THE WEEK'S GREAT DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 129, 3 June 1931, Page 6

THE WEEK'S GREAT DAY.

JUNE 3.—DEATH OF SAMUEL PLIMSOLL. (Copyrighted.) Thirty-three years ago, on June 3, 189S, Samuel Plimsoll, whose splendid work for the .melioration of the hardships and perils of the British mercantile seamen gained for him the proud title of "The Sailors' Friend," died at the age of 74. He was born at Bristol on February 10, lb-4, and was educated at Pchrith and Sheffield. Leaving school at an early age, ho commenced his business career as a clerk, and in a few years secured by his hard work and ability a lucrative post as manager of a Yorkshire brewery. At the age of twenty-nine he went to London, where ho eet up as a coal merchant, but this venture was a failure, and he was reduced to living in a common lodginghouse on a few shillings per week. No failure, however, could crush his gallant spirit, and eventually he succeeded in not only getting on his feet, but in making a fortune, which, at the age of 42, enabled him to enter Parliament and devote himself to humanitarian work. He made a special study of the perilous conditions under which a large number of British mercantile sailors were forced to go to sea, and he commenced a strenuous campaign against the powerful groups of unscrupulous shipowners who were making a practice of buying old vessels, which were only fit for the scrap heap, loading them with ae much cargo as could be crammed into their rotten hulls, insuring them heavily, ai: then sending them out into the stormy seas, with their papers made out for some distant port; while their wished for and almost inevitable destination was the bottom of the ocean. His book entitled "Our Seamen: An Appeal, which was published in 1872, and which contained a scathing indictment of the and "coffin ships," aroused a storm of public indignation throughout the country, leading to the appointment of a Royal Commission to investigate the subject in 1873 and the introduction of a remedial bill in the Commons a couple of years later. Although Plimsoll regarded the measure as quite inadequate, he was prepared to accept it on the principle that "half a loaf was better than no bread," and was bitterly disappointed when the Government announced on July 22, 1875, that it had been decided to drop the bill. Plimsoll lost his self-control, and in a fiery speech, which electrified the House, ho denounced the Government and stigmatised certain members of the Commons as villains, who consigned British seamen to certain death. For this breach of Parliamentary etiquette he was reprimanded by the Speaker, and apologised, but the British public felt with him that the measure had been stifled through the influence of the shipowners, with the result that the Government was forced by public opinion to introduce a new bill, which passed into law under the title of "The Merchant Shipping Act." This measure, which effected a number of beneficial reforms, stipulated that no British merchant ship could proceed to sea unless it bore what became known as the "Plimsoll mark," a circle with a horizontal line drawn through it, painted on the sides of the vessel, to indicate the maximum depth to which it might be loaded with safety. This precaution was later adopted by other nations, and is now in almost universal use throughout the world. Plimsoll resigned Iris seat in Parliament in 1880, and devoted the rest of his life to the welfare of seamen, both British and foreign, being for some years the president of the Sailors and Firemen's Union. During a visit to the United States he was responsible for effecting a considerable moderation in the bitterness which had hitherto been displayed in the history books used in the American schools. THE KNIGHTLY MOTORIST. When we had reached a point on the road far from the habitations of men the engine coughed gently once or twice, and my friend said: "What shall we do here if we get a breakdown?" "I am not alarmed," I said; "other motorists are meeting us all the time. It is a much-used road, and there will be many offers of help." The engine picked up, decided the cough was a mere catch in the breath, and we went on steadily, ■but my friend argued that motorists were selfish and not helpful "unless you are a (pretty girl." I protested, and said motorists were necessarily sympathetic and ready to assist anyone in distress. "Well," said my friend, "we will test it." So we staged a breakdown. We uncovered the engine, strewed a few tools about, and stood by the radiator looking helpless. In less than fifteen minutes twelve motorists passed us. Ten looked at us indifferently and passed on. The eleventh passed us, and when well away shouted over his shoulder, "Whatenratter ?" and, being beyond the sound of a reply from us, went on. The twelfth man slowed his car and asked quietly, "Do you need any help ?" We said, "No, thank you," gratefully, and resumed our journey. Perhaps if we had blocked the road instead of being at one side somebody might have helped to push us out of the way, or if we had stood in the road and waved our arms and yelled there might have ■been assistance offered when so asked for, but it was volunteers we angled for, and one in a dozen was caught. Perhaps machinery causes selfishness. Ido not think that when horses were our means of transport we passed anyone in trouble without inquiry. I sometimes read of a motorist who has gone up a bank or hit a telegraph post in trying to avoid a collision. As the smaller car does this most frequently, I suspect it is done with selfish regard for personal safety and not to avoid hurting another. When cars were just "coming in" and there were none in the backbloeks I had a reason for a hurried visit to a settlement less than twenty miles away from my home. As I saddled up I was offered a ride in a buggy with four horses. "As quick as vour mare and less exertion," said the owner driver. The road led through a deep gorge with a river at the bottom, and the road followed the bends and twists of the river, always following its course, although in some places no more than thirty feet above it, and at one spot a hundred and twenty feet. This road was cut out of the steep hillside and was barely sufficiently wide for two vehicles to paes, so that where there was a sheer cliff on one side the passenger was threatened with a dangerous drop to the river if forced off the road. With a jingling of harness and a rattling of loose bolts and wheels, we drove off. The four horses were fresh, and now and again one or other of the leaders would break from a rapid trot to a canter. We turned into the gorge and rounded one or two sharp angles, and then, around another which had concealed the road from us, we met another buggy and a pair of lean and weary horses trotting with it towards us. We had perhaps a second in which to decide what to do. The road was narrow, we could not pass. The buggy coming on was fairly in the middle of the road, and in it were three elderly women and a child. The woman driving was a Maori. Without checking the smart ipace of our four horses, "Nothing else for it," said my friend, and drove his team right over the bank and down towards the river. Although we rushed downwards at an angle the buggy kept on its wheels. The horses tore thiough small teatree, high grass and fern, and squeezed between two tall, slender trees, one of which broke off some distance above ground, the stump holding the axle of the buggy and bringing the whole outfit to a standstill. When we had disentangled the horses and looked up the declivity down which we had plunged there was nobody there. The women had driven on as if such acrobatics as we and our horses had performed were unworthy of attention, or they had gone on to send someone for our bodies. What would have happened if our four horses going fast had climbed ! over the other two? It is highly probable there would have been dead women and dead horses. My friend risked his life, mine, and the team, : to' avoid hurting others. He did not ask me, but ;|l approved, and have alwavs remembered the J lesson. -H.A.Y.