§ MR. GOURLEYasked the President of the Board of Trade, If, in addition to the regulations set forth in the Board of Trade Circular of the 10th April, in which the Board undertake to assign and mark the load-line of steamships for summer and winter, if he will be good enough to inform the House what 610 months are to be scheduled as those of winter and summer in the United Kingdom and other parts of the world; and, if he intends issuing a similar circular for the regulation of the loading of sailing vessels?
§ MR. CHAMBERLAINThe hon. Member, I think, is under some misapprehension. The Board of Trade do not undertake to assign and mark the load-line of steamships; but they have thought it desirable to collect information, both with regard to sailing and steam vessels, as to the existing load-line marked by the owners, and also as to what would be the load-line under the rules of Lloyd's Registry, and under the rules initiated by the Board of Trade. We think that when the information is collected, it will be extremely valuable and suggestive. As regards the second Question, I would remind the hon. Member that the time of summer and winter varies in different parts of the world. In the United Kingdom the winter is reckoned to begin on the 1st of October, and to last until the 1st of April. The hon. Member will see that paragraph 10 of the Circular speaks of summer weather and winter weather as the guide for a summer or winter freeboard.