§ 66. Mr. JOWETTasked if the right hon. Gentleman will give the names of the persons, firms, and classification societies on whose advice the Board altered the tables of freeboard and raised the load line of ships in 1907; if the advice in question was embodied in a Report or a Minute made of it; and, if so, what was the nature of the Report or Minute and the date it bears?
Mr. BUXTONSection 438 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, empowers the Board of Trade to modify the tables of freeboard, but in approving any modifications the Board of Trade must have regard to any representations made to them by any corporation or association for the survey and registry of shipping appointed by them to approve and certify the position of the load line. The authorities so appointed are Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping, Bureau Veritas, and the British Corporation for the Survey and Registry of Shipping. An inquiry was instituted in 1905, and several conferences were held between the experts of the Board of Trade and the experts of these classification societies, and finally, on the 9th February, 1906, these experts submitted the revised tables of freeboard to the Board of Trade. The tables were then placed before the societies named by the Board of Trade and, on the advice of these societies and of their own officers, the Board of Trade adopted them in a Minute dated 1st March, 1906.
§ Mr. W. THORNEIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that if it had not been for raising the load line twenty more ships would have to be built to carry the same tonnage as now?
Mr. BUXTONI do not know about those figures. We acted from the point of view of the ships being made stronger and more seaworthy, and that was the reason that this change was made.
§ Mr. BARNESWere any of the men's representatives heard in 1904, 1905, and 1906?
Mr. BUXTONI take it that the particular societies named are those which had to be consulted. I do not know that the evidence with regard to the seamen, which entirely turns on questions of calculation, will be of any great value.
§ Mr. W. THORNEHave the Board of Trade any intention of getting back to the old load line that was spoken so highly of by the late Mr. Plimsoll?
Mr. BUXTONI have said more than once that I am inquiring into the question whether any alteration ought to be made, and whether the experience of the past six years shows that the change is justified.
§ 67. Mr. JOWETTasked what was the total tonnage of vessels lost by foundering 564 and stranding and by disappearance during the three years 1902–3 to 1904–5, before the revision of the load-line tables in 1906, the number of lives lost of the crews, and the number of passengers lost in the same period; and also, for comparison, what were the losses, in like detail, during the three years 1908–9 to 1910–11, after an interval during which loads would be only gradually increased?
Mr. BUXTONI will circulate with the Votes a statement containing the detailed information for which my hon. Friend asks, but I should point out that the figures as to strandings have not been regarded as having any direct bearing upon the question of load line.