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appreciated by the shipping firms which are fortunate
enough to obtain them, not only for their protective value,
but also for their beneficial effect upon the passenger
list.
10.
The General Officers Commanding, Hong Kong and
Singapore, have recently reasserted that the provision of
guards from Military sources is a very serious di ffi culty
and greatly interferes with training.
11.
"(iii) Grilles, if fitted to give maximum security to the ship, are contrary to Board of Trade life-saving regulations"
•
The Board of Trade stipulate that no ship may have
a passenger certificate without providing life-saving
facilities for every person on board.
12.
Except in the larger liners, only four boats are
normally carried, rafts being provided to make up the
required life-saving accommodation of vessels, which in
some cases carry over two thou sand coalies.
13.
These rafts are normally stowed to gether on the
central superstructure in order to economise de ck space.
This arrangement must greatly reduce their practical value
in emergency, and has also the disadvantage that all the
life-saving apparatus is within the area normally enclosed
by anti-piracy grilles.
14.
One
In May 1927 the S. S. "IU ENG KONG" was in colli sion
Eastward of Hong Kong and sank in a few minutes.
hundred and fifty coolie passengers were drowned, owing
to being imprisoned beneath a grilled hatch.
always quoted by shipping companies as an argument against
This is