CHAPTER X,

ALLOTMENT NOTES.

ON the very long voyages which the large sailing-ships, coming to the Pacific coast and elsewhere, make, it is a very great hardship to men before the mast that they cannot generally, but only in exceptional cases, leave an allotment note on their wages at home, by which their wives, parents, or others dependent on them, can draw part of their pay each month they are away, which, as has been stated, is frequently a period of one to three years. Officers and petty officers are frequently allowed to do this, but not usually men before the mast. The reason is simply that shipowners might be continuing to pay the money to the holder of the note some time after the man had deserted the ship somewhere, or died at sea, and ceased to be a wage-earner. This is perfectly reasonable,

but still it is such an excessive hardship on many needy relations at home that some arrangement by which men could remit money they had earned from distant ports to their friends ought to be arranged, and might easily be managed.

If through the chance of death at sea or desertion abroad the sailor before the mast cannot be permitted to leave 'half-pay' at home, surely one of two courses might be adopted on these long-voyage ships which would at any rate greatly alleviate the present state of things.

The first is that those at home could draw half-pay each month the ship is at sea, the payment to cease on the ship's arrival in a port and during her stay there, and to be continued after the ship has sailed, with payment of arrears on receipt of the captain's letter that the seamen leaving the 'half-pay' note at home had not deserted.

The second course is not to leave an allotment note for monthly payments, but on the termination of each stay in a port to allow the seaman to remit home what he wishes of the wages he has earned, to be paid on receipt of a letter from the captain that he has not deserted. The ship is starting on a

new voyage and the man is going to earn fresh wages, so there is no risk to the shipowner if he deserted at another port, as he has again wages earned as security. In the case of those hundreds of ships which come straight home from the Pacific, there is, of course, no risk whatever, as the man cannot desert.

This system would at any rate enable those needing help at home to receive money every few months instead of at a period of one to three years as at present. How much more ready would this make men with relations dependent on them to sail on a long-voyage ship!

The shipowners may say, 'What is to prevent a man deserting his ship at the last moment after the money has been sent?' The answer is that if the man did desert at the last moment, which is most improbable, and certainly in San Francisco impossible, the captain has merely got to send a note home, and the payment, or as much of it as is necessary, can be stopped.

Practically all British ships when loaded lie out in San Francisco Bay for two or three days getting 'cleared.' During this time a special watchman is on board from the shore.

with a loaded revolver, and it is so far impossible for men to desert then that the writer in five years never heard of one doing SO. What risk then to the shipowner?

It is also said that these men on sailingships before the mast are for the most part unmarried. Granted that a great many of them are, does it necessarily follow therefore that they have only themselves to keep? Are there not mothers, fathers, sisters to help? Of course there are, as the writer knows right well; for out of a sum of about £1,300 referred to elsewhere brought to him last year by these same sailors, he sent home about £1,000 to those who were either dependent upon or being helped by their sons, brothers, or husbands at sea.

What a scandal that some such scheme as has been indicated has not long since been thought out and acted upon, not in a few ships, but in every sailing-ship! What hardship, hunger, cold, and suffering has been brought to many a struggling person at home by this great omission! Whilst, more terrible still, how many sailors' wives and daughters have been in consequence driven on to the streets to earn a livelihood!

CHAPTER XI.

PAYING MEN OFF.

AT certain times and for certain reasons a number of men are occasionally paid off from British ships in San Francisco. The men, as previously stated, sign articles for the voyage ' out and home,' or to be paid off at the end of three years if the ship is away so long. The shipowner, at any rate, in reckoning the expense of a voyage, should reckon on paying wages to a whole crew for from twelve to eighteen months, and even for a longer period when ships get to very distant places.

Every now and then ships have to 'lie up for a number of months, and it is manifestly to the interest of the shipowner to pay off those of his men who have not deserted, if they will leave the ship, instead of keeping them on board earning wages and eating food whilst the ship is earning nothing.