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and shipping officers approved—Power of masters—Scheme for
training boys for sea—Marine Insurances—Report as a whole most
valuable 463-501


CHAPTER XVII.

Loose statements with regard to the loss of life at sea, and other
matters—"Coffin ships"—Great improvement of our ships and
officers in recent years—Duties of the Board of Trade with regard to
wrecks—Return of lives lost and saved between 1855 and 1873, note—Wreck
chart; but the extent of loss not sufficiently examined—Danger
of too much Government interference—Loss of life in proportion
to vessels afloat—Causes of loss—More details required—Improvement
in lighthouses, buoys, and beacons—Harbours of
Refuge—Extraordinary scene in the House of Commons on the withdrawal
of the Merchant Shipping Bill, 1875—Another Bill introduced
by Government—Its conditions—Unusual personal power granted
to Surveyors—Propriety or not, of further legislation considered—Compulsory
load-line—Mr. J. W. A. Harper's evidence—Mr. W. J.
Lamport and others—Opinion of the Commissioners—Voluntary
load-line—Its value questionable—All ships should be certified as
seaworthy—How can this be accomplished?—Opinion of Mr. Charles
MacIver, note—Registration Associations—Lloyd's Register, its great
importance—Improvement of seamen by better education—Evil
effects of advance notes, confirmed by the opinion of the Commissioners—Over-insurance—Views
of Mr. T. H. Farrer—Evidence of
other witnesses—Opinion of the Commissioners—Too much legislation
already—The necessity of a Mercantile Marine Code, and more
prompt punishment in criminal cases—Concluding remarks on the
extraordinary progress of British shipping, and the dangers of over-legislation 502-559