246 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
of State regulations for effecting tlie desired result have been suggested, few of which 
have been considered of sufficient practical value for adoption. 
The most noticeable effort to improve the condition of these men was made by act 
of 1888 (ch. 513), which provides for the appointment by the governor of a number of 
“ shipping commissioners” in Baltimore and the large ports down the bay, whose duty 
it is to supervise the engaging of employes on vessels measuring over 10 tons, except 
such men as work on shares and residents of the county where the crew is shipped, 
the word “county” not applying to Baltimore City. These men are required to super- 
intend both the engagement and discharge of the laborers, drawing up the contracts 
and seeing that they are fully complied with, receiving therefor a fee of 50 cents for 
each man shipped and 25 cents for each man discharged, one-half of these fees being 
deducted from the wages of the laborer and the remaining half being paid by the 
captain. 
Financial results . — The profitableness of the dredging industry varies much from 
year to year, according to the prices of oysters and their abundance on the beds to 
which this branch of the fishery is confined. In general it is not so profitable now as 
it was twenty years ago. On account of the large number of vessels engaged the 
marketable oysters are mostly secured during the first few months of the season, and 
the vessels do not find it profitable to work as late in the year as they formerly did, a 
large number of them during the last few seasons leaving this branch of the business 
about Christmas. 
The length of time now required to obtain a cargo is also greater than formerly, 
this now being fifteen to twenty-five days, whereas eighteen and twenty years ago a 
cargo could usually be secured in a week or ten days. This, of course, reduces the 
profits very materially, and the books of the vessel-owners indicate that after paying 
all expenses, including wear and tear on the vessels, the profits are not very great, and 
vessel property of this class is now comparatively cheap in the Chesapeake. 
If the vessel be not owned by the captain, the latter, with very few exceptions, 
runs it on shares, the arrangement being sometimes as follows : Out of the bill of sale 
are paid the wages, food bill, expenses of sale of oysters, etc., and from what is left 
the captain receives 40 per cent and the vessel-owner 60 per cent. A more frequent 
method is for the owner of the vessel to receive one-third of the value of the catch 
and the captain to take the balance and pay all expenses. Many other forms of 
agreement exist. These ordinarily net the captain from $35 to $85 per montli, 
according to the abundance and prices of oysters. 
The mate and the cook ship on wages, varying from $15 to $25 per month, with 
board. The common hands are usually paid by the trip at rates varying from $8 to 
$18, according to the abundance of employes and the ability of the men secured. 
The number of men available for this work appears to be smaller each year, and as a 
consequence the wages are increasing somewhat. In 1890-91 the average per trip 
was $13.69, and in 1891-92 it was $14.43, these figures representing the condition for 
the fleet. The better class of common hands ship by the month, at rates varying from 
$12 to $25, but the number of such men is small. On a few vessels from the counties 
the laborers work on shares, the agreements usually being as follows : The provision 
bill, commission sellers’ charges, and similar expenses are first paid, then the owner 
of the vessel receives one-third of the balance and the captain receives a bonus of $15 
to $25, after which the captain and members of the crew share alike. 
