§ Mr. HOUSTONasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he could state the number of vessels sailing under the British flag, and the number collectively 847W of their crews, according to his latest information; the date on which such record was made up; the number of British-born subjects employed on board these vessels; the number of foreigners employed on board those vessels, exclusive of Asiatics; the number of Lascars and other British subjects; and the number of Chinese and other Orientals employed on board those vessels?
Mr. BUXTONThe number of vessels belonging to the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, Channel Islands, and British Possessions, and registered under Part I. of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, was in 1909, 38,798, amounting to 13,348,013 tons. No information is available as regards the number of persons employed on Colonial vessels, and as regards vessels belonging to the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man and Channel Islands, all the information available was contained in the reply to the question of the hon. and gallant Member for Bodmin on the 3rd April.
§ Mr. HOUSTONasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he could state the number of British vessels on board of which Chinese were engaged as members of their crews which arrived in the River Mersey during the last 12 months for which he had particulars; the date on which that 12 months ended; the number of such Chinese so engaged; how many deserted or were paid off in the Port of Liverpool during that period; and whether he could state the average rates of wages paid to Chinese sailors and Chinese firemen and the equivalent in English money, and the average rates of wages paid to British sailors and firemen during that period?
Mr. BUXTONThe figures asked for in the first part of the question were given in my reply to the question put by the hon. Member on Monday last week. I have no detailed information as to the rates of wages paid to Chinese seamen engaged on articles of agreement opened in the Far East, as the articles of agreement in such cases are not deposited with the Registrar-General of Shipping and Seamen, as are those opened in this country. I understand, however, that the usual rates for sailors and firemen engaged in Hong Kong are 14 and 16 dollars per month, equivalent to 28s. and 32s. respectively. The latest figures showing average rates of wages paid to seamen engaged in this country are those given in the Report on standard Time Rates of Wages at 1st848W October, 1910 (Cd. 5459), pp. 114,115. The monthly rates for voyages from Liverpool to the East Indies and China were as follows:—
A.B.'s. Firemen. Trimmers. s. d. s. d. s. d. 80 0 85 0 70 0