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employed at a cost to the shipping companies of some $270,000
Neither owners whose property is at stake, nor
per annum.
officers whose lives are at stake have the slightest
confidence in them, Their training is inadequate and their discipline is bad and their bad discipline affects the discipline of the other members of the crew. These guards although nominally on the ship's articles are paid through the Police and consider themselves as police and resent receiving orders from the ship's officers. In an appendix hereto a number of cases is quoted, showing the bad discipline
and inefficiency of the Guards. This list of cases is by no means exhaustive but merely illustrative of the matter raised
in this paragraph.
It is the opinion of both the owners and the officers (as it is the generally accepted view all the world over) that the Master of a vessel should have complete control over all members of his crew at all times when the vessel is at sea, and it is felt strongly that the police element should be entirely eliminated and that any Regulations or assistance received by a ship in the British Mercantile Marine should come from the Navy and in certain matters from the Harbour
Whilst in port the Indian Department and not from the Police. Guards consider themselves as being off duty and they take no part in searching the people who come on board whilst the Vessel is in port. It is the unanimous opinion of ship owners and officers that the Guards could and should be
dispensed with from the ships.
POLICE SEARCHES. The searching and examination of passengers embarking on vessels about to leave the colony is a proper function of the police. The Police searches however are
inadequate