Page:The Blight of Insubordination.djvu/82

74 that opinions for which we have great respect have been expressed that a system of continuous discharges cannot be completely successful unless supported by fresh legislation. Section twenty-eight: should the Board of Trade decide to issue the new form, it will rest with owners and masters to make it a success by seeing that the characters given in all cases are such as the seamen deserve, and that as time goes on no seaman, save under urgent or exceptional circumstances, is engaged on board a British ship without one of these continuous discharges."

Soon after the report was published the continuous discharge became an accomplished fact, at an estimated initial cost of about £1,800 (vide Fairplay, April 19,1900), and now, after two years' experience, according to Mr. Consul Keene, masters are not all agreed upon any improvement due to the adoption of the new certificate. The chief object of the discharge is wasted entirely when they can be replaced new and clean at the mercantile marine offices at a mere nominal cost of a shilling. This certainly was not contemplated when the report recommending the adoption of this particular form of discharge was drawn up. How comes it, then, that they are replaced so easily? It is just on a par with the endorsing of the character "if the seaman desires it." Most British shipmasters, in fact, all British shipmasters would, without a doubt, prefer to have their own countrymen for the crew of their ships at sea, if it were only possible to have them to do what they engage to do. In these materialist, competitive times we must take things as they are. This being so, the shipmaster follows the natural law and selects the easiest line of resistance in prosecuting his occupation, for life is all too short to have it worried and wasted away over people who will not stick to their obligations, even if they are his own countrymen. Time in port is all too short to have it spent in dancing attendance at shipping offices, police courts, or hospitals in worrying after people who — make engagements and are quite callous about how they commence or carry them out, for other affairs of more importance demand his time and attention. It has been stated many a time and oft that the officer, in discussing the characteristics of a section of his own countrymen, and more particularly of those who belong to and have their being in the same service as himself, should be circumspect in his criticisms lest some of the objectionable remarks and unpalatable truths rub off the men and stick to the officer. That is a risk we take on lightly, for one cannot expect to handle fire or pitch without being burnt or soiled. The subject has