[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Port of London].

  • London (England). Port Health Committee.
Date:
1904
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: [Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Port of London]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    52/100 (page 50)
    50 these shortcomings have been pointed out to the Board of Trade, and the Board were requested to inform this Authority whether they would cause the bulkheads as described to be placed in each barge carrying or about to carry an offensive cargo, on complaint from this Authority, and if so, this Authority would be pleased to co-operate with the Board not only by complaining, but also by directing the service of Statutory Notices under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, requiring not only the abatement of the nuisance, but the prevention of the recurrence thereof. The Board has replied, stating that any case in which a complaint is made by the Port Sanitary Authority will receive the Board's careful consideration. MERCANTILE MARINE. The result of this Inquiry is most disappointing. It is admitted that the main cause of the diminution in the numbers of British seamen is the superior attractiveness of shore employment, with its greater comforts, and an increase in the numbers may be looked for rather in the improvement of their conditions. The result of the Inquiry may be summed up as consisting in the provision of a certificated cook on every foreign-going vessel of and above 1,000 tons and also the inspection by the Board of Trade of the provisions of any vessel whose probable voyage exceeds 21 days. The conditions under which sailors have to live on board vessels is one that has been brought to the notice of your Committee on many occasions. It is true that the instructions issued by the Board of Trade to their surveyors are good as far as they go, but they do not go far enough, and many of the improvements appear to have been made in comparatively recent years. These instructions do not appear to be applicable to older vessels, and, indeed, it is the experience of your Inspectors that vessels which have been recently built, even when going on their first voyage, do not always comply with the conditions required by the Board of Trade. Each seaman is entitled to receive 72 cubic feet of space, whereas the minimum requirements were he living on shore under similar conditions would be at least 400 cubic feet.