Show SEAMANS SEAMAN'S S 'S BILL WilL MILL NOT MAKE SEA SEAS S T TRAVEL TRIVEL AVEL SAFE By GILSON GARDNER v WASHINGTON ASIU Sept 12 The 12 The seaman seaman's seamans seamans seaman's sea sea- man mans man's 5 bill us ns it passed the house adds nothing to the of travel at nt sea Tho The bill does docs one ane excellent thing in abolishing involuntary servitude 0 among seamen Tins This is done one by br the provision wiping out that time honored practice of arresting and find returning to tho the ship an any member of a crow crew deserting in an American port Such arrest has for years veara been made part port of the duty of local police so so that that seamen were pu pur pursued ur- ur sued like convicts if they ther left th t their sir lr jobs in port lort Under tho the bill as passed oy by y the tho house seamen are arc entitled to draw dran half their Ja pay and to quit tho the job at any port if they wish wish to do go so In other words a seaman seamans seaman's 6 job is now for forthe tho the first t time timo in hi history torr made like that of any other worker But safety for passengers is not provided pro ro- ro vided in th the bill as DS it now stan stands s. s The status of the bill by the tho way is a bit unusual It Jt passed the tho senate in ex ex- excellent excellent shape as tho the La Follette Folletto seaman's seamans seamans seaman's seamans seaman's sea sea- mans man's bill was finally reduced to a compromise compromiso form and passed the tho house last week with some Homo good hood and 5 some m bad provisions Then it was sent to conference conference the tho usual procedure but but but later recalled on motion of Senator Clarke of Arkansas and referred to the senate committee on commerce whore it is if now no- being considered The bill retains the tho inadequate provisions provisions pro pro- visions for lifeboats and rafts as first reported from the Alexander committee in tho the house For instance it provides that only 75 per pcr er cent of the p passengers an and crew on transoceanic vessels arc are to tobe tobe tobo be bo provided with lifeboat space 25 por per percent percent cent hein being taken care caro of on rafts On vessels running within twe twenty tr miles of shore 30 per cent of the people on board will ViII havo tavo to swim the twenty miles if the they wi wish h to be saved in case caso of wreck or fire On vessels of this class onI only 35 per cent of passengers and crow must musto be o provided pro with lifeboats at 35 per cent cont with ith life rafts and 30 per cent arc left without provision pro On the great lakes outside the tho threemile threemile three three- mile limit only 20 o per cent cont of the ships ship's company arc are to be provided with ith boats boat 30 per cent with rafts and 50 per por cent cent wit will have havo to be wood good swimmers The house bin bill also fails to include the excellent provision pro of tho the La Folletto Folletto Fol- Fol letto bill which whit required two able seamen seamen sea sea- men for each ench lifeboat Instead it requires requires requires re- re quires two certified who who rua may be cooks waiters stewards ste firemen fire fire- men men men-in in fact tho they ma may be taken from any portion of the ship shirrs ships s company The only onh requirement to become certified boatmen is that they shall shaH be bo able to lower Jower and row an empty empt lifeboat in smooth water The Tho senate commerce committee has hns hasan hasan an opportunity to recommend tho the rejection tion of these objectionable house amendments and to insist on the orio- orio ordinal inal provisions pro of tho the La Follette bin bill which would ins insure re safety ia at tea sea Tho war War risk insurance bill illus mus- the tho cowardice e of private le c pital as we well as its selfishness This bill bilI which has p passed sed tho the house and is now in the tho senate frankly frankl asks tho the government govern govern- ment meat to take tho the risk which the tho private private vate insurance companies do not dart dare to take Private capital is ia always s jealous of governmental activity which trenches upon private profit When however private ea cap tn breaks s down rn orn and sees no profit in JU the situation it is quite willing and even anxious that Uncle Sam snaIl shall tako taka both the tho bur burden en and the e risk 4 s The latest bulletin ou on the tho subject prepared by br the census cent bureau shows that there thore wore according to the 1910 census 1351 persons of foreign n birth in tho the United States Thus nearly near near- ly 1 15 11 per cent of our population is is foreign foreign for for- eign born Of these there are arc 2 Germans 4 Austrians French only on y 11 English Belgians Russians iJ With the assistance e of the govern govern- government o and ment-and ment and this s assistance appe appeared red to bo ho aL absolutely imperative imperative I bankers hankers have o been making staking monc money out of the strain on cre credits it brought about by tho the war ar situation Durin During the first firt week tho the bankers took out of the Vreeland Aldrich emergency currency currency cur cur- rency for which they paid the govern government government govern o ment at at- tho rato rate of 3 per cent During this week call monc money was vas worth S percent per por percent cent and clearing learing house bouso certificates i Ii fm i iper per pCr cent The amount of profit made by b bI ithe I the private nto bankers on Sams Sam's currency i is is a simple problem in mental arithmetic lic I 1 |