31. Mr. CATHCART WASONasked the principal difference in the sight tests as used by the Admiralty and those recommended by the Committee of the Board of Trade?
Mr. ROBERTSONThe principal difference between the sight tests used by the Admiralty and those recommended by the Departmental Committee on Sight Tests is that, for testing colour vision, the former use the Edridge-Green lantern and a test with assorted coloured wools. The methods recommended by the Committee consist of a lantern specially designed and constructed for them, and a somewhat 1613 different wool test, and these tests are described in the Committee's Report, of which I am sending my hon. Friend a copy. For testing form vision, Snellen's test types are used by both Departments, but I understand that the standard of form vision required by the Admiralty is higher than that which the Board of Trade propose to enforce on and after 1st January next.
Mr. C. WASONIs the hon. Member aware that there is a very considerable amount of dissatisfaction among the mercantile officers over this question; that there has been a very serious diminution in the number of persons who have been tested recently at Liverpool, and that a very large number of candidates have been rejected?
Mr. ROBERTSONThe two lines of the questions run in opposite directions. Now the complaint is that the tests of the Board of Trade are too strict, whereas the questions previously put with regard to sight tests suggest that the tests were not strict enough.
Mr. ROBERTSONWe have been told in the House that the Admiralty test is more strict that the Board of Trade test.
§ Mr. LYNCHHas the hon. Member considered the advisability of abolishing the wool test altogether as being unscientific?
Mr. ROBERTSONThe wool test in its revised form is not unscientific, and the Admiralty use that test.