula.-I would estimate that I have actually obtained about one-fourth of seamen shipped, one-fourth have applied and procured employment, the other half have been brought before me by captains and others without my aid in securing them. I have no so-called shipping masters to report at this port. There is but one sailors' boarding house to my knowledge; the greater number of seamen now stop at private and other boarding houses. Pensacola.-I have obtained none of the seamen shipped at this port; all that I have shipped have been brought before me without my aid in procuring them. There are two so-called shipping masters at this port, and six or eight sailors' boarding houses. Philadelphia.-I have actually obtained 358 of the seamen shipped, 5,770 being brought before us without our aid in securing them. There are 16 so-called shipping masters and 65 sailors' boarding houses at this port. Portland, Me.-I have actually obtained for masters of vessels 1,226 seamen without any aid outside of my office; and there have been brought to me by outside shipping agents 951 seamen that have signed in this office. There is one man who follows the business of shipping agent, and there are five boarding houses here that take in sailors. Port Townsend-This office has obtained for vessels, in addition to rendering other services in the way of information concerning the whereabouts of sailors, about 350 men; without our direct aid or solicitation in obtaining them, this office has shipped about 1,500 men. The number of shipping masters, so called, with whom this office has to deal are, in Port Townsend, one; Seattle, two; Tacoma, There are two sailors' boarding houses at this port. one. Providence-This office has actually obtained for vesesls (approximately including reshipments) 1,600 seamen, and about 500 have been brought before me without my aid in securing them. There is but one so-called shipping master in the port, and there are eight sailors' boarding houses. Rockland, Me.-Fifty per cent of the seamen shipped by me I obtain and see that they are delivered on board; the remainder are brought before me. There are two shipping masters here and seven boarding houses which board seamen, but not exclusively. Rockport, Me.-I have actually obtained for vessels about two-thirds of the entire men shipped, the balance of the men shipped and reshipped have been brought before me by the captains. There are no so-called shipping masters here and no regular sailors' boarding houses. Wilmington, N. C.-I have actually obtained for vessels, say 148 seamen, and 65 men were brought here. There are six shipping masters and eight sailors' boarding houses. APPENDIX C. WAGES OF SEAMEN. The following pages show, first. the average monthly wages paid during the past fiscal year on American steam and sailing vessels to seamen shipped in various positions for voyages in various branches of the foreign and coasting trade, compiled from reports of the United States shipping commissioners to this Bureau; and, second, like statements as to wages on British vessels, compiled from the annual reports of the board of trade. This form of comparative statement was established in the report of the Bureau in 1894 and has since been continued. By reference to former reports comparison may be made of the relative changes in wages. The report for 1894 also contained tables of wages on French and German vessels and general observations on the subject which do not require repetition. The tables are given in detail, so that any comparison of the wages of particular voyages, kinds of vessels, or positions on the ship may readily be made." |