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gue THE MARINE REVIEW smallest tonnage. The vessels in this table are not exceptional cases: the “list could be extended almost indefi- nitely. The practical effect of the American requirements, and the way they are enforced by the steamboat inspectors, is to artificially create a restriction on the number of men available, which no legislation should seek to promote. Great Britain’s unchallenged success as a maritime nation is largely due to ._ the fact that her legislature has not sought to. hamper the operation of her ships by such handicaps as have been imposed on American steamers. Is it any wonder, then, that our over- seas tonnage is so small in compari- son with that of our trade rivals? American steamship operators have much reason to complain that they are constantly being menaced with artificial handicaps, imposed by gov- ernment fiat, from which their for- eign competitors are exempt; that no sooner is one sweeping change pre- cipitated, involving an expenditure of thousands of dollars per ship, than another is promulgated, or a statute enacted by congress, which necessi- tates the replacement of equipment just installed by other and different equipment; which, in turn may as soon be ordered to be thrown aside and some other substituted. Not Lacking in Resourcefulness Any attempt to score our shipown- ers as lacking in resourcefulness or ingenuity for their failure to restore the merchant marine of. the United States to a point commensurate with cur past performance, while such leg- islation remains in effect, would be WHjust Some agitators have endeavored to show that British vessels carry larger engine room crews than similar ves- sels under the American flag, and have submitted in evidence a single British ship which had one more man in the’ engine room than a United States vessel of similar tonnage. The power of the ship, nature of service, and any other condition that would account for this exceptional case, are facts that were not submitted. Attention is invited to the British fruit steamships AMELIA, BELLA and AN- NETTA, of from 1,271 to 1,294 gross tons, and about 1,500 indicated horsepower, that operate with the following engine department crew: Three engineers (only two of whom hold a license), one donkeyman (Chinese) and six firemen (likewise Chinese). Also consider the general cargo boats THyrA MeENtER and Honoreva, which are owned by the same company as the first three ships previ- ously referred to, and that fly the Brit- ish ensign. The TuyraA MenreR and ? Honoreva are of 1,452 and 1,457 gross tons, respectively; and of about 700 indicated horsepower. These two ships have for engine department crews three engineers (only two of whom hold licenses), one donkeyman (Chinese) and four firemen (Chinese). The five vessels mentioned are not isolated cases. . Many steamers, hun- dreds if not thousands of British ves- sels, could be mentioned where the engine room crew consists of only two licensed engineers, one unli- censed engineer and one donkeyman. This is practically the standard crew for the moderate size English tramp ship of 3,000 to 4,000 tons gross reg- ister, and 1,000 to 1,500 indicated horsepower. Handicapped by Law Compare the engine-room crews noted above with the usual crews carried on American vessels of simi- lar size and power, which are by law required to carry three or four en- gineers, all of whom have to be li- censed; and custom has decreed that all except the smallest powered ves- sels must carry at least two, and generally three oilers. If we are ever to expect to in- crease our shipping to a point com- mensurate with our national aspira- tions and importance, our legislation should address itself to the proposi- tion of putting American ships on a parity with those of Great Britain, of the type of ship that has made her unrivaled as the world’s cargo carrier. It is the tremendous number of her tramp steamers alone, with their enor- mous cargo-carrying capacity, which give Great Britain such a prepond- erance over every other country as a maritime nation. It is’ unfortunate that the great mass of our people, whenever they give attention to maritime affairs, think in terms of the large Atlantic liners. Such steamers are most in evidence to the traveling public who pass through our large eastern sea- ports, and the size and magnificence of these craft make an emotional ap- peal to the eye and mind. The tramp, which carries only freight, comes and goes unnoticed in the news columns of the public press; the traveling lay- man does not have his attention called to them; they do not carry his mail, his baggage or his person. It may even with truth be alleged that in many cases these British tramp steamers carry a larger engineer de- partment force than is to be found on American steamers of like tonnage. This arises from the fact that British steamers trading to the Orient carry almost exclusively Chinese or Lascar firemen, coal’ passers, etc., while September, 19 American. ships do not. Fire-room crews on American ships; being muel more competent, do not require t same number of men, of course. Wit a fire-room crew of say 20 Lascars, at $15 per month, if the number of the crew alone is to be considered, it is not a true criterion to make a com- parison with an American ship of the same type, carrying a less number, at rates of wages approximating three times as much. For example, the monthly wages paid on ships out of the port of New York, in the lines on the Atlantic coast and to the West Indies and South America, dependent upon the size of the ship and the re- quirements of the service, range as follows: Captains, from $200 to $300; first mates, from $110 to $125; second mates, from $80 to $95; third mates, from $60 to $85; boatswains, from $35 to $45; quartermasters, from $35 to $45; lookouts, from $35 to $45; deck- hands, from $30 to $35; chief engi- neers, from $135 to $175; first assist- ant engineers, from $100 to $110; sec- ond assistant engineers, from $90 to $105; third assistant engineers, from $70 to $85; oilers and water-tenders, from $45 to $55; firemen, from $40 to $45; coal trimmers, from $30 to $35. On the American line steamers run- ning across the Atlantic under the American flag, the wages are on a basis of about 15 per cent higher than these figures. Closed Season on Lakes On the Great Lakes, where there is a closed season of navigation, lasting about four months, the officers, who are engaged by the year, are paid about the same rates as on the At- lantic coast steamers; but as their crews are discharged at the close of navigation, the wages on these Amer- ican steamers are somewhat higher. On the Pacific coast, where wages generally in all occupations are on a higher basis than in the eastern states, the rates paid for shipping for all positions are considerably higher. Deck hands receive $50, and, owing to overtime, payments average from $75 to $90, while the firemen receive $55. These rates do not include the cost of subsistence, which is defrayed by all steamship companies. These figures are much higher than the rates paid on the vessels of other nations, and the subsistence furnished on American ships is freely acknowl- edged to surpass anything provided elsewhere. If the cost of subsistence be added to these wage scales, they will be found to compare favorably, in fact, to exceed, the rates paid ashore in the same localities for anal- ogous kinds of labor. Besides, the man‘aboard ship has more steady em-