Page 148 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 19 - 22

Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, and to some extent also by the Act of 1906, but substantially it includes every steamship, British or foreign, carrying passengers from, to, or between places in the United Kingdom? - Quite so. 22169. That is the substance of it - I am not using the exact words. Then Section 271 of the Merchant Shipping Act which your Lordship will find in that little abstract at page 7, provides for an annual survey of every passenger steamer which carries more than 12 passengers? - Yes, the survey must be at least once a year. The Attorney-General: Quite right. The Commissioner: Have you a spare copy of that? 22170. (The Attorney-General.) Yes, certainly - (Handing the same to his Lordship.) There must be a survey at least once a year your Lordship sees if a passenger steamer carries more than 12 passengers. And further that vessel must not ply or proceed to sea without a certificate from the Board of Trade. The Witness: That is so. 22171. Then Section 72 of the Act of 1894 amended to some extent by the Act of 1906 deals with the mode of survey? - Yes. 22172. And requires certain particulars to be stated in the Declaration of the Surveyor. That continues in the Abstract, my Lord, and your Lordship will find the main point set out on page 8. Obviously the object of these provisions in the Statute was to ensure that the survey should be adequate? - Exactly. 22173. That is what Parliament intended? - Yes. 22174. The Board of Trade appoint Surveyors for this purpose? - Yes. 22175. And a person who is appointed as a Surveyor may be both a ship Surveyor as well as an Engineer Surveyor, may he not, if he has the qualifications for both? - Yes. 22176. Generally speaking, as vessels are now built, made of iron and steel, is the work of surveying passenger steamers carried out by Surveyors who hold appointments both as engineer and ship Surveyor? - Speaking generally, that is the case. 22177. Does that mean that before entering the Board’s service they have had experience of engineering at sea? - Yes. 22178. In engineering as apprentice and as a seagoing engineer? - Yes. 22179. Do they have to pass a Surveyor’s technical examination before entering the Board’s service? - Yes. Do they then have to undergo training and pass a further examination as to their ability to survey a ship before they undertake the work on their own responsibility for the Board of Trade? - That is exactly so. 22180. The survey of the passenger steamers would cover the hull, equipment and machinery of the steamer, I think, you told us in the early part of your evidence? - Yes. 22181. And that is conducted in accordance with the regulations which are made by the Board of Trade? - Yes. 22182. There are instructions which are issued with reference to that, are there not? I will not trouble you for the moment to go into it. I think a later witness will tell us more in detail. You yourself did not survey the “Titanic” at all? - No. 22183. That would not be your business? - Certainly not. 22184. But you would get reports I suppose from your Engineer Surveyor in Chief? - Not in the usual course from the Engineer Surveyor in Chief; usually from the local Surveyor or Surveyors. 22185. And it is they who can speak as to what actually was done with regard to the “Titanic”? - That is exactly so. 22186. Now, just let us understand what happens. Does the Surveyor make a declaration? -