CRIMPING.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 223, 13 June 1908, Page 5

CRIMPING.

ALLEGED NEWCASTLE WUCTIUK ■5V TELEOI'.APH —PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPTOICHt. Sydney, Juno 12. A sub-comraittco of tho Ncwcastlo Chamber of Commerce reports that there arc good grounds for the complaints as to crimping being prevalent here. . Tho Committee urges tho Government to take strong measures to. suppress the "bloodmoney" evil. . • ' * . ANOTHER OPINION. NO CRIMPING, BUT BLOOD MONEY. ■ " No, there is practically no crimping in the port now, in the proper sense of the term, though the practice of getting blood money for 'sailors does exist," said Captain Tyler, .shipping master at Newcastlo, in answer to tlie inquiries of a "Sydney Morning Herald" reporter. He explained that the Act had put an ond to the crimping that existed at one time, but that certain persons wlio still made a business of supplying sailors made a profit out of blood money, and it would bo a matter of some difficulty to stop the practice. The only way to stop it would be to make it illegal for theso 1 persons to take blood money, or to make oapI tains of vessels Ret their men through tho , Sailors' Home and tho shipping muster's office. . Lately a number of captains had applied to 1 him to supply them with men, and in, almost i every case he had been able to do so. , ! Inquiries in other quarters (writes v the "Herald") elicited similar statements to that of Captain Tyler, and it is the goneral opinion that crimping is almost, if riot quite, stamped out. The "blood"money" evil, however, still exists, though some people are of opinion that even this is not so bad as it has been. The captain of one of the largest sailing vossels in port, when spoken to, said that he had not ; experienced the slightest difficulty in getting sailors. He was leaving Newcastlo within the noxt day or so, and had already engaged all the men ho needed, and had others apply to him for engagement. " And," he added, " I have not paid a penny for blood money, nor ■ have I had anyone apply to me for blood money for sailors." In tho eourso of conversation with others 3 connected with the shipping trade, it was stated that at present there is a large numbor of sailors in the city, and little difficulty is - experienced in getting crews. "Of course," , remarked one, "if a captain has a bad name ■ amongst sailors he often cannot get men, but as a rule there aro plenty available for tho 3 asking. As for crimping—woll. I have not heard t of a single case for months." Others pointed out that the so-callod blood money is frequently woll earned by those who supply the sailors, - When men are scarce they have to be hunted up in all directions, and are even brought from t Sydney and other places a long way from Newcastle. It is jvrgucd that tho agent who goes to this trouble in finding men has to bo re- , oouped for the timo and expenso involved, and 5 tho payment to him hns como to bo known as blood money. There aro others again, who keep ' boardiughouses, and who, in somo oases, have 3 fed and clothed almost destitute sailors. They havo to be paid for this. It cannot bo denied, however (says tho papor . in conclusion), that there aro a number of persons who make a living out of this "blood money " by keoping sailors out of reach of those 4 legitimately in quest of them, and for this the !J sailors themselves aro mostly to blame.