Page 179 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 32 - 36

cubic capacities of the various kinds of boats on five typical ships in each of eight ports. We recommend that the Board should be advised to alter the Life-Saving Appliances Rules so as to provide that, in future, the depth of lifeboats supplied to a British merchant vessel shall not exceed 44 percent of their breadth.” Your Lordship sees the gentleman by whom this was signed. This was the Sub-committee appointed by the Merchant Shipping Advisory Committee created under the statute of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1906 - this was a Sub-committee for dealing with life-saving appliances. Without going through the names of which your Lordship has heard sufficiently for the moment, and some of them will be very well known to you, it is quite plain that this was as representative a committee as you could get. There were undoubtedly representatives of shipowners, of shipbuilders, and seamen, the Union of Seamen and Firemen, of Lloyd’s, and also of the Underwriters’ Association. So that one has got here really as good a committee as I think could have been selected for the purpose of enquiring into what boat accommodation should be provided. But it cannot be said it is done in the interest of the shipowners - certainly not of the shipbuilders, but not of the shipowners - because you have got the seamen also represented and Lloyd’s, who are vitally interested in a question of this character, and the Underwriters’ Association. If your Lordship will look at page 21, you will see Sir Theodore Doxford was the representative of the Institution of Naval Architects. Your Lordship will see on page 21 who the gentlemen are who constituted the Committee. Mr. Carlisle, at the bottom of the page, was co- opted for the occasion as representing shipbuilders, and Mr. Royden as representing shipowners; he was the gentleman who represented the Cunard Company. Sir Theodore Doxford represented the Institution of Naval Architects, and the signatory, George N. Hampson, is Captain Hampson, of the Imperial Merchant Service Guild, representing the masters and officers, Mr. Rowe represented Lloyd’s Register, Mr. Ogilvie represented the Institute of London Underwriters, Mr. Havelock Wilson represented the National Sailors’ and Firemen’s Union, and Mr. Spencer represented the Marine Engineers’ Association, that is the engineer officers. I think it must be apparent from that, that every interest that could really give any guidance upon it was represented. This report of the Sub-Committee was adopted by the Advisory Committee. The Commissioner: When was it adopted by the Advisory Committee; was it adopted immediately afterwards? The Attorney-General: It is in the very letter we were referring to of the 4th July, 1911, at the bottom of page 23, the one where your Lordship got the date from: “We have the honour to report that your letter of the 4th April, with reference to the minimum number of lifeboats to be carried on vessels of 10,000 tons gross tonnage and upwards, and your letter of 17th May on the subject of the depth of lifeboats, have been very carefully considered by the Merchant Shipping Advisory Committee, and that it was unanimously decided at a meeting held on the 29th ultimo to adopt the report of a Sub-Committee which was specially appointed to enquire into these questions. A copy of the report is accordingly forwarded herewith, and the Committee desire us to suggest for the consideration of the Board of Trade, that effect should be given to the recommendations contained in it.” The Commissioner: I see what happened. The Advisory Committee sent this copy of the Report of the Sub-Committee. The Attorney-General: Yes, with a statement that they adopted it unanimously. The Commissioner: Adopted on the 29th June. The Attorney-General: Yes. “A copy of the report is accordingly forwarded herewith and the Committee desire us to suggest, for the consideration of the Board of Trade, that effect should be given to the recommendations contained in it.”