THE BRITISH FORECASTLE

Southland Times, Issue 16844, 21 September 1911, Page 2

THE BRITISH FORECASTLE

Some attention has been drawn in England of late to certain remarks of Lord Furness with reference to the personnel of the mercantile marine. He confesses to the belief that if shipowners could manage as a body to raise tiie status of the seaman, and cause our countrymen to s hare more largely in the manning of our ships, they would not only render a patriotic service, but receive material reward in the shape of greater efficiency and safety. • Few people will be found to challenge tiie substance of this kindly sentiment. . Undoubtedly the forecastle of the average British tramp steamer is capable of what Lord Furness calls uplifting,- and this process should prove consistent, in this case as in others, with better serf vice on the part of the employee. But Lord Furness, unfortunately, only deals with the matter in general terms. He does not, for instance, outline for his fellow ship-owners any royal road to the attainment of the desired end. Status is a term that in many circles is judged by its cash value, and from this point of view the recent strike of sailors and firemen has unquestionably done something to improve the financial side of the sea service. Further, the Merchant Shipping Act of 1906, with its astonishingly liberal food scale and other provisions designed for the sailor’s happiness, has probably made life in the forecastle more tolerable. Atany owners, too. by the provision of mess-rooms and bath-rooms, have helped to render things more pleasant. With it all, however, the fact remains that the privileges of existence ashore must always weigh heavily in the balance. It Is essential to remember, too, that in this age of steam, the position of the sailor has changed. In the old days, as Lord Furness says, good seamanship in all ranks was the glory of our countrymen. But to-day little or no seamanship is needed, and the modern sailor is sometimes described as a mere deck labourer. It may be that it is partly because so much of the romance has gone out of the sea that the forecastle falls to charm.