772
15th. December, that the owners' guarantee might not be
genuine were that in the case of the S. S. "Inkum" belong-
-ing to the same owners he was informed by the Master that
the owners had agreed to the crew remaining at the Sailors'
Home at their expense until the return of the ship from
Japan whither she was bound and that when she did return
the owners repudiated their liability.
With regard to the last part of
the question under reply I would point out that the car-
-riage of destitute British Seamen is not viewed by ship-
owners or Masters as profitable or satisfactory business
and I am somewhat doubtful whether the law which imposes
obligations on ship-owners in this matter contemplated
providing a cheap method for changing crews in distant
ports. I would also point out that a system of changing
crews which results in depositing seamen in such ports
where there are very few opportunities of getting employ-
-ment and with insufficient means of repatriation except
as Distressed British Seamen is not one that is fair on
the crews. In this connection I enclose a copy of a letter
from the Italian Consul-General here from which you will
see that it has been thought necessary to prevent in
future agreements being made in Italy of the nature of
15 the June, 1905.
those
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