§ 24. Mr. McGHEEasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that the Royal Mail steamship "Ophir" signed a crew at Tilbury in June last; that among the crew were a large number of firemen and trimmers who were signing for their first voyage and were without experience; if he can say how many firemen and trimmers were signed on without discharge books; did one of the seamen die when the vessel was in the Red Sea; were the trimmers compelled to work six-hour shifts instead of four-hour shifts; was this owing to the incompetence of the inexperienced firemen and trimmers; was the vessel twenty-four hours late in arriving at Colombo; was this also the result of incompetence on the part of men who were on their first voyage; and will he call the attention of the owners to the number of new hands taken on the ship?
Mr. BUXTONOf the sixty-five firemen and trimmers engaged at Tilbury, five firemen and ten trimmers did not produce discharge books. The five firemen had 2048 served previously at sea, but the ten trimmers were taking their first voyage. I have no information with regard to the remaining points raised by my hon. Friend, but I am making inquiries and will communicate further with him.