| Show PUTS THE tri FE 01 0 IK 1 IMP OUT OP OF land shark who preyed on sailors Is given his death blow UNCLE SAM TAKES A HAND shipping board establishes govern merit ment agency to find berths for seamen evils of old system are swept away new york the crimp one of the ugliest figures in the predatory forces collect collectively liely known as land sharks that once preyed unchecked on the merchant sailor ashore must give up his grip on jack when he Is in ID american ports recent establishment by the united states shipping board of a government shipping agency of national scope to place seamen in positions afloat will put the crimp out of business the shipping board agency known as the sea bernice sen ice bureau alms aims not only to protect seaman and ship owner against extortion but to stabilize the he cupply of d mariners marinero ma at various ports by shipping men to ports where most needed prepaying preparing pre paying their fare sand looking after their subsistence in transit this service will be performed at cost and a nominal fee of so mu lucli I 1 a man will be charged the ship 0 operator pert calling for men the passing of the crimp is the most recent in ili a number of chari changes in conditions affecting american sailors when hen ashore that taken together constitute a complete departure departs r e from old time standards of what nhat was considered good enough for jack into tile alie discard which now receives the crimp vent nent some years ago tile hie sailors dance hall and its attendant sisterhood who welcomed jack ashore entertained him until his money was gone and turned him over to diw alie crimp who in nine cases out of ten was a boarding house keeper passing of boarding house the sailors boarding house itself as it was known in earlier days has suffered eclipse by the welfare center where in a great clean building a sailor may get a neat bed tor for 30 cents a night end and meals at proportionate cost and where here lie can play gamos attend lectures and oil movie shows and mingle socially with sober and self respecting companions next nest on the list to go will be li if sal tailors lors grog shop which now is on its last legs with that gone the props of the alie old system for debauch ing jack and plucking him will have been sent to davy jones locker few will mourn the event for a new style 0 oc sailor is coming into the merchant maan a sailor to whom old time excesses ashore would mould not appeal and on whom the land shark would not get fat tile the crimp will not go out of business willingly ile he has too recent memory of days when to be a crimp was to conduct a business of profit there are many crimps in business today who recall with professional bilde the days of strong arm methods in the merchant marine in those times the captain dignity and ethics did not prevent him from accepting a crew that had beer been shipped by deception or force turned to the crimp as to a specialist to be engaged for difficult cases the crimp responded with the alacrity of one who expects a good fee it was in such cases that ho he shone and ills his methods were those of an artist in gulle guile the fact that lie he was an outlaw and that severe penalties were provided for tiny any one aiding or abetting him as well as for himself did not baffle him liquor drugged or otherwise was ills chief ally ue ile befuddled jack and worked ills his will with him one classic method of the old time crimp was to tap the drunken sailor over the head etith a blac blackjack klack tumble him ahn anto ut a boat row liim him alongside the ship on which lie he was slated to make ft a long voyage and have him hoisted over the side doom of the system the crimp knows whore the worst kind of men are to a certainty ile he makes it ills his business to go aboard ships as they come in sometimes getting aboard in the guise of a dock laborer to solicit trade for ills his boarding house offering inducements that would not appeal to the lie newer type of american sailor who mho in these times looges lodges ashore under the protecting root roof of some scale friendly society one stroke of business brings another with the crimp ue ile promises jack a job if lie he will stay on awhile nt at the boarding house when jacks money Is gone and the crimps financial stake in the sailor must be made good jack Is sold to the captain op 01 operator opera tor in need of men who Is willing to pay the board bill as well as a fee this practice received a hard blow a few years ago when the in law w forbade assignments of wages by sailors but it has been staggering along since it is expected to die when the shipping hoards boards shipping agency gets into fully full play lay the sea service bureau has met with the hearty genrty approval of the merchant sailors who flock to its offices and lose no opportunity to their mates arriving from voyages that there Is now a central government agency for signing on men |
