The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-05
ROUND ROBIN DAYS OVER.
BLUEJAOkETs WITH GRTEYANoEs
NOW STEP UP TO THE MAST
Abuses THAT Brought the Ttme-Honored Heund
Robin late Disfavor IN tho Uuited States
HRvS-ordeal or n sailor with = Conplaint
to Mnke-Compinlnts That Are Needed.

passed away with tho old navy. 1t was an in
sttution very often resorted to by the blue.
Jackets who manned tho old wooden ships. At
length they overdid the thing, causing the round
robin TO DO forbidden in regulations. Originally
employed In the United, stntcs Navy for tho 10.
climate purpose for which II was devised
thousands OF years ago by sca.ranging Phmnic
iHns up forward"-that purpose being the gon.
eral petition OF n ships company to tho ship's
commander asking for the investigation and
correction Of severities, injustices. or wantonly
harsh punishments visited upon members Of a
crew by the commanders immediate official
tnferiors-the round robin finally became n nero
instrument OF complaint, drawn up, circulated,
signed, and presented less for the purpose OF
securing a mitigation OF abuses than for the ad.
justment of trivial disputes. When the round
robin, at bottom IA first rate institution when
used iud!ciously and temporarily. dcgonerated
into this cheap estate and became an ~intoler-
able nuisance on United States naval ships, it
was sat down upon hard by tho regulations.
Perhaps three ffths Of all Of the enlisted
men now serving in tho United States Navy do
not know tho meaning Of round robin. On
mono OF the modern ships Of tho American navy
has there been circulated, signed. and presented
n begrimed piece Of paper Of this sort, with the
grievance or grievances sct forth within the
uneven, r~aggedly drawn circle. and the sigma.
lures of tho crew radiating thereirom like mis-.
mated spokes from II rough-hcwn hub. In the
merchant marine Of tho world sailors still ON.
,lov RI, r,und ro,in with ,r.c, stir,ers n,
merchant shins continue IN regard the round
robin as an instrument, of weigh, for tn, si,npIe
reoson that mercban, soi,ors orc very charv NJ
onncnd;no thoir MARKS mr. siynatursa IN sucb
forocastle documents unless the occasion for
their presentation Is very urgent. In other M.
vies, notably those of England and Italy, tho
round robin il occasionally pasted surreptitious.
- - -. Is~s;n. - ~ aa1,naanitnS Ia
~ 10 uhe door icaoins 10 the commanding ON
GERS cahin-not often. however, with much ben.
eft To crews during the past decade or 80. But
IN tho United states Navy the rouhu ROBIN Is
me c,r,rlor ,ons,r,ctinn ~ tho ro,nd rob,,
~" ~ - oo
was, OF course, due TO the unwlllingncss OF each
member OF a ships company to be REGARDED by
comn,ondin, oepc,rs n a n ring,c,der +, fo,nopt.
ing Observation-Disclosures modern phrase. man
o'-war chaws." With the spokc-liku arrange.
mont Of tbc SIGNATURES. there was. Of course.
ihch' vi 'Hc sish"Vuhos' thefo WIS., Vi co"fec'
neither beginning nor end to tho names append"
cd to tho wheel. shaped bills OF complaint, anu
eohihi"huihs oiho'rs !" "no" '"eh
were presented could only guess which man or
inon forward suggested them ana ifamoa ana
cHcuiateu .heii' IL ehou4a W s""" III of"er y
do justice to tho ocuteness OF commanding OH
GERS of American men.of-war, that when the
- III. 49,. - oo,,n,,n ,ho r. n,oins
rouhu ooih oe'"lno ,ois 'o'iA'o '"' p'"
names Of their orieinators. Yet, after all. this
st.temnnt NAV no tokcn 40 loss NJ n tribute to
statement MA! oe teAcn as 1888 U " ''touto'o
the clcverncss Of the shippers than as a hint
tn at, possibly. there may have been some
troachery up forward IN The days OF tho decline
OF the round robin.
The enlisted man, bluc:ackct or marine. who
49,. -. -, no,t :, - -, 49,, - ,.v.r
mas u h'ch 10 resis.ef' ms NO" ouV ono way oi
doing 1t in tho United states Navy. He must
show his hand and file his complaint in his own
person or name. verbally or ia writing. II
twenty. tfty. a hundred enlisted men have "A
SpieVnnce In dToiesStion 70 the >" Sonirmandins OF.
fcer. or in the form OF a written bill of com.
plant. with their signatures attached to Il in
the method OF presenting grievances in delega-
ton ut tho mast is resorted TO by the enlisted
men of the American Navy of. today. The
puts his complaint in wiring and addresses i
10 the Secretary OF tho Navy. Commanding
officers are compelled by regulations to for
ward all such complaints to the secretary of
the N~syy~wi,h. howeyCr. Whatever Endorse.
ments thereon they choose to make. Eaiisted
men who have drawn up unreas enable COM
plaints-even COMPLAINTS not entirely unrea-
orally found 1t To be all unwise act. No blue
jacket or marine can possibly add to his SUN
head Of the Navy Department more or less
bluntiy in writing that tho commanding or
fcer OF the vessel ON which he serve, is ain uil-
just man or a man who does not know his bust.
ness. Yet this fact, which seems at first thought
SO very sClf-evident, Is very often Ignored ty
rash enlisted men.
Going 10 the mast is not ordinarily n vol
untary act on the part of the nava! sailor. Tire
drunken or delinquent bluejaCEet or marine gen.
orally goes to the mast with the mastcr.at-
arms for escort and a marine corporal for rear
guard, and when he confronts the commanding
officer it is not for the purpose OF relating a tale
of OPPRESSION, but TO take whatever medicine
tho skipper serves out to him. Tho naval en-.
listed mans volunatry trip to The mast Is a
move akin to the landslnan's visit TO a police
station or court for the purpose OF getting salts.
49, 20. =, .nn 80. a,,,s.l ~, IT,. h1,n-
Jacket never ..nnounoes, whom he inagines no
has been imposed upon and wants redress. that
he proposes TO see the commanding officer
about il. lie says that hell 20 to tic mast,
which, OF course. he actually docs. for Al; the
lions OF a mun.of.war commander
with enlisted men are held on the starboard
uuarterdeck, alongside the mainmast, No
bluejnckct or marine ever secs thc Inside of his
commanding officers cabin unless duty takes
him there.
The enlisted man with his Individual gricv.
anCe very Otter makes n gricyuus hash OF IL
wien he goes to the mas 10 present his case,
1t is no minor matter to drag a man,of.wnr's
skipper out OF his comfortable cabin. and WOO
h, ~ Tho h,uo .cEe, mr. tnarInn ,yInyr tule ~