MARITIME AND MIGRATION PROBLEMS 87
Exceptions are provided, however, for: (a) work done by
young persons on school ships or on training ships, providing
that such work is approved and supervised by public author-
ity; (b) the employment of young persons on vessels pro-
pelled by other means than steam; (c) young persons of not
less than sixteen years of age, found physically fit after medi-
cal examination, who may be employed as trimmers or
stokers on vessels engaged exclusively in the coastal trade of
India and of Japan, subject to regulations made after con-
sultation with the most representative organizations of em-
ployers and workers in those countries. Furthermore, when
a trimmer or stoker is required and the vessel is in a port
where the only persons available are young persons under
eighteen years of age, two young persons at least sixteen
years of age may be employed in place of the one trimmer or
stoker required.
In order to facilitate the enforcement of this Convention,
each shipmaster is to be required to keep a register of all
persons under eighteen years of age employed on board his
vessel. and of the dates of their births.}
Action Taken bv Member Nations?
Nineteen nations have registered ratification and one has
authorized it. This number includes practically all of the
important maritime nations except Germany and Japan.
The former country is, however, one of the four which have
recommended ratification. Other countries declined to take
any action toward ratifying this Convention because of the
absence of any important merchant marine.
Two of the countries which have ratified the Convention,
Belgium and Latvia, have not yet applied its provisions by
legislation, but bills for the purpose are in preparation.
J apan, although it has not ratified the Convention, has put
its provisions into effect. Germany and Netherlands have
also taken preliminary steps toward incorporating the terms
of the Convention into legislation.
International Labor Conference, Third Session, 1921, Vol. II, pp. 856-859.
For references to specific countries see footnotes to Table 17. Appendix 1.
