Show SAILORS DESERTING A few days ago a dispatch from san francisco said the crew of one of our gunboats gun boats bad deserted with the exception of three or tour men and the captain was unable to put to sea the reason tor the desertions was given in the statement that sailors in merchant ships were being engaged at 46 a month this great increase ir pay for the man of the sea is readily explained by the following paragraph from an eastern exchange altogether the british government has purchased chartered or commandeered no less than ocean going vessels or service in transporting troops and supplies to south african ports the crews of these steamers many ot which have acen withdrawn from regular lines go with them and it has been a very difficult matter thus tar to procure sailors tor the vessels bent to replace the chartered steamers on important maritime lines of traffic first class seamen in short are extremely scarce just now in the merchant marine and the high wages offered constitute sti tute among other things a fresh inducement to desertions from our all too scantly manned navy |