THE PRINCE,IS TRIBUTE.

Waikato Times, Volume 112, Issue 18809, 3 December 1932, Page 14 (Supplement)

THE PRINCE,IS TRIBUTE.

SEAMEN NOT DRUNKARDS OR SCALLYWAGS.

Praise of the merchant seaman was expressed by the Prince of Wales when, as Master of the Merchant Navy and the Fishing Fleet, he presided at the festival dinner of the Missions to Seamen at the Mansion house, London. Proposing the toast of “ The Missions lo Seamen,” the Prince said, *• Ninety-nine per cent, of the British seamen do not come into the category of either scallywags or drunkards. “ It is human to get into trouble, and if the seaman gets into trouble It Is usually when he gets ashore. “ That is where the great need for the seamen’s Institute comes In. The seaman ashore needs a club which Is free and open to all genuine seafarers and which should provide good sleeping accommodation and meals at prices which these men are able to afford. 60,000 Out of Work 11 The seaman does not ask for charity or pity. Why should ho? Ho Is Just a working man. But there are certain things which he has every right to expect. “ One is decent conditions on board ship. During the last half century those conditions have steadily Improved. “ The second Is somewhere to go when ashore. That applies especially in foreign ports. “ This need Is especially strong today when we have 60,000 merchant seamen out of work ail -over the world.” The Prince added that the Missions In Seamen had 165 Institutes which formed a chain of service for our seamen all over the world in 106 different ports. Last year moro than llireemiarlers of a million seamen attended I lie institutes. Lalc.r |ho Prince announced that cs |;m had been collected In respouso to an appeal at the dinner.