OFFICERS AND MERCHANT SEAMEN 197 



action all statutes of the United States conferring or regulating the 

 right of action for death in the case of railway employees shall 

 be applicable. Jurisdiction in such actions shall be under the court 

 of the district in which the defendant employer resides or in which 

 his principal office is located. (Mar. 4, 1915, ch. 153, § 20, 38 Stat. 

 1185 ; June 5, 1920, ch. 250, § 33, 41 Stat. 1007.) 



Subsistence to destitute seamen; return to United States 



46 U.S.C. 678 (R.S. 4577) 



It shall be the duty of the consuls and vice consuls, from time to 

 time, to provide for the seamen of the United States, who may be found 

 destitute witliin their districts, respectively, sufficient subsistence and 

 passages to some port in the United States, in the most reasonable 

 manner, at the expense of the United States, subject to such instruc- 

 tions as the Secretary- of State shall give. The seamen shall, if able, 

 be bound to do duty on board the vessels in which they may be trans- 

 ported, according to their several abilities. (R.S. § 4577 ; Apr. 5, 1906, 

 ch. 1366, §3, 34 Stat. 100.) 



Transportation of destitute seamen to United States 



46 U.S.C. 679 (R.S. 4578) 



All masters of vessels of the United States and bound to some port 

 of the same, are required to take snch destitute seamen on board their 

 vessels, at the request of consular officei"s, and to transport them to 

 the port in the United States to which such vessel may be bound, on 

 such terms, not exceeding $10 for each person for voyages of not more 

 than thirty days, and not exceeding $20 for each person for longer voy- 

 ages, as may be agreed between the master and the consular officer, 

 when transportation is by a sailing vessel ; and the amount agreed upon 

 between the consular officer and the master of the vessel in each indi- 

 vidual case not in excess of the lowest passenger rate of such vessel 

 and not in excess of 2 cents per mile shall in each case constitute the 

 lawful rate for transportation on steam vessels; and said consular offi- 

 cer shall issue certificates for such transportation, which certificates 

 shall be assignable for collection. Every such master who refuses to 

 I'eceive and transport such seamen on the request or order of such con- 

 sular officer shall be liable to the United States in a penalty of $100 

 for each seaman so refused. The certificate of any such consular offi- 

 cer, given under his hand and official seal, shall be presmnptive evidence 

 of such refusal in any court of law having jurisdiction for the recov- 

 ery of the penalty. No master of any vessel shall, however, be obliged 

 to take a greater number than one man to every one hundred tons bur- 

 den of the ^•essel on any one voyage or to take any seaman having a con- 

 tagious disease. 



Reasonable compensation, in addition to the allowances provided 

 herein, or any allowance now fixed b}' law, or by regulations now or 

 hereafter established in accordance with section 1752 of the Revised 

 Statutes of the United States, may be paid from general appropri- 

 ations for the relief and protection of American seamen, when au- 

 thorized by the Secretary of State, in the following cases: 



