Page 92 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 19 - 22

you thought they were insufficient, and you said nothing? - I was never on board them, my Lord. I had nothing to do with the finishing. 21343. I suppose you knew about the boats? - I knew nothing about the boats that she was leaving with. 21344. Whose business is it to know about the boats? - It is the owners’. 21345. Then I do not understand this arrangement. I thought the owners left all these questions to the wisdom of Harland and Wolff? - I have said they left a very great deal; at the same time they control us on certain points. They have to consider their other fleet and their other steamers. 21346. What do you mean by that? - I mean if they go and make certain changes in these ships, naturally they would have to make them in the “Adriatic” and other boats. 21347. Then are you suggesting now that they were influenced to supply insufficient boats by the consideration that if they supplied more they would have to put more into their other steamers? - Certainly not. I do not know what was their reason. 21348. What do you think was their reason? - I cannot tell. 21349. Oh, yes you can? - I have no idea, my Lord. The Attorney-General: Had not those two plans better be marked, my Lord? The Commissioner: Yes. The Attorney-General: May we mark the small one C1 and the other C2? The Commissioner: Very well. Now you have the witness, Mr. Scanlan. Mr. Scanlan: Yes, my Lord. Examined by Mr. SCANLAN. 21350. We have been told in the course of this Enquiry that certain of the plans for the “Olympic” and the “Titanic” were submitted to the Board of Trade. I want to ask you whether this plan for boats was submitted to the Board of Trade - this plan which you have explained to my Lord? - I could not say. 21351. (The Commissioner.) Do you really mean to suggest that it is possible this plan was submitted to the Board of Trade. Do you think it is probable that this plan was submitted to the Board of Trade? - I do not think it was. At the meeting of the 19th of May, 1911, I think there was some person for the Board of Trade - 21352. (Mr. Scanlan.) I understand you, Mr. Carlisle, to be speaking of the meeting of the Advisory Committee of the Board of Trade? - Yes, at the Board of Trade Office, Whitehall. 21353-4. Those meetings are attended by the Committee which consists of shipowners and representatives of the Seamen’s Union and certain officials of the Board of Trade? - Yes. The Secretary of the Advisory Committee is an official of the Board of Trade, I understand? The Commissioner: What is his name? Mr. Scanlan: I do not know. The Witness: Here is the letter. (handing a letter to the Commissioner.) The Commissioner: What is the name of the gentleman who is the Secretary? 21355-6. (Mr. Scanlan.) Is it Mr. Matthews? - I have handed up the letter to my Lord, so that he will see exactly. 21357. (The Commissioner.) I do not see the important part of this, namely, the enclosure? - That is merely some paper, I do not know what it is, whether it is here or not. 21358. (The Commissioner.) I will read the letter: “In accordance with the decision of yesterday’s meeting of the Life-Saving Appliances Sub-Committee, I have arranged for the next meeting of the Sub-Committee to be held at the Board of Trade at 11 a.m. on Friday, the 26th instant. I enclose a summary setting out the conclusions arrived at as the result of yesterday’s meeting.” Now, where is that summary? - I have not it here. I do not know whether it is among