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Merchant Shipping Act, I am directed by the Board of Trade to inform
you that they regret that any representation made by the Medical
Officer of the Port of London Sanitary Committee should have appeared
to lack consideration at the hands of their Chief Inspector.
"The Board are glad to receive such reports as that in question or as
those communicated in your letter, and to take action in cases whenever
it appears possible to do so.
"I am to point out that complaints under Section 198, Merchant
Shipping Act, 1894, may be made to the Consular or Colonial Officer at
any port at which a vessel touches, abroad as well as at a home port.
The experience of the Board gives them no reason to suppose that
seamen either unaware of their rights under this section or deterred from
taking advantage of them by sub-section (4). They are further
empowered by Section 199 to claim compensation in cases where they
can substantiate these complaints.
"With reference to the desirabilty of compulsory inspection in other
cases than those provided for by Section 206, Merchant Shipping
Act, 1894, I am to inform you that the question was fully
considered at the time when the Merchant Shipping Act, 1906, was
drafted, and when it was before Parliament and compulsory inspection
was advisedly not adopted. That Act gave a wide extension of powers
to their inspectors, and these powers are now being utilised. The
Board do not consider that the inspection of all provisions supplied under
Section 25 is at present desirable or necessary.
"I am, Sib,
"Your obedient Servant,
"WALTER J. HOWELL."
The result of this correspondence cannot be considered as entirely satisfactory.
It should be the duty of masters of vessels to make a regular inspection of
provisions intended for the use of seamen, and if found to be unsound, a fresh
supply should be obtained at the next port. In the case of the s.s. " Pontop "
above referred to, the vessel had come from the River Plate where it would
have been possible to obtain any quantity of sound meat, flour and biscuits.
There is little doubt that if the provisions intended for the use of seamen
on board the smaller vessels, were inspected by persons who had some
knowledge of food inspection, with power to institute legal proceedings in