Page 173 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 14 - 18

that in view, we offered a bonus of £2 10s to every sailor who could show ten V.G. discharges in the year, and to every fireman and trimmer we offered a bonus of £5 if he could show ten V.G. discharges in the year. That we continued for certainly three years, but, the result was so unsatisfactory that we eventually gave it up, so few of the men ever earned the bonus. 18996. Were your Company most anxious to secure such continuous service if it could be achieved? - That was the object we had in view in offering the bonuses to the sailors and the firemen and trimmers to remain by the ship and with the Company. 18997. And are you still anxious to secure it if it can be done? - Certainly. 18998. The difficulty is not with you? - Not at all. 18999. To what extent have you been successful in securing continuous service; do you know? - No, I could not answer that. 19000. Now, I think there is only one other matter I want you to tell me about. You were asked about a conversation with Mr. Bell that took place at Queenstown? - Yes. 19001. And it was suggested, if I followed the questions, that you had given some orders to Mr. Bell as to the speed? - No, I had given no orders. 19002. Will you just repeat again exactly what took place between you and Mr. Bell? - Mr. Bell came into my room, and I spoke to him with regard to the coal which he had on board the ship. I also said that there was no chance of the ship arriving in New York on the Tuesday; that we had very much better make up our minds to arrive there on the Wednesday morning and be off the lightship at 5 o’clock, and if the weather was fine and right in every respect on the Monday or Tuesday we then could take a run out of the ship. 19003. Was that all? - That is all. 19004. Did you ever contemplate that being done without communication with the Captain? - Certainly not. Re-examined by the ATTORNEY-GENERAL. 19005. I want you to direct your mind for a moment to the instructions given to the commanders in the Canadian service respecting field ice. I see from that extract which was read by my friend, Sir Robert Finlay: “It is usually the safest course to go South to get round the field ice, and Commanders have permission to use their discretion to deviate from the track under such circumstances.” That is, of course, dealing with the track to Canada? - Yes. 19006. The object of those instructions, I suppose, is to tell the Captain that he should get away from the field ice, and that he should go South in order to get away from it? - Yes. 19007. So that if a Captain is pursuing his course along the track and is advised of field ice, he ought to go South to get away from it? - He ought to take steps to avoid it. 19008. It is suggested here that the safest course would be to go South? - That naturally would be the safest course. 19009. That would be the natural thing; and it is right to say that you finish up with this, that “Commanders have permission to use their discretion to deviate from the track under such circumstances”? - Yes. 19010. You have no such instructions to commanders in the Atlantic service - that is to say from New York? - Not in regard to field ice, but there is the general instruction. 19011. Would this document get before Captain Smith at all? - I could not answer that question. 19012. It would not be supplied to him by your Company? - I could not answer that. 19013. Just follow me for a minute, and either you can answer me or one of my friends - anybody representing your Company. What I am anxious to know from you, or somebody on behalf of your Company, is whether there are instructions of any kind given to your commanders