§ 42. Earl WINTERTONasked the President of the Board of Trade what is the proportion of white deck-hands and stewards in proportion to lascars carried on the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company's and Orient Company's passenger ships, respectively; and if he has information showing that this proportion of white hands is greater or less than in the case of other British and foreign passenger steamship lines?
Mr. ROBERTSONI understand that the Orient Company do not employ 351 lascars. As regards the vessels of the Peninsular and Oriental Company, there appears to be no fixed proportion of white deck-hands and stewards to lascars, which varies according to the nature of the employment of each vessel. As regards the last part of the Noble Lord's question, I regret that the Board of Trade have not the figures available which would enable me to give the information desired. A detailed comparison with other British passenger steamships would involve an enormous amount of labour, while I doubt if it would be possible to secure a comparison with foreign passenger steamships.
§ Earl WINTERTONIs the hon. Gentleman prepared to furnish me with figures in the case of the Norddeutscher-Lloyd, of Bremen, and other lines going to India?
§ Earl WINTERTONDoes not the hon. Gentleman think it important, in the matter of the employment of white seamen, to ascertain what the true position is on English and German steamship lines, respectively?