New-York tribune., 1922-12-26
.ShipmenHerald
Use of Seamen's
Discharge Book
Service Record Benefits
Sailors as Well as Ship
pers, Says Marvin Report
10 Owners Association

Continuous discharge books for sea
men. recently put into use By Ameri-
can lines. are proving beneficial 70 both
ship owners and seamon, according 70
a report by Winthrop L. Marvin, vice
president Of the American Steamship
Owners Association. Tho practice
was innugurated in this country ~
tho association, which has already is-
sued 10000 books and has another edi-
tion Of 10000 In preparation.
Soamcn's continuous discharge
books, which are used by Great Brit
ain and other leading maritime ma
tions, contain the record Of tho sailors
efficiency and behavior az tho end Of
voyage, noted BY his last command
ing officers. and serve as reference
when he is signing on again. They
will, il 10 claimed, help 70 stabilize the
personnel Of the merchant marine,
keep good seameu In the service and
automatically weed out tho INST.
Following Is Mr.. MaTin's report %
the American steamship Owners Asso.
citation on tho results 50 FAR attained
by use OF the books;
a new departure u the American
Steamship Owners Association IN fur
J nlsbing continuous discharge books
for use Of Eeamcn on steamer OF tho
association has brought results that
arc gratifying. They are also IN use
on the Great Lakes feet Of tho Lake
Carriers' Association and or ships Of
the Pacific American Steamship Asso-
citation in Pacific waters.
Every Seaman Described
I "The association reports the same
success in the utilization Of tho con-
tinuous discharge books which has at
tended their use elsewhere. The pooAs'
substantially bound. carrying q photo
graph and description Of each seaman
v;th blanks for the date Of his ship
mont and discharge and for Propct
marking of his conduct and efficiency
arc issued 10 the men when they are
.igned on at the beginning Of the voy-
age, and arc retained by the men w,nen
they sign on as an exact record o.
service. They are, In fact, reeomnien-
dations for preferential employmeh"
IgufNmUmN W. ANAHNA al 80"
tent seaucn value these books a.
6istInct advantage. They arc regarded
30 ship owners a. a long step toward
.fabiIizing and improving the person
nci of the American merchant marihe
-the same result that has developed
In Great Britain.
cone Of tho great American steam
ship companies, with mail. pas.enge-
and cargo steamers engaged DO trans
Atlantic trade, reports that We have
issued n total Of 7si continuous dis
charge hooks 20 the crews OF ten Nea-
sells, eight being freighters. WIN the
execution OF two men on one OF our
atcan,crs. Who quit rather than pay -
cents for books, we have bad no din
Guilty whatever in placing the books.
There Is a sentiment among the men
with whom We have come In personal
contact that the books serve a useiul
purpose and are generally gooo talng'
"a New England company, which has
issued 2i7 books 20 It's Meet, reports
that 'Up 10 dste we have had only five
unclaimed books returned. The men
20 whom these were issued were OF the
radical I. ". ". element. Only ono
man out Of 2i7 has refused 10 take
book ana did TOT want any SVHaANA 't
ability report-hc was a radical OF
German birth
Helpful 10 All
"a large oil-earrying company states
that the impression pregails in its feet
that the continuous discharge books
arc beneficial 10 the seamen as we'll IS
10 the owners a West India line oper-
ating passenger and cargo ships states
that We have heard Of no objections
being registered. We believe that these
discharge books will prove very bene-
fetal both to the owners and the men
"The operators Of Shipping Board
vessels, who are not themselves own
ers, express keen interest in the intro
duction Of continuous discharge books
by the Shipowners' Association. These
operators intend 20 make formal re-
quest Of the Shipping Board that books
identical with those Of the American
Steamship Owners Association be en-
ployed on government-owned vessels
also. They have been brought 20 the
attention Of the bureau Of navigation
and the steamboat inspection service
Of the Department Of Commerce