Tacoma’s Sailor-Shipping ‘Blood Money’ Combine

Tacoma, March 10.—Special.—The good and bad effects of the bill amending the act of 1880 relating to the shipping of sailors before a United States commissioner, which was recently introduced in Congress by Representative Maguire, of California, and passed by that body, are being discussed by shipping men here. A few months ago the rival boarding-house keepers here formed a combine and have since been demanding “blood money” from every sea captain shipping a crew at this port. This has had the effect of forcing them to get crews elsewhere, mainly in Seattle and Port Townsend, and has given the port a bad name. As by the terms of the new amendment the boarding masters can no longer hold the seamen’s clothing for board, they are left without any means of coercing the men to demand a large advance, and at the same time the boarding-house masters are demanding blood money from the captains. Some of the shipping men who have bitterly opposed the combine are very strongly opposed to the new measure, as they fear it will drive boarding-house men out of the business, as they will have no means of collecting the amounts due them for board and lodging, and as no hotel will keep sailors they will be without any place to go to when off a ship.