Report, 1878-continued. Williamson, John (Analysis of his Evidence)-continued. Denial that there is analogy between the case of seamen refusing to join their ship and the case of ordinary workmen on shore refusing to go to their work, 887, 888Slight dread of mere imprisonment, without hard labour, by the bad class of seamen, 891, 892-Limited extent to which owners at Liverpool prosecute for refusal to join ; that is, on account of the trouble involved, 902-906. Practice of witness' firm to give good conduct money to their men; satisfactory operation thereof, 919-925-Very little work done in witness' ships on Sundays, 923 Very easy lile, as a rule, of seamen on long voyages, ib. Statement to the effect that a shipowner can now be required to pay an advance note given to a seaman, if the latter, having parted with it, has duly sailed, 931-939. 944, 945-Impracticability of getting sailors on board three or four days before the ship sails, 946-949-Necessity, in hot climates, of frequently washing the decks, on Sundays as well as other days, 950. Further objection to power in a single seaman to ask for a survey, instead of its resting with not less than one-fourth of the crew; question hereon as to the expediency of seaworthiness being included in a survey by a recognised authority, 951-955-Practice of witness to direct that men refusing to join be prosecuted; none have, however, been got hold of, 956-961-Improbability of crews being sent from a distance to join unseaworthy ships, because crews on the spot cannot be induced to join, 962, 963. Belief that, in the case of the "Tiara," men were not imprisoned for six week merely for refusing to wash the decks, 964, 965-Improbability of the instances of imprisonment for trivial offences having any effect in diminishing the supply of men for merchant ships, 966-969-Average of 193 men sent to prison annually for the last five years, at Liverpool, for refusing to join ship, and for deserting, out of 107,997 men shipped, 970, 971. [Second Examination.]-Less necessity for the power of arrest, without warrant, in the case of steamers, than of sailing vessels, 1537. 1746---Expediency of retaining the power, as a deterrent upon any increase of the practice of neglecting to join, 1537Ignorance of witness as to the prison treatment of men for desertion, &c.; no treatment can be too severe for the worst class of men guilty of mutiny, &c., ¡538, 1539—-Doubt as to any vessels leaving Liverpool overloaded, 1540, 1541. Further statement relative to the exceedingly inferior character borne by substitutes, who are, in fact, a worse class than the men who neglect to join, 1542-1550--Understanding arrived at a few years ago, between witness and a few other Liverpool shipowners, to prosecute for refusal to join; previously witness had never done so, 1551-1555. 1558 Number of men who neglected to join, and number sent to prison, in each of the years 1873-77; 1556-1563. Particulars as to the procedure in connection with prosecutions; part taken in the matter by the out-door shipping office official, 1564-1570--Interest of the crimp in getting the men on board, rather than in helping to imprison them, 1570-1572——Less security to the crimp, as to repayment of his advances, if there were no power of imprisonment, 1573-1580. Explanation of the views of the Sailing Shipowners' Association of Liverpool, as recorded on different occasions, in favour of making advance notes illegal; witness fully concurs in this recommendation, 1581-1587. 1596-1600--Acknowledgment by the shipowners of the United Kingdom generally of the evil of advance notes, 1583. Effect of the proposed abolition of advance notes, that crimps would die out, 1584 -Reference to a certain clause proposed in the House, in 1876, for rendering void all documents promising future payment of money, 1588-1590--System in witness' ships not only of giving good conduct money, but of making advances in cash, 1591, 1592. Exceptions taken to a system of registration of seamen, on account of the staff and labour required, 1593-1595--Further recommendation that A. B.'s be rated after a certain service, 1595--Suggestion that if the advance note be abolished the first monthly money be paid by allotment note one month after the ship has sailed, 1597Approval of facilities as to the allotment note being made payable to other than relations, 1598-1600. Further evidence relative to the beneficial operation of the system of good-conduct pay, as adopted by witness and by his brother's firm; few other firms, if any, which have adopted this system, 1601-1608. 1708, 1709--Failure of an attempt by witness' brother to employ some men continuously when in port, 1609, 1610--Average of from three to four days allowed to the master of a ship to pick up a crew; facility of getting sufficient men in this time, 1611-1616. Examination in further defence of the conclusion that the disciplinary clauses should operate from the time when the men should be on board, and not merely from the time when they are on board, 1617-1634. 1664. 1712-1721--Uselessness of a power to proceed by warrant, 1623, 1624. 1630. 1716--Eleventh hour at which the men join; that Report, 1878-continued. Williamson, John. (Analysis of his Evidence)-continued. is, not until the vessel is actually clearing the pier-head, so that it is necessary to employ riggers to do their work, 1626, 1627--Delay and expense when men desert after the voyage has begun; necessity of sending other men on to replace them, 1628. 1631– 1633--Equal danger when men neglect to join when the ship is about to sail, as when they desert in another port, 1628. 1631-1633. 1722-1724. Exception further taken to the proposal that where there is a primâ facie ground for a survey, upon the allegation of one of the seamen, the court shall order such survey, 1635-1639. 1725-1727. Expediency of money being ready, if possible, for prompt payment of men on arrival or discharge; difficulty on this score, which witness does what he can to overcome, 1640-1642-Recent instance of the impracticability of always discharging and paying off the men promptly on arrival, though the captain may give every facility in his power, 1643. 1654, 1655--Objections to certain alterations in the accounts kept by the captain, showing the deductions, &c.; difficulty, moreover, as to fines, 1644-1653-Advantage in fines being adjusted before the superintendent of the shipping office, 16451647. 1665-1667. Modified objection to Clause 23 of the Bill, there being certain offences which could not be put in the log, 1656-Very small proportion of seamen whose advance notes. are cashed for the benefit of themselves or their families, 1657, 1658-Loss of crimps upon the advance notes, if the men are imprisoned for desertion, or if they join other ships, 1659-1661--Probable evasion of a law abolishing advance notes, though such abolition would tend to make the men more prudent, 1662, 1663. Way in which the abolition of advance notes would diminish dissipation, and render imprisonment less necessary, 1670-1675. 1747-1751--Difficulty in allowing advance of money, if the advance note be prohibited, 1676-1679. 1704--Practical obstacles in the way of making the advance note illegal, though on account of the abuse of the system witness would approve of prohibition as causing the men to be more prudent, 1680. 1691-1706. 1735-1738. 1762. Comment upon the great abuse and terrorism exercised by crimps in New York, so that the captains of British ships are obliged to discharge and pay off their men, 1680. 1690. 1754-1759--Doubt as to the existence of advance notes in foreign ships; reference hereon to the well-conducted character of the sailors of the north of Europe, 1681, 1662. 1688, 1689--Consideration of a statement that increased wages are offered by some owners in lieu of advance notes, but are not accepted, 1683-1687. Grounds for the conclusion that the abolition of advance notes would abolish crimps; that is, as the men would be more prudent, 1694. 1696-1700. 1735, 1736--Important check to crimps by licensing sailors' boarding-houses, 1695-Approval of the practice of the Sailors' Home at Liverpool in advancing money for outfit; suggestion hereon, 1702, 1703--Estimate of from one-fourth to one-third of each crew as consisting of really efficient seamen; many of these, however, may be addicted to drink, 1707. 17471749. Frequent instances of captains being ten or twelve days in shipping their crews, 1710, 1711-Numerous instances, doubtless, of seamen getting into debt with lodging-house keepers, the more respectable of whom would not be done away with by the abolition of advance notes, 1728-1736-Strong feeling of men in Liverpool steamships in favour of a prohibition upon advance notes, none are, however, given in several of the steam lines, 1739-1743Reasons for the better class of men in steamers than in sailing vessels, 1744, 1745. Explanation in connection with former statement as to the large number of seamen who give wrong addresses, 1752, 1753--Absence of necessity for runners and watchers if advance notes were not given, 1760, 1761. Tabular statement submitted, and explanations thereon, with further reference to the per-centage of men shipped at Liverpool who neglect to join, 1765—Statement also delivered in relative to the number of convictions before magistrates; immense majority of cases dealt with by Mr. Raffles, 1766. Necessity of paying the railway fare and other expenses of men sent from Liverpool to Cardiff or other port, so that an advance of money is not necessary in these cases, 1767, 1768. |