Hughes v. Southern Pac. Co.

WARD, Circuit Judge.

[1] Shipping articles constitute a contract executed by and between the master of a vessel, as agent for the owners, and each member of the crew shipped before a United States shipping commissioner. The master virtute officii employs and discharges the seamen (Rev. Stat. U. S. § 4511, schedule table A [Comp. St. § 8300]), and the seaman when discharged must be discharged before a shipping commissioner (sections 4549-4551 [Comp. St. §§ 8338-8340]). Any other discharge is wrongful.

Shipping of seamen in the coastwise trade is not covered by these regulations, but the master…