[259] There were two Reports: “Preliminary” and “Final.”
[260] See Parl. Paper, 349. Session 1873.
[261] I believe that there is much justice in these complaints. Indeed, it cannot be otherwise if official surveyors are honest and vigilant. For instance, some new danger or evil arises, and some new remedy is invented. Consequently, the surveyor says:—“I must provide for this,” and he makes the requirement; the trade call for uniformity, and the specific thing required becomes a general stereotyped Board of Trade rule, checking further improvement, and making shipbuilders build down to it.
On this point, my old friend, Mr. Alfred Holt, of Liverpool—and there is no one more competent to offer an opinion on such a subject—in a letter I had from him the other day, remarks with great force:—“The real objection to Government survey is this: no Government can insist on more than average standard of efficiency; but most of those ships of which the nation is proud are built to a much higher standard. Now, suppose two ships competing for freight, one of the high class I describe, and one of low type just sufficient to pass survey. Both have got certificates; these have blunted the discrimination of underwriters, so that premiums are alike on both, and, naturally enough, shippers send their goods by the one that asks least freight. Is it in human nature that the conscience of the good Shipowner will remain tender? He sees a vessel of much less strength, and not nigh so efficiently manned, go to sea, perhaps a foot deeper than his, earning the same rate of freight, and carrying a Government certificate of competency. Is he likely to keep up to his old standard? and won’t he be compulsorily degraded to the other’s level? All these surveys only help the bad, while they injure the good. I may say of ground tackle that, although since the Act passed, it has become difficult to get any very bad, it is equally difficult to get any really good. I believe, in my own case, that the cables I have got since the Act came into operation are worse than those I got before.”
[262] The recommendation might have been advantageously extended to any other properly constituted tribunal, as it is most desirable that all such disputes should be promptly settled, and especially in the port where they arise, or its immediate locality. An appeal in all cases to the central Board in London might inflict unnecessary hardship upon the shipowner, and lead to other mischievous consequences.
[263] Although the present system, which originated with Lloyd’s, stands much in need of reform, I think the recommendations of the Commissioners on this subject require still further consideration before they are adopted.
[264] The latter portion of this recommendation also requires further consideration. While a second trial would be a double expense, it would not facilitate getting evidence on the first inquest because the captain would still be able to say,—“I shall not give evidence which may be used against me.”
[265] There is no use hiding a fact which my experience on this Commission and elsewhere has too clearly revealed. It is this, that the officers of the Navy as a rule (there are exceptions) are much less inclined to the amalgamation, under any circumstances, of the seamen of the merchant service with those of the Royal Navy than the officers of the Army are to coalesce with the Volunteers. They desire, and it may be due to their patriotism, to have a large standing navy, as large in peace as in war if they could get it; while they do not care to be troubled with the drilling of relays of seamen from the merchant service when they can obtain young men expressly trained, solely at the expense of the State. They do not, or will not, understand the vast natural resources this country has within itself—far greater than any other countries,—or, indeed, than nearly all other countries combined, available in the hour of need.
[266] See Report, ‘Manning the Navy.’