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the s.s. "Pontop," that the provisions on board a ship at the end of a
voyage are not satisfactory. In such a case they would suggest that in
future it would be an advantage if any complaints received in this matter
from members of ships' crews or others could be at once referred for the
necessary action to the Board's officers with whom the responsibility for
the inspection of the provisions intended for the use of crews rests.
"I am, Sir,
"Your obedient Servant,
"The Town Clerk, (Signed) "WALTER J. HOWELL.
"Guildhall, E.C."
"Section 198.—(1) If three or more of the crew of a British ship consider
that the provisions or water for the use of the crew are at any time of bad
quality, unfit for use, or deficient in quantity, they may complain thereof to
any of the following officers, namely, an officer in command of one of
His Majesty's ships, a British Consular Officer, a Superintendent or a Chief
Officer of Customs, and the officer may either examine the provisions or water
complained of, or cause them to be examined.
"(2) If the officer or person making the examination finds that the
provisions or water are of bad quality and unfit for use, or deficient in
quantity, he shall signify it in writing to the master of the ship, and if the
master of the ship does not thereupon provide other provisions or water in
lieu of any so signified to be of bad quality and unfit for use, or does
not procure the requisite quantity of any provisions or water so signified to
be deficient in quantity, or uses any provisions or water so signified to be of
bad quality and unfit for use, he shall for each offence be liable to a fine not
exceeding twenty pounds.
"0(3) The officer directing, or the person making, the examination shall
enter a statement of the result of the examination in the official log book and
send a report thereof to the Board of Trade, and that report shall be
admissible in evidence in manner provided by this Act.
"(4) If the said officer certifies in that statement that there was no
reasonable ground for the complaint, each of the complainants shall be liable
to forfeit to the owner out of his wages a sum. not exceeding one
week's wages.
"199.—In either of the following cases, that is to say :—
"(1) If during a voyage the allowance of any of the provisions for which a
seaman has by his agreement stipulated is reduced (except in accordance with
any regulations for reduction by way of punishment contained in the
agreement with the crew, and also except for any time during which the
seaman wilfully and without sufficient cause refuses or neglects to perform
Complaints as
to provisions
or water.
Allowance for
short or bad
provisions.