The White Act of 1898 (30 Stat
755, formally known as An Act To amend the laws relating to American seamen, for the protection of such seamen, and to promote commerce, is a
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
Federal statute
In the law of the United States, the Code of Laws of the United States of America (variously abbreviated to Code of Laws of the United States, United States Code, U.S. Code, U.S.C., or USC) is the official compilation and codification of the ...
governing
mariner
A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship.
The profession of the s ...
s in the
United States Merchant Marine
United States Merchant Marines are United States civilian mariners and U.S. civilian and federally owned merchant vessels. Both the civilian mariners and the merchant vessels are managed by a combination of the government and private sectors, an ...
.
Among other things, the act:
* abolished the practice of imprisoning sailors who deserted from vessels in "American or nearby waters."
[Bauer, 1988:285.]
* abolished
corporal punishment of seamen
Prior to the ''White Act of 1898'' "'bully mates'...had relied on their fists,
belaying pin
Properly securing a line to a belaying pin starts by leading the line under and behind the base of the pin to begin the figure-8 pattern
left, Lines coiled and secured by belaying pins
A belaying pin is a solid metal or wooden device used on tr ...
s, and handspikes to enforce discipline."
Notes
References
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1898 in American law
United States federal admiralty and maritime legislation
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