LOSS OF STEAMSHIP "TITANIC".
False Reports.
Colonel YATE asked the Postmaster-General
if his attention had been called to
certain telegrams to the effect that the
"Titanic" had been taken in tow and the
passengers had been saved; and whether the
origin of those telegrams can be traced ?
Mr. HERBERT SAMUEL: I am aware that reports,
subsequently found to be false, appeared in
the press, and I believe that their place of
origin is generally known. But I am making
inquiry whether the wireless from ships holding
my licence for wireless telegraphy on which
the reports were represented to have been
founded, were in fact sent from those
ships, and I should be glad if the hon.
and gallant Member would put down a further
question in a week's time.
Colonel YATE: Have these reports had no
effect upon the premiums for reinsurance ?
Mr. HERBERT SAMUEL: That is not a matter
within my cognisance.
Colonel YATE: Will the right hon. Gentleman
make inquires upon the subject ?
Mr. HERBERT SAMUEL: I think the question should
be addressed to the President of the Board
of Trade.
Mr. FRED HALL (Dulwich): Is it not a fact
that in consequence of these telegrams the
rate of insurance went down from sixty
guineas to twenty-five guineas per cent.
BOAT ACCOMMODATION
Mr. MARTIN asked the President of the Board
of Trade if there is any law which gives his
Board power to compel the owners of
passenger steamers to provide sufficient
lifeboats to give a place in them to every
human being on the boat in case of a
disaster like the loss of the "Titanic";
whether, as often alleged, there is no passenger
steamer leaving a British port with lifeboats
sufficient for that purpose; whether in many
cases the lifeboat accommodation is only
about one-third of that required; and, if
there is no such law, will the
Government introduce a Bill for that
purpose ?
Mr. FRED HALL (Dulwich) asked the President
of the Board of Trade whether taking into
consideration the reported loss of life
which has recently occurred to the
passengers of the steamer "Titanic," he will
take steps that regulations may be made to
compel all steamers to carry boats, rafts,
or other life-saving apparatus sufficient
to accommodate the whole of those on
board ?
Mr. BOTTOMLEY: asked the President of the
Board of Trade (1) whether he will consider
the propriety of framing a regulation for
for the purpose of preventing British
passenger liners for New York, during the
spring season, taking the North Atlantic
route, with a view to establishing crossing
records; and (2) whether he can state the
exact lifeboat accommodation which was
provided on the "Titanic" and what proportion
it bore to the authorised number of
passengers and crew ?
Mr. BUXTON: I think it will be convenient
if I deal in a single statement with all
the questions relating to the boat
accommodation of the "Titanic,"and the
Board of Trade regulations relating to
boats and other life-saving appliances.
The Board of Trade are empowered by Section
427 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, to
make rules for life-saving appliances on
British Ships, and Section 428 requires
the owner and master to give effect to
the rules. The rules now in force,
originally drawn up in 1890, and
revised in 1894 and subsequently,
prescribe a scale indicating the
minimum number of boats to be provided
in accordance with the gross tonage
of the ship. The highest provision
made in this scale is for vessels of
10,000 tons and upwards. In view of
the increased size of modern passenger
steamers the Board of Trade early last year
referred to the Advisory Committee on
Merchant Shipping the question of the
revision of the rules, and, in
particular, of the revision of the rules,
and, in particular, of the provision to
be made in the case of steamers of very
large size. In view of the public interest
aroused by the recent lamentable disaster,
I am having the Report of this Committee
printed with the votes. (See written answers
this date). After considering this Report,
together with the views of their expert
advisers, the Board of Trade were not satisfied
that the increased provision recommended by the
Advisory Committee was altogether adequate.
After additional investigations and tests in
regard to the best type and proportions of
lifeboats, the Board, within the last
few days, referred the question back to
the Committee for further examination. I
mention this in order that the House may
understand that before the recent terrible
disaster occurred, the Board of Trade, in
concert with the best expert authorities
available, had been carefully and practically
considering the question of the revision of
the scale of boat accommodation prescribed
for large ships. I do not, of course, desire
to forecast in any way the result of the
inquiry which will be held into the loss
of the "Titanic," or any modification of
policy that may be necessitated by the
findings of that inquiry, or by the new
situation created by the present disaster.
I wish the House, however, to understand
quite clearly that, up to the present, it
has never been the intention of the Board
of Trade regulations, and, so far as I know,
it has not been suggested by any responsible
expert authority, that every vessel, however
large and however well equipped as regards
watertight compartments, should necessarily
carry lifeboats adequate to accommodate all
on board. It has always been considered up to
the present by all expert authorities that
subdivision by watertight compartments is a
safeguard to be taken into account in
considering the minimum number of boats
required. The Board of Trade (following in
this respect the Report of the Life Saving
Appliances Committee of 1890) expressly
allow a deduction in the case of vessels so
equipped, and the recent Report of the
Merchant Shipping Advisory Committee makes
further recommendations in the same
sense. No doubt the present disaster
creates a new situation which will need
to be most carefully considered, I hope,
however, not in a panic, in the light of
all the information which the inquiry
will disclose.
Coming to the actual facts of the
case, the present Rule of the Board of
Trade with regard to a ship of 10,000
tons and upwards requires a minimum boat
accommodation of 9,625 cubic feet (i.e.,
sixteen boats under davits, with a capacity
of 5,500 cubic feet, and an addition of
75 per cent. in the shape of other boats,
rafts, etc.). This would provide for about
960 persons. The "Titanic" actually carried
sixteen boats under davits, with accommodation
for 990 persons, and four Engelhardt boats,
accommodating 188 persons in addition (i.e.,
altogether accommodation for 1,178 persons).
Besides these, there were forty-eight
lifebuoys and 3,560 lifebelts. The total
number of passengers and crew which the
vessel was certified to carry was 3,547,
and on the recent voyage the actual
number on board when the vessels left
Queenstown was 2,208. With reference to
the question of framing a Regulation to
prevent passenger steamers for North
American ports during the spring season
from taking the North Atlantic route,
I am not prepared at the moment to
express any opinion. This and all other
relevant questions wil be submittted to
searching inquiry.
Mr. BOTTOMLEY: Do I correctly understand
the right hon. Gentleman to say that the
"Titanic" carried the whole of the
life-saving appliances required by the
rules of the Board of Trade, and may I
call his attention to the rule that requires
that a three-fourths increase in the scale
he has provided in accordance with the
tonnage, and that the correct number of
lifeboats were twenty-eight ?
Mr.BUXTON: No, I thought I had explained
that the "Titanic" was carrying more than
was required by the Regulations. I think the
hon. Member has misunderstood the rules. The
rule is that they are required to carry sixteen
boats of a cubic capacity of 5,500 feet. In
addition to that they have to provide 25 per
cent. additional boats, and they were already
provided by the "Titanic," and more than was
actually required by the existing Board of
Trade Regulations.
Mr. ASHLEY: Will the right hon. Gentleman also
extend his inquiry to small vessels in view of
the fact that the cross-channel steamer which
was recently in collision had only six boats,
which could not possibly have carried away the
400 who were on board at the time ?
Mr. BUXTON: The Committee will certainly consider
small boats as well as large. At the moment
public attention is more directed to large
boats, but I can assure the hon. Gentleman
that there will be no neglect on the part of
the Board of Trade or any other authority to
look at the whole matter very carefully.
Mr.ASHLEY: Will the right hon. Gentleman
extend the terms of reference to small vessels,
especially those carrying a large number of
passengers ?
Mr. W.O'BRIEN: Can the Board of Trade do
anything to discourage the racing for time
records across the Atlantic, which is the
cause of this disaster ?
Mr. BUXTON: I am afraid we have no power
over that.
Mr.JOYCE: In issuing the Report of the Merchant
Shipping Advisory Committee, will the right hon.
Gentleman include the Report of the Sub-Committee
which tried the "Engelhardt" lifeboat last year ?
Mr. BUXTON: I will consider whether it will be
of interest to the House. If so, I shall
certainly have no objection to circulating it.
Mr. FRED HALL (Dulwich): May I ask the right
hon. Gentleman whether, when the terms of reference
are being drawn up, careful attention will be
given to the penalties under which steamship
companies labour at the present time in
consequence of lateness in arrival, and also
whether in consequence of the explosion of
the theory that any ship can be unsinkable
although it has sixteen bulkheads, as
in the case of the "Titanic," he will do all
he can to facilitate this inquiry in the
hope that no other accident will occur
in the meantime ?
Mr.BUXTON: It is my desire and also that of
my Department to facilitate the inquiry as
far as possible, but there must necessarily
be an inquiry into the loss of the "Titanic,"
and it is quite clear that until we have such
information as is available in regard to the
disaster to that ship, we shall not really be
in such a strong position as to know what to
do. I can assure the House there will be no
delay. We feel the great responsibility the
Board of Trade bear in the matter, but I
really think it is far better that we
should give a little longer time and
come to a satisfactory conclusion rather
than that we should act rapidly and be led
possibly into other evils.
Mr.LOUGH: In view of the rapid growth in the
size of vessels in recent years, does not my
right hon. Friend think that it was a long
time to leave it from 1894 to 1911, without
making any regulations for vessels over
10,000 tons ?
Mr.COOPER: May I ask the right hon. Gentleman
if it is not a fact that Atlantic liners of
German and United States nationality do
today actually carry close on double the lifeboat
accommodation required by the Regulations of the
Board of Trade in this country ?
Mr.BUXTON: I do not think that it is so as
a matter of fact, but perhaps the hon. Gentleman
will give notice of the question.
Mr.BOTTOMLEY: Does not the right hon. Gentleman
really think that it is an established fact
that this unfortunate vessel was between the
zones of the icebergs during this season of
well known and established danger, and that the
Board of Trade should take immediate steps to
prevent the recurrence of such disasters ?
Mr.BUXTON: I really think it is a matter to
which some consideration should be given. Hon.
Gentlemen must remember that if this great
disaster has given a shock to public opinion,
it will also be taken fully into account by the
managers and directors of these great lines,
who naturally are anxious for the safety of
their vessels and passengers, but really do
not think I ought to be asked to give an
answer to such a question now.
Mr.BOTTOMLEY: I beg to give notice that at
the end of Questions I shall ask leave to
move the Adjournment of the House on this
subject.
Mr.WILKIE: May I ask the right hon. Gentleman
whether I am to understand that, according to
the Regulations of the Board of Trade these
vessels are only carrying lifeboats and life
rafts according to the tonnage, and not
according to the number of passengers they
carry, and further whether he is aware that
there is no difficultly whatever in naval
architecture to prevent these boats from
having a sufficient number of lifeboats and
life rafts to carry all the passengers ?
Mr. BUXTON: Under the existing Regulation
the boat accommodation is calculated on
tonnage. That may or may not be a good plan,
but at any rate it is one of the most material
points to which consideration will be given.
As regards the latter part of the question I
do not wish to express an opinion, but it
is evident, from what I have already done,
that the real difficulty in a matter of
this sort is not the accommodation on the
deck, but that if you overload the vessel
with boats, the real danger in the case of
emergency would be that the very number of
boats themselves might lead to disaster.
That is a point on which I do not wish to
express an opinion. All these points will
receive very great consideration.
MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT
Mr. BOTTOMLEY: I beg to move the Adjournment
of the House for the purpose of calling
attention to a matter of urgent public
importance, namely, the failure of the Board
of Trade to provide adequate protection for the
lives of passengers on British ocean liners.
Mr. SPEAKER: The subject to which the hon.
Member desires to draw attention may clearly
be said to come within the Rule, but I would
point out that the hon. Member has got a
more favourable opportunity, if he wishes to
raise the topic on the question, that I do now
leave the chair. Indeed, it is possible that
it may come on at an earlier stage than it
would by obtaining the Motion for the
Adjournment of the House. Therefore I suggest
that the hon. Member should take his chance
of getting in upon the question that I do now
leave the chair, and he will be able to
raise that particular topic.
Mr. BOTTOMLEY: I am much obliged to you, Sir,
and I shall endeavour to catch your eye after
the discussion on the Insurance Act.
