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23
" In regard to—
" (1) It is now generally admitted that accommodation in the bows of a cargo
ship is most unsatisfactory. Crew quarters should be in the poop or amidships and
the open forecastle should be replaced by two berth cabins. A messroom should be
provided and there should be adequate provision for washing. Trough-closets should
be replaced by separate pedestal water-closets. Other amenities such as metal
wardrobes and lockers for clothes in sleeping quarters and food lockers in messrooms
promote cleanliness and add generally to the comfort and convenience of the crew.
" (2) Trouble frequently arises between occupants of a forecastle on the question
of cleanlinesss and, unfortunately, usually results in the clean members of the crew
leaving the ship.
" (3) This state of affairs exists in the majority of tramp vessels, and the results
are seen quite clearly while the vessel is in port. The work of both deck and engineroom
is always pressing, and sanitation in the forecastle receives little or no attention
except for one or two hours once a week. On this occasion, which is usually Saturday
morning, one man is detailed off to clean up generally. This is totally inadequate,
and in many cases I have been able to secure the services of one man for one half-hour
after each meal to maintain cleanliness, which has resulted in great improvement.
In better appointed vessels and in most foreign ships a messroom boy is carried to keep
the crew quarters clean, Avhich is a much more satisfactory arrangement.
" (4) The importance of the Master exercising close supervision over the crew
accommodation cannot be exaggerated. Such action on the part of the Master can
absolutely transform the sanitary condition of the living accommodation, and even
in sister ships the standard of cleanliness may differ to the extremes according to the
personal interest taken by the Master. But in comparing conditions in ships of
similar construction but belonging to different companies, it would not be fair to blame
the Master without knowing what encouragement he gets from his owners. Some
companies will comply with every reasonable request in connection with maintenance.
Others run the ships of their fleet in competition one with another, and the Masters
are judged according to their expenditure during the voyage. Such a method results
in reluctance on the part of a Master to incur any expense beyond the minimum
necessary for the prevention of structural deterioration of his ship. For example,
on inspection of a certain ship I found the paintwork on the forecastle in a very dirty
condition, and when I drew attention to this I was informed that it was undesirable
to wash the paint, as this brought nearer the day when repainting would be required.
In the same ship the sailors were provided with one bucket each for washing, but they
were required to use the same buckets for ship work, including the baling of filthy
water from the bilges.
"Masters are often very lenient in the exercise of discipline, and make the excuse
that the logging of offenders does no good, and only involves the Masters in a lot of
trouble at the shipping office at the end of the voyage."
Mr. Mackie's observations are in accordance with the experience of many Port
Medical Officers and Sanitary Inspectors. There are three factors in the hygiene of
crew spaces. First of all the type of accommodation provided by the owner and the
shipbuilder; secondly, the discipline exercised by the ship's officers, and thirdly the
standards of the men themselves. It is so easy for a vicious circle to be started ;
poor accommodation, in which only men who are indifferent to comfort and cleanliness
will sail, and disheartened officers who cease to endeavour to maintain decent
conditions; or accommodation which is structurally good, a crew who are indifferent
to their surroundings and officers who cannot or will not maintain discipline resulting
in a disgusted owner, who comes to the conclusion that it is a waste of money to
provide good quarters, because they will not be properly cared for by the occupants.
Lastly there is the reasonably good accommodation and the reasonably good crew,
but lack of interest on the part of the officers, resulting in all-round deterioration.
The Port Medical Officer and the Sanitary Inspector naturally tend to talk and
write of the unsatisfactory conditions because they are anxious to get them remedied,
and it might appear that they found all owners hard, all officers slack, and all sailors