word is given to lower the boats, and the cry is "sauve qui peut," the captain stands sadly on the deck of his loved vessel, which perchance under his watchful care has weathered many a gale, and sees that every one else is saved before he leaves the ship. Yet of all the seamen, cooks and firemen, engineers, etc., the master is the only one who has no lien on the vessel for his wages and services. The general admiralty law de nies to the master the lien it gives to the cabin-boy and to the sailor before the mast. But here we encounter another radical dif ference in the law in relation to vessels en gaged in the fishing trade. The Federal statute provides that the master has a lien on the vessel, in common with all the others on board, who have a claim against it for wages or services. This applies to a case where the usual con tract has been made, and any fish caught on board a vessel are delivered to the owner, or his agent for cure, and sold by such own er or agent; then such vessel shall, for the term of six months after such sale, be liable for the master's and every other fisherman's share of such fish, and may be proceeded against in the same form and to the same effect as any other vessel, liable by law, may be proceeded against for the wages of seamen in the merchant service. This action in the admiralty courts does not preclude the fisherman, in common with all other mariners, from having his action at common law, for his share or shares of fish or the pro ceeds thereof. Thus we see that in the case of fishermen
there is a marked difference from that of the ordinary seamen in the merchant marine. A good deal of remedial legislation will be re quired to bring the status up to the level where every man will have a fair wage and good working conditions. From time im memorial the men who follow the sea have been the prey of the crimps and the land sharks, whose only interest in the sailor was to get his money in the most expedi tious manner possible. But thanks to them selves and their organizations, sailors have, within the past few years, made wonderful strides toward success, and there are brighter and better days in store for them in the future. As there is no more dangerous calling, no occupation where the chances of disaster are more apparent, so it would seem meet and just that all men who love justice and fair play, should see with pleasure the trend of modern times, which gives those who follow this avocation a chance to fight life's battle like every other self-respecting wage earner, and to get a fair day's pay for a fair day's work. As one of the secretaries of the International Seamen's Union ex pressed it to me a short time ago, "the sailor is well cared for nowadays: the sailor's havens and missions, etc., take care of his soul, and we take care of his body." If the combined efforts of the two will help to uplift a most deserving open-hearted class of workers, and make life better and sweeter for them, they will have earned the undying gratitude of all those who love jus tice and are interested in the welfare of those who follow "a life on the ocean wave."
