OUR MERCHANT SEAMEN.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue XXVI, 29 July 1871, Page 2

OUR MERCHANT SEAMEN.

(From " Mitchell's Maritime Register.") The committee formed at Liverpool for enquiring into the condition of our merchant seamen, it may be remembered, made a report in March last year, and came to the conclusion that seumep, before being rated ns A.B.s, should obtain certificates of competency, chiefly on the ground that a positive injury and injustice was done to those men who had served au apprenticeship, the competent and incompetent receiving the same wages. The members of this committee were chosen from shipowners and masters of the port, and statements and suggestions were solicited from oil those persons capable of offering a practical opinion on fche subject. One shipmaster informed tho committee that he had shipped several crews numbering thirty-six, of whom twenty-four were rated as able seamen, but that not more than nine were fitted for that duty. Foreigners predominated, whose ability was only middling, and who, in cases of emergency, hung back. ITe had tho greatest difficulty to find two men in each crew to steer his ship properly, although she answered her helm easily. Another captain gaid that out of a crow of fifteen few could be found to steer, knot and splice, and were only passable with the palm and needle ; the others scarcely knew starboard from port, were ignorant of the leading ropes, and wore extremely difficult to govern. A Liverpool shipowner accounts for Uii3 c'eterioralion of able seamen from the fact of their ranks being now recruited partly from the uneducated, dissolute class of youths, who present false discharges, and after a voyage call themselves seamen, and chip a* fiuch. It arises also, wo may add, from the practice of giving men certificates of service and ability to which they are not entitled. The committee insist upon an examination as to competency, coupled with three years' service as ordinary seamen, if the candidates are not under twenty years of age, or a four years' apprenticeship. Two years in a training Bhip Bhould count as a like period of sea service ; but in recommending training ships the committee observe they should not be of the reformatory c' iP". " Your committee suggests that only boys who, with the approval of their parents and guardians, decide on following a sea life as a profession, should be admitted, but giving them liberty to enter either tho Mercantile Marine or Sojal Navy ; such boys to be admitted only of good character and physique. Boys not to enter Buch training ship under fourteen years of age, and to remain on boird till such time as they arc fully grown and fil for sea servieo."

Healthy lads of sixteen, having had two years' instruction in reefing, splicing, heaving the lead, rowing, and the working of ships, ■would bo found useful immediately on embarkation, instead of requiring to learn all their duties after shipment. In a short tiino tbey could undertake the work of ordinary seaman, and their subsequent rating as A.B.'a would give them a position entitling them to priority of employment and enhanced wages. The committee are desirous of having four training

Teasels on the Thames, a similar number in tho Mersey, and twoivo more scattored among tho remaining leading ports. To carry out their viows on this important matter they have recently sent circulars to tho Shipowners' Associations and Chambers of Commerce in the United Kingdom, to co-operate in a combined movement to secure the reference of tho " Masters' and Seamen's Act," in the Merchant Shipping Code to a Solect Committee in the House of Commons. The committee remark that tho future supply of seamen is entirely ignored in tho Bill of 1871, and their aim is to sustain that supply by the medium of training ships provided and supported by Government. Tho Admiralty have placed a few sailing ships of war at tho disposal of shipowners, or for reformatory purposes ; but the committee desire to extend this training system on a larger and better footing. The Government will perhaps decline to ask for an annual yofco for such a purpose, on tho plea that it might injure tho philanthropic efforts of those who contribute to reformafory ships and floating school vessels. From tho fact, however, that our seamen are decreasing, and looking to tho necessity of keeping up a proper compliment of A.B.'sto man the commercial navy in peace, and the vessels when hostilities take place, the committee, it must be confessed, aro exceedingly moderate in their demands. As steamships do not carry apprentices, the seamen have to bo reared in sailing vesseh to form crews for tho former ; and as tho generality of boys now indentured enter the merchant service from the |Oonwny or Worcester, or_ are especially educated to bocomo officers, it is clear that the time cannot be far remote when there must be a difficulty in obtaining whole or part crews of British seamen. Steamers, by supplanting sailing vessels and diminishing tho employment of soamen, have prevented this question from assuming a serious phase ; but by tho decrease of sailing ships it is evident a smaller number of hands will be reared for tho use of steamships, and, therefore, tho source will bo considerably dried up. At the meeting of the supporters of the Sailors' Home, tho other day, at Liverpool, it was stated there were 5000 less men shipped from the Mersey iv 1870 than in 18(59. This change is going on in every port. The total number of hands shipped at Sunderland in 1866 was 7848, and in 1870 only 6914 The repeated voyages of steamers more than compensate, in point of trading tonnage, for the loss of sailing ships ; but it must be apparent that without some modo of recruitment, tho supply of seamen will fall short of the demand. Q-ood A.B.s, it is now confessed on all sides, are scarce, though there may be an abundance of counterfeits. Sixteen training ships ought to turn out about 200 youths each every year on tho average. This would give 3200 trained lads per annum, who would by degrees infuse a more wholesome state of affairs into our merchant ships, cud prove a valuable reinforcement to the Koyal Naval Resorve. It rests, therefore, with tho Chancellor of the Exchequer to provide the ways and moans for the maintenance of these training vessels, and with the representatives of our maritime ports to enforce tho subject on tho attention of Parliament.