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Personal Sketches of Marine Men Arthur J. Tyrer, Appointed Commissioner of Navigation By L. M. Lamm HIPPING pcople will undoubtedly be interested to know that “there will be no drastic changes in the administration of the navigation law,’ under the commissionership of Arthur J. Tyrer, who was recently appointed commissioner of navigation by President Coolidge to succeed D. B. Carson, of Memphis, Tenn., resigned. Mr. Tyrer has been deputy commissionet since 1909 and is well kzown by men and owners of the shipping industry as an able, courageous and fair executive. ; “It has been the experience of the bureau of naviga- tion,” said Mr. Tyrer in an interview with the writer, “that masters and owners of vessels endeavor to com- ply with the navigation laws and instances of intentional and flagrant violations of these laws are very exceptional. “For this reason,” continued Mr. Tyrer, “it has been and will continue to be the policy of the bureau to bring to the attention of the interested parties the requirements in the law rather than attempt through imposition of drastic penalties to secure compliance. The bureau has had at all times in the administration of the navigation laws the hearty co-operation of ship owners, yacht clubs and other organizations of like kind. “In the handling during the past year of approxi- mately 12,000 cases of violations of the navigation laws with their attendant penalties, it has been the purpose of the bureau to mitigate such penalties to a sum necessary only to prevent a repetition of the action com- plained of rather than to penalize the master or owner. Although a careful record is kept it is seldom we find the law violated twice by the same vessel. Vf N HIS appointment the President gave just recognition to many years of able and faithful public serv- ice. He began in 1902 as stenographer in the bureau he now heads. ; E HAS perseverance and energy. In order to better fit himself for his work he studied law in his spare time, graduating 17 years ago at the age of 42. IS policy will be to promote co-op- eration between the bureau and the seaman or shipowner in order to reduce infractions of the navigation laws to an absolute minimum. “In the administration of the mortgage act of 1920 and similar statutes, it has been the privilege of the bureau to be of considerable assistance to the shipping interests in connection with the technical and legal points involved in the particular cases considered.” Mr. Tyrer, who entered the bureau of navigation as a $900 stenographer in 1902 was born in Albert Lea, Minn., October, 1868. Prior to his work at the bureau he was in the office of Senator A. G. Foster of Washington. After gradual promotions in the bureau Mr. Tyrer was made deputy commissioner in 1909. He has served in or organized each branch of the bureau’s work with the exception of the statistical division. Organization of the navigation inspection service of the bureau for preventing the overcrowding of excursion steamers was in the hands of Mr. Tyrer. He also or- ganized the work of the general coast patrol service in- volving the purchase and operation of the vessels of the inspection fleet. He had much to do with the bringing of the shipping and admeasurement services and the ma- rine divisions of the customs houses to their present state of efficiency. For many years Mr. Tyrer has been engaged in the consideration of technical and legal questions involved in the administration of the admeasurement and coast- wise laws, care for American seamen, statutes for safe- guarding life on the water, equipment and manning of vessels, their documentation, recording of mortgages and bills of sale, and numerous other laws affecting the navigation of a vessel at almost every point from the time she is contracted for until she is finally abandoned. 46 MARINE REVIEW—August, 1927