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recommend that this regulation should be modified in such a
way as to relieve the engineer officers of this obligation
when actively engaged on their duties in the engine room.
20.
We were much impressed by the statement made by
the Naval Intelligence Officer before the Coroner in connexior
with the Tai Lee Piracy. We consider that this statement has
such a direct bearing on what we regard as the crux of the
whole matter viz.the maintenance of a proper state of
discipline on ships plying in the Danger Zone, that we are
Justified in making the following quotations from it:-
"The conditions under which officers are called upon to
serve in these ships are such that the ordinary cleanliness
discipline and efficiency of a British ship cannot be main-
tained by them. The fact that they are on a 24 hours agree-
ment makes their position so insecure that many do not take
any trouble to exercise gommand over their ships which are
entirely in the hands of pilot, boatswain, and compradores.
It is impossible to expect the conditions outlined
above to attract men capable of carrying out the regulations,
or by their perschal influence of rendering their ships unpopular with pirates. At present the owners regard British
officers as a necessary evil which must be made to cost as little as possible, and they will not hesitate to dismiss a good man who does not fall in with their ideas, and put in place any one from the water front who will privately agree to take less wages than the Guild rate.
Unless pay conditions and compensation are made attractive good officers cannot be expected to stay in river steamers.
Unless you have good officers in river steamers you will
never get regulations carried out".
21.