their presence is seldom advertised among the passengers, and a fee is a prerequisite to their use. Regular dining rooms appropriately equipped are included in the ship's construction. Between meals these are used as general recreation rooms. A piano, a clock regulated daily, and a chart showing the ship's location at sea may be other evidences of consideration for he comfort of the passengers. On older vessels the dining room occupies the center space of a leck, inclosed or entirely open, and with the passage between the taterooms opening directly into it; the tables and benches are of ough boards and movable. The tables are covered for meals, and he heavy white porcelain dishes and good cutlery are placed, cleared way, and washed by stewards. The food is also served by the ewards. On the newer vessels the dining rooms are even better. In equipent they resemble those of the second cabin. The tables and chairs re substantially built and attached to the floor. The entire width f a deck is occupied. This is sometimes divided into two rooms, one or men, the other for women and families. Between meals men ay use their side as a smoking room. The floors are washed daily. he desirability of eating meals properly served at tables and away om the sight and odor of berths scarcely needs discussion. The ning rooms, moreover, increase the comfort of the passengers by roviding some sheltered place, besides the sleeping quarters, in which pass the waking hours when exposure to the weather on the open eck becomes undesirable. The food on the whole is abundant and hen properly prepared wholesome. It seldom requires augmentaor from private stores or by purchase from the canteen. The genal complaints against the food are that good material is often spoiled poor preparation; that there is no variety and that the food lacks ste. But there were steamers found where not one of these charges plied. Little children receive all necessary milk. Beef tea and uel are sometimes served to those who for the time being can not rtake of the usual food. Hospitals were found in accordance with the legal requirements. the steamers examined there was little occasion for their use. e sterage accommodations were conducive to health, and those o were seasick received all necessary attention in their berths. With the striking difference in living standards between old and v types of steerage goes a vast difference in discipline, service, and eral attitude toward the passengers. One line is now perhaps in a state of transition from the old to the type of steerage. It has both on some of its steamers. The grants carried in its two steerages, however, do not radically differ any way. The replacement of sails by steam, with the consequent shortening of ocean voyage, has practically eliminated the former abnormally h death rate at sea. Many of the evils of ocean travel still exist, they are not long enough continued to produce death. At present eath on a steamer is the exception and not the rule. Contagious ase may and does sometimes break out and bring death to some sengers. There are also other instances of death from natural ses, but these are rare and call for no special study or alarm. The inspection of the steerage quarters by a customs official at our ports of entry to ascertain if all the legal requirements have been observed is, and in the very nature of things must be, merely perfunctory. The inspector sees the steerage as it is after being prepared for his approval, and not as it was when in actual use. He does not know enough about the plan of the vessel to make his own inspection and so he sees only what the steerage steward shows him. The time devoted to the inspection suffices only for a passing glance at the steerage and the method employed does not tend to give any real information, much less to disclose any violations. These, then, are the forms of steerage that exist at the present time. The evils and advantages of such are not far to seek. The remedies for such evils as now exist are known and proven, but it still remains to make them compulsory where they have not been voluntarily adopted. THE COASTWISE TRAFFIC. A certain percentage of the immigrants who are distributed from New York City and other points travel toward their ultimate destination on smaller steamship lines in the coastwise trade. There seems to be no attention whatever paid to the accommodations for, or care of, immigrants on these ships. On one steamer investigated it was found that steerage passengers were carried in a freight compartment, separated from the rest of the vessel only by canvas strips, and that in this compartment the immigrants were not provided with mattresses or bedding. There was practically no separation between the women and the men. On this boat other passengers who pay the same price as do the immigrants have regular berths with mattresses and pillows, and a dining room is provided for their use. There is also separation of the sexes. The negroes who patronize this line are quartered in this compartment and receive for the same price much better treatment than do the immigrants. This line has carried as many as 200 immigrants on one trip in these freight compartments. On another line, which has accommodations in its ordinary boats for about 50 immigrants, the immigrants can obtain food such as is served to the crew, but the berths are in three tiers, instead of two as on the transatlantic boats. The immigrants are also allowed the freedom of the lower forward deck. An investigator's description of the hardships of the immigrants on one Hudson River boat is as follows: I Forward of the freight, in the extreme bow of the boat, is an open space. saw immigrants lying on the floor, also on benches, and some were sleeping on coils of rope, in some cases using their own baggage for head rests. Conditions on the other line from New York to Albany were found to be similar, though in neither case was there any excuse for the crowding, as there was plenty of room on the boats. Of a vessel in the coastwise trade an investigator's notes read as follows: There was no attempt to separate the men from the women, and upon going into the sleeping quarters I found the women and men in all states of dress and undress (mostly the latter). Hot nights they slept on deck. Sunday, at midnight, some man crept into the Polish woman's bunk and attempted an assault, but her cries drove him off. Monday night about the same time, presumably the same man, now acknowledged to be a member of the crew-this information I obtained by talking to members of the crew-attempted, and perhaps succeeded, in assaulting the same woman, The captain started an investigation, but what came of it I was unable to learn, as the matter was hushed up. It is fair to state that this charge was taken up by the proper authorities, but that no further evidence could be obtained. The quarters of that particular boat were clean and well kept and the food fair. It is satisfactory to learn that upon the steamers of the Panama Railroad and Steamship Line, practically owned and operated by the United States Government, the conditions and discipline were found to be good, the only complaint being as to the food, which was said to be of very poor quality and of very scanty allowance on one of the boats. The general comment to make in relation to this class of transportation seems to be that the welfare of the immigrant is left entirely to the companies. If the line is humane and progressive, the immigrants are well treated. If it is not, the immigrants suffer accordingly. In all probability the condition of the immigrants on these ships could be made much better by the enforcement of existing statutes. |