§ MR. MACLUREI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the fact that the boats belonging to the steamship Roumania had apparently not been put into the water for six months prior to her sailing, and that they were found at the moment of emergency to be unworkable, and that, as it would appear from the late inquiry, it is the practice of some ships to put the life-belts in the cabins when in port and to remove them from the cabins when at sea, the Board of Trade are prepared to give such directions to their Surveyors as shall insure to passengers by licensed vessels the same security as is granted to those by emigrant ships?
§ MR. MUNDELLAThe Board of Trade have no statutory power to compel masters of vessels to carry their boats outboard, and in many instances this would not be practicable. The attention of the Board's Surveyors has been directed to the recommendations as to the stowage of life-belts contained in the Report of the official inquiry 239 into the Roumania casualty. It would not be possible to extend to all steamships holding passenger certificates the system of survey before every voyage.
MR. GIBSON BOWLESCannot the Board of Trade point out the desirability of carrying the boats outboard?
§ MR. MUNDELLAIn some cases it would not be practicable.