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65
MERCHANT SHIPPING ACT, 1906.
During the year 1906, a Bill to amend the Merchant Shipping Act was
introduced into Parliament, and was referred by the Court of Common
Council to the Port Sanitary Committee to report thereon.
The Bill, after being read a second time in the House of Commons, was
referred to the Standing Committee on Trade.
The Bill, as originally drafted, contained no provision for amending the
original Act of 1894, so as to increase the cubical capacity and superficial
area for seamen, and also for improving in other ways the conditions under
which seamen have to live.
I duly reported this to the Port Sanitary Committee, and I was instructed
to submit a list of my recommendations, which were approved, and
Mr. Remembrancer took the necessary steps to have them brought to the notice
of the Standing Committee on Trade.
My recommendations were as follows :—
(1) Plans, drawn to scale, and specifications of all living quarters and
sanitary conveniences on board every new ship, must be submitted to a
Port Sanitary Authority for approval.
This should preferably be the Port Sanitary Authority of the
port in which the vessel is built.
No new vessel shall be considered to comply with the requirements
of the Merchant Shipping Act unless and until the inhabited
spaces and sanitary conveniences have been inspected and certified by an
Officer of a Port Sanitary Authority as being satisfactory.
(2) The minimum of cubic space should be raised to at least
120 cubic feet per head.
(3) The superficial floor space should be at least 18 square feet per
head.
(4) The ventilation should be efficient, and not merely mean the
provision of a ventilator situated in an unsuitable position.
(5) The lighting to be adequate.
No bunks shall be allowed to be placed in such a position as to
obstruct the light.
(6) A separate room should be provided for the crews to take their
meals in.
(7) All bare iron surfaces in living quarters shall be efficiently
insulated.