§ MR. JOYCEI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he has yet received any report with regard to the condition of the steamship 913 "Louisiana," when she sailed from Quebec on her last voyage; whether he is aware that when this vessel last left Quebec the master was compelled to jettison a portion of the deck cargo; whether he will ascertain from the master how many standard of deals were jettisoned; whether it is the intention of the Board of Trade to ask the owners of this vessel to award compensation to the seamen who were imprisoned for refusing to proceed in the ship on the ground that she was unseaworthy; and whether the Board of Trade intends to take proceedings under the Merchant Shipping Act against the owners for sending this vessel to sea in an unseaworthy condition.
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURNo, Sir, I have not yet received any report from Quebec with regard to the case of the "Louisiana." The owners, however, inform me that when the vessel left that port no portion of the cargo was jettisoned, but that certain deck cargo was discharged in port in order to remedy a list, after which a certificate of seaworthiness (of which I have seen a copy) was granted by the local authorities. As it appears that the seamen who were imprisoned refused to proceed to sea after the "Louisiana" was declared to be in a seaworthy condition, and as she was not sent to sea unseaworthy, the case does not appear to me to be one either for compensation or prosecution.
§ MR. JOYCEArising out of the answers to these and various other questions relating to shipping matters, may I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether a Departmental Committee will inquire carefully into these questions?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURNo, Sir, I do not think I can appoint a Departmental Committee to inquire into these matters.
§ *MR. SPEAKEROrder, order! Notice must be given of that question.