Volume Twelve - Pre-Victorian to the Present Day - further aspects - Mercantile Marine Offices - An article from the Nautical Magazine for 1876. . . .

This opinion was given with the proviso that some control of them should be retained by the local authorities, and hence arose the Local Marine Boards, which, at the present time, and since 1850, have had the surveillance of the Mercantile Marine offices at 17 of the principal ports. At question 18,634 the query was : “Has it stopped crimping?" and the reply given was : “The evidence is that at Cardiff it has done great good."

At question 13,817, put to Captain James Furnell — one of Mr. Green's old shipmasters — the query was again raised as to their utility, and the reply given was in their favour. He stated, before their establishment he used to go to Ratcliff Highway among prostitutes to get the men, and that he was often obliged to bribe the girls to let the men go. He never saw such confusion in his life.

Mr. McIver of the “Cunard" Line at Liverpool also gave evidence, and only objected to them because they could not adequately overtake the immense business connected with his steamers. He preferred the principle of having an impartial witness, like a Government officer, to the contracts made between his shipmasters and their crews. A concession has been made to him, and to other owners, who may choose to pay an extra fee of having their crews shipped and discharged on board the vessels. It has been argued that this principle should be extended to all ships, and without the aid of Government in the matter.

The reasons being that the intervention of the Government tends to create insubordination, by making the sailor rely upon its paternal protection against their legitimate masters ; that the present system involves delay to vessels, especially to steamers ; that the congregation of seamen about Mercantile Marine offices gives facilities to crimps, prostitutes, and beer-sellers to prey upon them ; and that the sailor would necessarily have to go on board the ship and would then see her before he signs, were they abolished.

It is also argued that were the agreements all made in duplicate duly signed by the seamen in presence of a broker's clerk (say) and attested by him, the duplicate to be deposited at a Government office on the sailing of the ship, that all purposes of registration, enforcement of contract, and so forth, could be accomplished quite as well as at present.