§ Sir K. WOODasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is now in a position to state whether he is prepared to accede to the suggestion made to him that he will appoint a small Committee representing the different interests concerned to go into the question of discipline in the merchant service and, if necessary, to report to the Board of Trade?
Mr. WEBBMy information is to the effect that, on the whole, discipline in the merchant service is getting better rather than worse, and that a good deal of such difficulty as exists is due to the fact that masters frequently omit to use the means they have at present, in the way of prosecuting and giving bad discharges. I am, therefore, somewhat doubtful whether a Committee can do much real good, but if the associations representing the interests concerned consider that a Committee on discipline would serve a useful purpose, and so inform the Board of Trade, I should be willing to appoint a Committee.