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selling and disposing of the proceeds of their clothes to be taken charge of by the Consulate, and failing employment to be sent home at the public expense as distressed British seamen. This has had to be put down with a firm hand, and Genos appears to be losing its reputation among 'wasters' as a happy hunting ground. A recent arrangement under which exceptionally undesirable characters are reciprocally reported to and by Consular officers along the coast between Marseilles and Naples is having good results, and doubtless the new continuous discharge books must be credited already with part of the improvement, although the masters are not all agreed on this point. The discouragement of desertion is not only necessary in the public interest but in that of seamen themselves, for it certainly contributes to the engagement of foreign seamen. Men legitimately discharged are either hospital cases or are at once sent home both in the men's and shipowner's interest, as the shipowner would otherwise be liable, in most cases, for any subsequent relief which might have to be afforded to the former. Consequently, vacancies in a ship's crew, created by desertion or otherwise, must usually be filled up either by deserters from other ships (if there are any) or by foreign seamen. The latter, at all events in this port, usually get the preference, and so misconduct and violation of agreement by desertion contribute to introduce the foreign element into British crews abroad, and to train up a body of foreign seamen eager to learn and compete for berths in the British merchant service. There can be no doubt that most British masters prefer a British crew at sea, where many even of those who give most trouble in ports are good workers, and can be relied on in moments of difficulty and danger; but this is not sufficient nowadays to exclude other factors, and the foreigner who gives less trouble in port and has made several voyages in British ships becomes daily a more serious competitor for employment. The foreign element once introduced into a ship's crew, other circumstances sometimes tend to increase it. The British seaman, partly from national characteristics, partly because he feels himself at home, intends to 'Boss the show,' and according to his success or failure in this respect either he, or perhaps the foreigner; is unhappy and deserts. On the other hand, even a mixed foreign crew get on well on the neutral ground of a British ship, and some vessels accordingly adopt the rule of having all foreigners with the exception of the officers. In this way, too, a lower uniform wage than prevails in the United Kingdom can sometimes be given without incurring jealousy and discontent. There is another advantage in this in certain trades. For instance, the Anchor Line and the Prince Line have boats trading backwards and forwards between New York and Italy, and only rarely returning to the United Kingdom. By carrying Italian crews they are able to discharge their men in Italy without incurring the responsibility of and expense of their repatriation. In view of the interest which the question of the employment of foreign seamen is exciting, notes on such circumstances as happen to come under individual notice in connection with the question may not be irrelevant in a Consular report."
