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41
Unfortunately, the provisions of the Merchant Shipping Act appear to
accept standards with regard to cubic space, lighting, &c., which compare
most unfavourably with those adopted by communities other than those
concerned with life on board ship.
With the framing of the Public Health Acts and the constitution of Port
Sanitary Authorities, and more particularly the Port of London Sanitary
Authority, it was enacted that vessels lying within the jurisdiction of the
Port Sanitary Authority should be subject to that Authority in every respect
as though such vessels were houses on land.
Herein lies an important difficulty. It is at once apparent that the
conditions under which seamen are compelled to exist while serving on board
ship are deficient, to an extent much below that of any habitation on shore, in
the common requirements of air space, superficial area, ventilation and lighting.
It became, therefore, a question of attempting to reconcile the minimum
accommodation, &c., permitted by the Merchant Shipping Act with the
requirements of the individual in regard to sanitary accommodation, &c.,
viewed in the light of modern knowledge.
In my last Annual Report I gave a Table showing the minimum amount of
air space allowed for cattle in cowsheds, and for the human individual in
military barracks, workrooms, lodging-houses, and seamen's quarters. Setting
these side by side, it was shown that the cattle occupied the premier position,
and the seamen the last. This state of things would be remarkable under
any circumstances, but when it can be shown that no reason exists for thus
diminishing the air space in which a seaman is compelled to live and sleep, it
would appear that some active steps might be taken to remedy an evil which
is little short of a public scandal.
In the case of small sailing ships, where deck room is limited, and the crew
are berthed below deck, it is difficult to obtain an adequate allowance either of
air space or floor space, or even proper lighting and ventilation, but even on
vessels of this type, the foreigner is often more advanced than the British
shipowner, and will erect deck-houses wherever possible.
Another point is of importance, namely, that the Merchant Shipping Act
deals with and has in view the existence of seamen, but takes no notice of the
equally numerous, and at the present time equally important class known as
firemen.
The seaman who is much exposed to all kinds of weather while on
duty is, perhaps, able to counteract, for the short period he is off duty, the
impure atmosphere in the quarters provided for him, but the case of the
fireman is different. His work is performed in a high temperature, and is
physically severe. At the end of his spell he is more or less exhausted, and
on reaching his quarters he has to endure an atmosphere more vitiated than
the one he has just left.