Page 204 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 14 - 18

Company throughout? - Absolutely. We pay them certain wages by agreement, but only on account of the Marconi Company. 19259. There were as we know, two operators on this ship so that you had a continuous Marconi service? - We had. 19260. Have you also got two on the “Olympic”? - Yes. 19261. What is your practice with regard to the rest of your fleet? - With few exceptions in the Atlantic trade we have two, but those exceptions cease to exist. We have made two on all the ships. 19262. That is what I was going to ask. Is that since the disaster? - Yes, but we do not do that with the ships trading with the Colonies, because you will understand that for many hours and days they are out of touch, and, to have two men doing nothing is not good. 19263. As far as regards your North Atlantic service today as I follow you, you have two operators on every single ship? - We have. 19264. Was that change made in consequence of the disaster? - Yes. 19265. And it is one which I suppose you intend to persist in? - Absolutely. 19266. I did not notice it in the agreement, but you may be able to tell us: is there any provision by which your navigation Marconigrams, the Master’s messages, have any sort of precedence? - I think not; there is nothing in the agreement to that effect. 19267. As I follow, if the Marconi operator is sending private messages there is payment being made for them? - Yes. 19268. They are a source of income? - Yes. 19269. The other messages, of course, are going gratuitously? - Yes. 19270. There is no provision, so far as you know, for priority as between one and the other? - I recall none. 19271. I think that will do for No. 6. Now one comes to the instructions as to navigation given to the Master, No. 7. Sir Robert Finlay has read a number of documents about that. I do not think there is anything you want to add, is there, about instructions given to the Master? - I think I can only add that when we do appoint a Master we supplement what Sir Robert Finlay has read by remarks to him. I see of late years - I have seen most of them myself, and we never fail to tell them, in handing them these letters, that we do not wish them to take it as a mere matter of form; that we wish them to read these letters and to write an acknowledgment to us that they have read them, and that they will be influenced by what we have said in those letters; and I always assure them that if they get into trouble, notwithstanding that they have carried out the Company’s regulations, and complied with our wishes, they will find us kind and considerate employers; but if they neglect anything in the way of a precaution which we might expect from them as good seamen they may expect no mercy at our hands. I never fail to tell them that, and that is thoroughly understood throughout the service. 19272. I should like to know this about it. In the ordinary course, when one of your ships leaves Southampton, is there some understanding or arrangement made as to when she is to aim at reaching the other side? - None whatever, with this possible exception, that we have with certain ships that have high speed from time to time told the Masters not to arrive before a certain time. In other words, we do not want to have them pushing for an arrival which might be an inconvenient one from the passengers’ point of view and which might put the ship under pressure to arrive. We have repeatedly told them with certain ships of high speed at certain times of the year to make a landing. They have never been told to make a landing by any particular time. 19273. I am not suggesting that they should be recommended to do anything improper, but I want to know what the course of business is. If one of your ships leaves Southampton at some advertised time, presumably if one asks at the White Star Office they can say when she is