Page 27 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 23 - 26

Examined by Mr. SCANLAN. 22911. Your experience before going to the Board of Trade was entirely experience as a seaman? - Entirely. 22912. In seamanship? - Yes. 22913. And your highest certificate is that of Master? - Yes. 22914. Your total experience on the sea was 16 years? - Between 16 and 17 years. 22915. You were five years an Apprentice, I think you were four years a Second Mate, three years a First Mate, and four years a Master? - I am not sure, I cannot remember the dates. 22916. You had no experience of ship’s construction, you were never employed in a shipyard? - I was never employed in a shipyard. 22917. And I suppose until you got the situation in the Board of Trade you had very little occasion to go into shipyards? - Oh, yes, I had. I was appointed to two new ships, where I had to inspect their construction. 22918. But you had no occasion specially beyond the interest which a seaman has in the construction of ships, to take any part in the designing of ships? - No, but the interest a seaman takes is a very great one. 22919. I admit that some seamen take a very great interest in it. You have retired now from the Board of Trade? - I have. 22920. On pension? - On pension, under the age limit. 22921. A year ago? - Yes. 22922. Therefore, I suppose when you give your opinion that the scale of lifeboat accommodation should not be increased, you do not presume to express to my Lord the present opinion of the Board of Trade? - Not at all. 22923. This is the opinion that the Board of Trade formerly entertained? - It is the opinion I formerly entertained. 22924. I think you still entertain it - do I understand aright? - I shall entertain it. 22925. And I think until last year you represented the highest opinion of the Board of Trade? - Of the Marine Department. 22926. Of the Marine Department of the Board of Trade? - Yes. 22927. You were the right arm on which the last Witness relied? - I cannot say that - except in nautical matters. 22928. You were the professional man who would be responsible for advising the Board of Trade? - That is the case. 22929. Had the question of providing lifeboat accommodation in proportion to the number of passengers carried been brought under the notice of your Department in recent years before you left the Board of Trade? - Never. 22930. Had the question of providing additional lifeboat accommodation, even if not on the scale to accommodate all on board, been considered by the Board of Trade and brought under your notice? - It had been considered by us when the “Olympic” was projected; not till the “Olympic” was projected. 22931. In what form was the matter presented to you when the “Olympic” was projected? Was it in the form of a question as to whether the construction of such a large ship demanded an extension of your scale? - No. 22932. Tell me in what form it was presented? - In my own mind. I evolved it in my own mind. 22933. In what shape did this question present itself to you; what was the occasion of considering it? - The occasion was that the largest ships before that were about 31,000 tons, the “Lusitania” and the “Mauretania,” and the 45,000 odd tons that was represented by the