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" were in a filthy condition, the floors being strewn with all kinds of refuse, and
" offensive liquid from the horses carried on the same deck had leaked through into
" these quarters. No attempt had been made at cleansing this space since the vessel
" had left Libau. Two temporary closets were provided, and both were used
" indiscriminately by the sexes. The only ventilation provided was by means of the
" bunker hatchway, and by two 1'2-inch ventilators, one of which was without a
"cowl, and closed. The Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, provides that steerage
"emigrants carried on the lower deck shall have not less than 18 clear superficial
"feet of deck space, and that if the height 'tween decks is less than 7 feet, or if the
" apertures for admitting light and air, exclusive of side scuttles, are less in size
" than in the proportion of 3 square feet to every 100 square feet of deck for each
" steerage adult emigrant, each such emigrant shall be entitled to 25 square feet;
"that all unmarried male steerage emigrants of 14 years or upwards shall be
" berthed in a compartment divided off from the space occupied by other steerage
" passengers ; and further, that not more than one steerage passenger, except
" married couples, females, or children, shall at any time occupy the same berth ;
"that with regard to privies separate provision shall be made for (a) males,
" (b) females and children, and that all privies and w.c.'s shall be firmly constructed,
"and maintained in a cleanly and serviceable condition throughout the voyage.
" The master of the vessel is liable for infringements of these provisions to penalties
"varying from £20 to £500. With reference to horses, the Act provides that none
" shall be carried below any deck on which emigrants are carried, nor in auy
" adjoining compartment unless separated by watertight bulkheads, and in vessels
"of less than 500 tons not more than two head of large cattle shall be carried, and
"in larger vessels one head of large cattle for every additional 200 tons. That the
" number of steerage passengers shall not exceed the proportion of 15 to every
" 100 tons registered tonnage. The registered tonnage of the ' Riberhuus' and
"'Hengest' is 340 and 145 respectively, so that had they been British vessels they
"could only have carried 51 and 62 immigrants. I am of opinion that the limita"
tions laid down by this Act express a minimum incapable of reduction without
"prejudice to health. I think it might be reasonably urged that limitation of a
"similar kind should be enforced on foreign vessels carrying immigrants, and, if
" your Committee approves, I would suggest that this be brought to the notice of
"the Board of Trade and the Russian and Danish Governments. With regard to
" the nuisance which undoubtedly has existed, and still exists, in every case of
"arrival of these immigrants, and for which the masters of the vessels, and the
" owners, by whose default clearly the nuisance arises, are liable, I wish to suggest
"to your Worshipful Committee the advisability, as soon as vessels in a similar
" condition to those mentioned enters the Port of London, of serving a statutory
"nuisance notice on the master while within the jurisdiction of your authority, not
" only to abate the existing nuisance, but to prevent its recurrence. Then upon auy
" subsequent arrival of the vessel, should a recurrence of the nuisance be found,
"legal proceedings might be taken for non-compliance with the notice."
Your Committee made representations to the Consuls for Denmark and
Russia, and a question was asked in the House of Commons, from which it
appears that the Board of Trade has no power to interfere. A copy of
your Medical Officer's Report was thereupon sent to the Royal Commission,
with the result that your Medical Officer was invited to give evidence, which
he accordingly did. His evidence covered the greater part of two days, and
was represented by answers to a series of 393 questions.