Employment exchanges for seamem

The problem of providing facilities for the employment of seamen is especially acute but offers illuminating suggestions regarding employment exchanges in general. The Marine Service Bureau of San Francisco well illustrates the evils customarily attenant upon e ployer-operated hiring halls. Inconveniences and discriminatory practices are easily forced upon employees by such agencies, and the workers prejudices against such agencies ar so strong that the correction of abuses will not render them acceptable. Possible alternatives include union-operated halls, the abandonment of all hiring halls whatsocver, and publicly operated exchanges. The latter is the only form which, in the seamen's case, removes the ptincipal difficulties now existing.