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

By that time the work had increased ten-fold, and the office and staff (save the mark !) were utterly inadequate for the mere official routine required, far less to keep down the evils of crimping, desertion, and numerous other infringements of the Act, which ensued. The place became a bye-word and a scandal, not only in the United Kingdom, but over all the world where British shipping traded. The Board of Trade interfered, placed a small police staff at the office, added another wing to the premises, and strengthened the clerical staff. Since then numerous prosecutions of crimps, and other delinquents, have been carried out, and now, although the business has more than doubled since 1866, the order and regularity of the port can compare favourably with the best of the kingdom.

As a proof of what is being done there, in the interest of the shipping community, to show what is required to be done in order to purify the commercial atmosphere of such a port, and as a sort of index of the evils that would inevitably arise were no such system in existence, we append the returns of convictions and prosecutions for 1875, from under Mercantile Marine laws there. At the same time, it must not be understood that we are commenting with a partial leaning to the place, nor are we disposed, even now, to give it unqualified praise ; for we certainly think that much better arrangements might yet be made for the growing requirements of such a thriving and increasing port. For instance, the present office is entirely inadequate to the extent of the work done, and is most inconveniently situated. We are glad, however, to learn that this evil is about to be removed, and that a more central site has been chosen upon which commodious offices, of the most modern plan for convenience, are to be at once con structed.

But, within the limits of the port, there is a dock called the “Penarth Dock," at which a very large amount of steam tonnage is loaded, and (can it be believed?) from this place masters of ships have to drag their crews, about four miles off by road, to be discharged or shipped as the case may be. A “branch” office ought at once to be formed there for the convenience of trade. It seems a singular oversight that it was not done ten years ago when the dock was opened, for the dock company built offices expressly for such purposes, and, doubtless, as they have been so long unoccupied, would be only too glad to rent them on the most reasonable terms. Let us hope for better things there and elsewhere for the future.