THE SAILORMAN ASHORE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 205, 27 August 1912, Page 7

THE SAILORMAN ASHORE.

A IZISSIONER'B WORK. ItEV. A. F. PATSTE IN AUCKIJAND. An interesting visitor to Auckland is tin; Rev. A. F. Paine, wlhose work in Australia in connection with the Mission to Seamen movement is well known. Air. Paine, in the course of an interview with a "Star" representative, said lie had just completed a round-<fchp-world tour, in which lie 'liiad had tilie opportunity of studying the -work wlridli was being done in connection <with the movement. There are now 102 ports in different countries where mission 'branches are established, but in no country did Mr. Paine find greater progress 'tJlnvn in I (America. The New York institution has , made wonderful progress, under 'the direction of the Rev. Arch. Matufiebl, and a ..building, 15 storeys high, and covering a wiholo block upon the waterfront, 'has been established in connection with tihe .mission work. Mr. Taylor does practically all the shipping for the 'big lines alt New York, and the fact that he is now known as a man who does not waist •money far his work is one of the reasons 'Why he enjoys tih e confidence of both the sailors and the shipping companies. To dispel this idea, in fact, an offer is prominently displayed of 1,000 dollars ruwturi for Hie mam who can prove £hat payment has ever, ■been received. A remarkable thing isTthat in most American ports, and particularly on line West. Coast, the Missions to Seamen are all working under 'the British flag, which, as Mr. Paine point? out, is a very fine compliment to the British institution indeed. \VThile in London, Sir. Paine saw Sir Walter Powell, head of the British Board of Trade, and urged upon him the desi nability of ceasing the "advance not«" system. The ey,stcjn id one which oiiliUitcs against the satisfactory employment of the saidorm&ii. but wihile Sir Walter Powell udmMed its abuses, he held out little (hope of its cessation. While the working conditions of the seamen are miiflh improved in all ports of the "warM, Air. Painn sjijt* tlrat many abuses continue. '■iSbang'liai-ing'' ajj«l "crimping" fjoes on in all ports w3»en» 'sailing \ossof* are ■fmnul; 'bid; in no port in the world, in ~Ht- Bairio's O]>inion, is lliero more nefarious work of this desiTiptron done tiba.ll at Xcwrcastiic, in New South Wales. While in London Mr. Paine cuiic across a paTticulairly distressing case. An Australian youth, one of a .party of four, ihad been doped at Newcastle, and carried off to sea on a sailing vessel. The boy had only come down to Newcastle from tihe .conntry a day or two before ibeing '"Shanghaied," and (had never seen a ship Iwfore. When out of Valparaiso, he fell from the •rigging to the deck, and had brafcli legs broken. For six months he wae attended by 'the Seamen's Mission people, ami then went on to London, where, 'With *tihe aid of the Mieeion, he was able to claim full compensaition from tihe British owners of the ship on which 'he had been carried away from Newcastle. Who work of the Mission in these pai'ts, Mr. Paine says, is growing rapidly. In Auckland he considers there are very fine opportunities for mission work. The aim of itiue organisation is not so iiiiioli to provide shore aoaamnnodai.ion as to iodk after the seamen who aTe spending "periods in the port. The difficulty in this direotion istt»di*/tmguieh between the "hobo" ashore and iJhc genuine sailormaii. The ship's oflkcre, w]m>7l tjhey come ashore, are often made honorary nxembers of local duha. In the case of seamen and firemen this is impossible, • and the Mission deroies its efforts mainly to the edbablisihnient of chub rooms, ■wherH the upportonity for rest a.nd recreation offers. In Sydney List year there were <>0,000 visitors 'to the Mission dub. Speaking of the creaitioTi of a jiaval ljase at lAnickland, Mr. Paine said the necessity ■would no doubt aTise for the establishment of nwvaJ sflioro quarters in Au«kland on the same lanes as tlie very fine naval home for Jock Tars in Sydney."