SWEATED BRITISH SAILORS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10957, 27 April 1907, Page 7 (Supplement)

SWEATED BRITISH SAILORS.

■■ ■ ♦ " r-- . LITTLE PAY, LONG HOURS, AND BAD FOOD ON MERCHANT" SHIRS. An emphatic protest against the sweating which is carriecl on urider the British flag m the merchant service lias been made by Mr IV Moore, the secretary of the Merchant . Service Guild. "There is no doubt: that' it 'is chiefly due to the way m whicli the British sailor has been sweated m regard to payment, food, and hours of work," he said, "that we have m our mercantile service at the present 1 time nearly forty thousand foreign sailors. "Tlie growth of this army of foreigners has been a gradual process. British sailors were not likely to stand the system of grinding down to the 'pound and the pint' m their daily provisions and water supply., ,-.._. "It is notorious that for years the method of inspecting the provisions of outward bound siiips has been- a farce. Tlie food has been too inadequate m quantity and variety. "Added to this the cooking has been and is m most cases cooking m narnepiily, while the accommodation has been wretched. DRIVEN FROM THE SEA. "Not only have these circumstances helped to drive away Britons from the 6ea, but owners, although having a great deal to cope Wjtl. themselves, -liave found it cheaper ' tp employ f qreigners, who would put up with any kind of food, j' "The fact is, however that the' British „ Government gives little help or encouragement to our owners to treat their men more generously, for it handicaps them with legislation and expenses which are unknown among their competitors. "Then take the hours of "sailors. Under tlie two-watch system they do a minimum of twelve hours a day for seven days a week. "Only recently this guild addressed to the Archbishop of .Canterbury and Westminster aiid to the National |reo Churches a letter protesting that they had forgot-ten-the sailor m their scheme for Sunday observance. Sunday labor on shjps m British ports is quite corrimon, and tl.e men are denied any opportunity of i-h---taining. I .creation - ovvrftet. ••* "In my opinion, it wpuld be doing an injustice to any English boy at tlie present moment to send him into the forecastle of. a merchant ship, where he would have to mix with men of every cok-vand nationality." . ---...