CHINESE FIREMEN.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 74, 30 March 1910, Page 3

CHINESE FIREMEN.

WHY ARE THEY EMPLOYED? AN OFFICER S OPINIONS. "W* carry, twentyrfive Chinese on this vessel," remarked an officer of the British tramp steamer Strathearn, now loading hemp and tallow at tke King' 6 Wharf. 'And very satisfactory workmen on the whole they are. Eight nve firemen, three greaseif, one donkeyman, eight eailor?, a boit'n, carpenter, and three btewards. In fact, tho whole of tke ship's company, except tke master, officers, and engineers, are Afciaticß." Here was a typical instance of the manner in which Asiatic labour has bupplantcd British in the *anks of the mercantile marine. The Strathcarn's is not a solitary cuse, as year by year more ttatnp steamers, tmdmg to out-of-the-way parts of the world, where it is ditncuit to replace deserters, are being manned and stoked by Chinese. The fact \cd to a di^cit.'Moa as to why the Britith sailor and fireman are being ousted from a large clats of vessels flying tho British flag. 'The average shipowner at Home," remarked the officer, "is as patriotic a member of the community as could be found, and irom a national point of view he would probably like to bee- ail his ships manned by British labour, 'lhose who condemn him for employing Chinese on the sole ground that Asiatic labour is ''cheaper know very little of the actual situation. As a matter of fact, the Chinese we carry are paid the ruling rates of wages paid to British seamen. They were engaged at Cardiff for a period of thtcc years, from one of tho Chinese boarduighoiuo-keepers, who act as a sort of go-between between shipmasters and the Chinese themselves. The*c firemen and sailoru aro employed — not becauMS their labour if> cheaper, nor because the master and shipowner arc unpatriotic, but simply because the Chines — it is a hard thing tp say — give more satisfactory results than the British. "Thib is the cole recommendation of Asiatics in the mercantile marine — their hubordinaUon, their reliability and willingness to execute orders, qualities which, I am torry to say, are often lacking in the British btoker. Tho *urang, or, as he is generally called among Chinese, number one, is generally an intelligent fellow, and he sees to the proper and speedy execution of all our orders. There need be no coaxing, threatening, bullying, or promising to get the jobs done. With the Chinese individually, we have nothing to do, and v^ry seldom is there any occasion to bpeak to them, as matters usually work fco Miioothly on shipboard. "Again, it ia seldom that a Chinese will cte&ert his ship, and this is a very useful recommendation in the cafe of firemen. Many a' British fireman would think nothing of clearing out at the lact minute before sailing, and the process of linding substitutes h often slow and expensive. On this ship we never have trouble because tbe Chinese 'are drunk or engaged in a brawl. They are peaceable, steady, and indnstriou*. HARD FACTS. Of course, it has to be admitted that the large majority of Chinese who go to wa are not a moral type, and the rooted aversion felt toward* Chinese labour in many quarters is often well-enough grounded in this respect. But the vices of tho Chinese do not impair their ef ficiency as workmen, while thote of the British firemen often do. Where a Chiiiere can. bo depended upon to be on duty at the appointed hour, the British . stoker mjy havo been imbibing! too i'reely ashore, or possibly he has deserted. "It is aad to think what will •be the to admit these things, but there ate the facts. We have on hoard juHt us many Chintte as we would have Englishmen, and we pay the name rate of wage. The British Government has lately become somewhat alarmed' at the enormous numbei of Chinese being employed, and below v shipmaster can engage Asiatics they must now pa«-B a language-test before the shipping superintendent. They all pick up a smattering of English— sufficient to enable them to pant. "It in sad to think what will be the inevitable) effect of this process, and it seems a sign' of decadence of the maritime spirit among a people who have been the greatest maritime race for centuries. There seems to be a growing aversion to the sea an a means of gaining a livelihood, and my own impression is that in years to come the Chinese, recogndsiug that they are practically masters of the situation in the mercantile marine, will become just as exorbitant and unreaxonable in their demands as the "hungriest" British fire man -deserter of to-day. He will begin to think too highly of himself by comparison with the roy&tering Londoner."