1925-03-10 — Page 5

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A 1 AT LLOYD'S.

MIR, WALTER LANG'S LECTURE.

An interesting feature was given yester. day evening at the Helena May Institute by Mr. Walter Laag, of Lloyd's Register of Shipping. the subject of his address being “A 1 at Loyd's.”

The Hon. Sir Claud Severn (Colonial Secretary), presided and introduced the lecturer, and at the close, temulered a vote

of thanks to him on behalf of the large Audience for his able dikiress.

ㄓˋ

adong.

THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS, TUESDAY, MARCH 10TH, 1925

Lloyd' and Lloyd's Register of Shipping are entirely separate bodies, although early in their history they were one and the same. To-day they are in the closess alliance, the latter faraishing the former the technical appraisement without which underwriters and brokers would be lost.

Lloyd's deals in insurance, assuming risks on almost everything that comes For stipulated premiums it will arantee the safe arrival of a ship, the kind of weather which will prevail certain periods, who is to be the win ner of an election, dad back the judgment of an investor on livers propositions. Early in history it was found that the insurance part of the business and the classification of ships were becoming of s great a magnitude in themselves that it was devured proper to have their branches self-contained. The result was the incorporation of Lloyd's and Lloyd's

HISTORY.

1.1

A

policy remains in force today, is known the world over, and is binding on every member of Lloyds

One enn imagine the dying rally of an industry that had meant much to Britain and it had to be shown that other Hunning parallel and along with the pro. material besides wood was suitable for abip gress of Lloyd's, the Register of Shipping construction, but the obviousness of the was changing to suit the requirements henefit of a inaterial roughly 1/12th the of the underwriters. The book, of which thickness and many times the strength, the 1773 copy referred to before, is ex-giving a much greater carrying capacity baat, published probably in 1750 was called became appareat by degrees to all the Green Book. There were stringent With the revival of wood shipbuilding rules put in force against any member, during the last war 1 beard that peculiarly who permitted anyone else to have access musical sound which has been much to it. One rule ran as follows:-- written of carpenters' mallets and ham

all know of how little value these latter mers constructing wood vessels. But you day wood vessels were, the timber used being green and unseasoned and a pro- ss or gift for fashioning wood which belonged to earlier generations could not be revived.

book to any person whatever, not a men- If any member shall shew or give his ber of the society, to read the description or character therein of, any ship, or shall read the same to him, or tell him the same after looking in his book or lend the said book to him, such member shall forfeit the sum of 8/3, and for the second breach of this byelaw the sum of 10/6, and for the third breach thereof the sum of one guinea, and for the ach (all of them his book shall not be posted any more in manner aforesaid and within the year) except he pays the sum of two guineas and all former forfeitures/

Moreover, the receipt of a new Register Book was conditional upon the surrender of the old one.

any record is, of course. Noah's Ark The first wood ship of which we have Noah was builder, owner and master his own vessel and this practice was fol lowed. well into the twentieth century.

urk were quite shipshape. Proportions The dimensions and proportions of the

factor in ship design. to this day being the lost important.

which the underwriters and brokers world, times each man kept some account of the the vessel Being a Loadon chewy and tarred inside and out.

: least.

In 1963 the Rules were revised and yes. sels stood on their merits without a term of years, but had to be surveyed periodic. ally.

1570 is noteworthy for being the first time the present day symbol of 100 A was assigned.

tion.

in 1866

or

Mr. Lang's lecture was as under :-- Speaking at the unnal meeting of the" P.&O. Steam Sarigation C. in Decens ber 1518 Lord Inchcape made a statement with reference to Lloyd's Register of Register, Shipping. The Society of Lloyd's, he said, composed as it is of shipowners Merchants, and Underwriters, advised by the sixth century, there must have been In the earliest days, certainly before the best technical skill obtainable, trust-

some attempt at the classification of ships. ed by the whole world, always progres- eive, always ready to consider aur nggesages developed the practice of marine The Italian Republics of the middle tions for the improvement and safety of anrence considerably and even regulated ships, passengers and cargo, its ball

wark

For those of you who may not have respected everywhere, its record without the londing of vessels. It is from the Lombards that we have borrowed blemish,

The shipowners of those days, with heard of Noah's vessel, I may say, that is perfectly capable of safe, some of the commonest terms in the laneckness, that must be surprising to their she was 300 cubits long by 50 cubits in guarding the interests of the public; and the construction of ships, designed is the Italian "Poiss

guage of insurance.' Policy for instance successors, appear have long acquiesced breadth, und 30 cubits deep, with three and average in the classification of their vessels at decks, a port hole and a watertight door owners for their own partiedar trades,

which in the technicalities of

the uncontrolled discretion of a body of in the side, an examination marine in

of may be safely, left to the Rules laid down

these sarance, means simply" less by dumage')

underwriters. But is 1789 & breach figures shows that her proportions were by Lloyd's

This was a great tribute to the Society Avari. Somebody must have kept

retains the racaning of the Italian occurred which was destined not to be six breadths to length and ten depths to There

is, generally speaking, confusion record of the qualities and sexworthiness

repaired for many years.

length, and I venture to say very good The managers of the Green, Book intro-Proportions for the time of the book of the

lag mind as to the function of the vessels which were being insured. duced new symbols of classification and Lienesis. There is nothing to show that Lloyd's and Lloyd's Register of Shipping. Still right down through the centuries a new system of deterraining characters any precaution was taken for her safety The two dies are operated anderen we had no trace of any systematic grad of vessels which was hotly resented by in the way of classification or insurance, dently but today they are in the closest

The basis of classification except in the care in material and work- alliance, the latter furnishing the former of ships acceding to their efficiency, shipowners.

seems to have been altered so as to de-manship-she was built of gophir wood with the technical appraisement, without in England, Italy. Portugal

Spain. Without doubt in these simple pend on the place of build and

The first iron vessel to be built was ships in which he was interested and itself, it naturally, but very unwisely, the Vulcan in 1818 to Let us begin first of all with Lloyd's would probalds keep this information for adopted the London point of view and Lloyd's was the steamer Sirius of 190 be classed by The day of Lloyd's is to afford insuris personal use regarding it as a very favoured London undertakings ance brokers, who wish to effect insur

Ships tona, built in London in 1937, and owned aces, a place of meeting with those who valuable form of stock in trade. Such a built in the Thames Royal Dockyards, or

in Marseilles, but it was not till 1853 that. had the defect that it, in no

India were entitled to rank in the. Brst Rules for iron ships were promulgated. procedure Endertake risks. At present there are slightly over 1,000 underwriting members, aided the progress of naval archi. class for a period of 13 years, while ships

Not unnaturally these early rules erred tecture. of Lloyd's, apart from the non-underwritininence in things maritime in England of the Northern yards, lost their status sheep like manner the procedure of the By the year 1000 the foreign of the same description, but built at one on the side of caution and followed in ing members and subscriivers and the Committee et Lloyd's inquire very care-

was practienlly drive out and England as A 1 vessels at the end of 8 years. A

wood ships. fully into the status and financial respon

was mistress in her own household and 12 years' class was granted to ships built the whole nation thanhhed with a vigor. is the South of England Liverpool and Bibility of each candidate for admission.ons adventuring spirit. Towards the end Bristol were considered capable of pro- A member has to deposit with the Com- of the sixteenth century we had a com ducing 10 year ships Vessels constructed mittee, before his election, securities to the value of £3,000).

pany of notaries involved in a struggle in the United States of America were Every member, for an independent existence with Richard given 12 years if built of the live oak of again, is legally responsible for any ea Chandler who had procured a patent the Southern States bat otherwise only gagements he may enter into "under under the Riyal Seal conferring on him had six years. Colonial and Fir built Lloyd's policies to the full extent of all the monopoly of writing and registering vessels were assigned the short period of

is worldly possessions: in other words insurance policies. These things show years or sometimes 4 years whereas from about 1877, though as early as 1660 The use of steel for shipbuilding dates his liability is unlimited.

that the problems of insurance were oc-

for some unknown reason those built, at some efforts were made, and Lloyd's itself does masaraner busieupying the canmercial mind, but there Quebec and Bermuda were granted tep Lloyd's agreed to class vessels built of nesa any more than the Stork Exchange,

was no cohesion, brokers and underwriters years. Again after the years of class ex-steel na as such, buys or sells securities, The

' experimental.” Between 1967 Committee knows ne more than the Com

were not as now focalised in one particu-pired, these discriminations extended to and 1877 open hearth steel had been in- lar part of the city and the business was the next class and all vessels only got troduced, and this process of steel making mittee of the Stock Exchange what bai Less is transacted between any individu | money-leaders and merchants.

mare of a side line indulged it by bankers, half their time originally assigned in the is employed to this day in abip construe- underwriter and any individual assured, not until the rise of the cuffee house. in

It was second class Al that is done is to

The northern shipbuilders and ship- grant facilities. the middle century, furnished a meeting owners were up in arms against a classi- tion, steam propulsion instead of,

With the advent of iron ship construc- These facilities, however, are by no means place and a news centre that insurance fention that placed them under a per- feap ones and are not conficil to desks became an organised profession,

petual stigma and loaded them with a

rather along with, sails began to exist as and rooms. There are agents and sub- azents to the number of our 1.30 throngh if these cuffee houses the one that con-higher rate of insurance than their London in marcial proposition. Steam naviga

was the natural consequence rivals had to pay. cerns as was Lloyd's, cituated in Tower Protests were made against the system bujit, the Cooit in 1911. By 1832, there of cat the gile and by telegrau anil ·wire,

Watt's great discovery, and Henry Bell less Lod's is kert informed every Street at the corner of Abchurch Lane that ignored the manner in which the were 100 steamers

Street, wod from 1692 onwards, in Lombard minute of the day and night of the moves

classed in Lloyd's ments of all ocean-going ships and off Edward Lloyd was a Welshman with an night have received, the fact that she the.

abip was constructed, the repairs she Register and to-day we have passed along Both in Tower

the turbine in different formis, road meeting the reciprocating are received daily, are sorted out and Street and Lombard Street he made his published in Lloyd's List the official

coffee house serve the needs of the mer character was stamped not by her actual the electric drive, the internal

combus- organ Lloyd's, As you all probably chants. The fact that the house was the condition and intrinsic merits but simply tion engine. The Naval architect has Know Alfons, Chanan & Co. of a the been blamed for his want of enterprise agents in Hongkong, The intellicuse in the year 1710, and of another by Addi- viated the necessity of periodic surveys as compared with the engineer of ayatem is unparalleled and a great deal

sion in the Spectator, in the following of the hulls and thereby lessened the in days, but he is controlled in the shape of of its information is placed at the dis

year, is sufferent evidence of its early. The protesta being of no avail, the ship, and the shipowner requiring space. The

ducement to build sound vessels.

the vessel by the engineer requiring speed posal of the public.

fame." was on Lloyd' + toat the British Government relied, for

owners started a book of their own, called question of material is the thing that With a growing shipping connection to the Bed Book. the expert knowledge that combled it to cater for he conceived the idea of búnd- regalate insurance risks on a workable ing it to him by publishing three times

proved. A rustless steel with the phy- the construction of vessels may be im presents itself to me as the Seld where hasis and to make of British shipping the a week a news sheet called Lloyd's news, century, one supported by the under sical properties of the present mild open winning weapon of the War.

alled with commercial intelligence from writers and the other by the shipowners hearth steel manufactured as a commer- Next we come to Lloyd's Register of British ports and principal European neither of them complete, ench overlap cially successful proposition will be of Shipping, whom I serve and which 13 vitics of a kind likely to interest, shipping the other, conducted ga different great value to shipowners and Staerally acknowledged to be the premier owners, merchants and underwriters principles, and both of them falling responding loss to

હૈ COT- classification Society Lloyd's Register of These lists were in manuscript and

prob Shipping, along with Lloyd's is the outably passed from hand to hand. About stealy into public disrepute and foan-always looking for new tonnage to build. cone of the parent Edward Lloyd of 1225 it was issued as a printed publica and it was not until 1834 that the quar-points I should like to touch on Among cial ruin. Neither side would "give way Before I conclude there are dne or two whom more anon.

tion. The world famous Lloyd's List, jarel was Bnally composed, that the Society other items of information in the Regis This Society classifies and surveys ships neither sure nor less than a continuation was reorganised on the basis of giving ter Book, the tonnage of vessels is given and machinery for the convenience of the Lloyd's News' which has appeared inerchants, shipowners and underwriters now a great deal of misapprehension of merchants, shipowners, underwriters, interruptedly for one hundred and shipbuilders and engineers and never ninety-four years. The fact that no carly committee, that the two rival Register Armstrong College states that tonnage an equal representation on its governing exists about tonnage. Prof. Welch of from the beginning has it been a profit copies of this Register are pow in exist Books were amalgamated into one, and was voluntary basis for the benefit of allstroyed the Royal Exchange in 1859.

capacity

of a ship in tuns of wine, afected by its operations and fees are

it was borne not only by the suba tun of wine containing 232 gallons and The oldest copy of a Register of Ship scriptions of the members but by an occupying about 42 cubic feet. This nuns-

ingly harged only to enable the Society to ping which is now in existence is dated, approved scale of fees chargeable to ship her was employed for tonnage measure- carry out its functions.

1761-3-6. It provided very full informe owners for the survey and classification ment for centuries. The 3lerchant Ship- It is necessary for a shipowner to have tion as to the age and ownership of ves of their vessels, some guarantee other than the builders sels, the names of their plasters, their promise that the ship built for him is tonnages, their

It was agreed too that the characters Ping Act of 1854 introduced the present equipment of

system which is that the vessel's internal strong and seaworthy. It is necessary

guns, num- ber of their crews, and more directly con- be a correct indication of tho real and tonnage in other words 100 cubic feet or symbols assigned to the vessels would volume divided by 100 gives her gross for the underwriter to know from a com cerning my present purpose-it indicated intrinsic quality of the ship. The practice equal 1 gross ton. petent and independent thing about a ship upon which he some. the relative merits of the bulls of vessels of classing vessels according to the place i

he is asked by the capital letters A.E.I.O.U. While of build was abandoned. to take a risk. It is necessary for the the letters: G.M.B.. (muning good, mid- merchant to know something trustworthy dling, had) described the quality of the Register of Shipping had assumed the It may be sail then that by 1334 Lloyd'a about the ship upon which he sends bis equipment. A.G. denoted a first class form it now retains. The Society began goods and it is necessary for the purchaser ship with good equipment. U.B. a ves its existence at a time when London of a ship to get a stamp of quality upon sel of lowest class with a had outfit. the article he thinks of it not necessary for the travelling public for the first time in the third earliest was the largest abipbuilding centre and boasted of the finest shipbuilding yards purchasing. Is The now familiar symbol A 1 appears in the Kingdom but in 1834 Sunderland i have guarantee of reaching its delegister Book in existence that for the outports naturally, wanted representa stination? It is the procedure of Lloyd's 1775-6. The 18th century in England was tion on the committee of misnagement, Register to collect results and interpret a great gambling age and the Lombard To-day. the Committee consists of 75 mera- their teaching. They are in a position Street coffee house became infested with bers, 25 from London and the remainder to supply a most valued contribution to speculators of an undesirable type. The from the outports of England, Scotland, water equal in weight to the floating the common stock of knowledge upon practice of insuring the lives of well Wales and Ireland, and the original rule which developments depend by their mode known people, directly they were known is preserved of an equal division of ship- of surveying vessels while building and to be ill, developed into a mania and by reports of their surveyors throughout scandal. The leading merchants and Technical Committee has also been forma owners, underwriters and merchants. A the world upon the condition of vessels underwriters, having protested without ed and sits in advisory capacity sharing while these vessels are plying their trade. avail, against this scandal, formed them in the management of the Society The Society is not national, it is inter-selves fato a Society with fixed rules, The oldest Register Book in our Hong under which none bus persons of good kong office is that of 1883 herewith and comer between two parties who look repute could be admitted, secured posses-it is of interest to compare it with this at the ship from opposite points of view.sion after a struggle, of Lloyd's List and year's publication, showing the immense There are the shipowner and the ander in 1770 withdrew from Lombard Street, strides that have been made in ship writer, the builder and the owner, the and under the name of "New Loyd's building and classification of ships. buyer and the seller. It acts justly to Coffee House." soon shortened to New each and all of these interests. The Rules Lloyd's" and then in Lloyd's moved a for the construction of ships and machin few years later to the Royal Exchange... ery are framed to suit the normal type They took with them to their new quar-depicted very cleverly by Arnold Bennett The romance of shipbuilding has been af vessel, but the builder is not tied downters to subscribers of £100 apiece and in his play Milestones and it has to build, nor the owner to order, the they at once set about the task of realis been my privilege since joining Lloyd's line. normal type to get the vessel classified ing an institution with clean and high Register to listen to interesting tales from so that insurance may be procured, but standards and capable not only of fur. my old colleagues, now dead, about the Lloyd's Register must be antisfied that therinthe general interests of the transition from wood to composite. from the mode of construction and the brokers and underwriter but also of dis composite to iron and from iron to steel materials which the builder proposes to ciplining its own members.

ships. adopt are equivalent in strength and It was n vital step when in 1779 Parlia eficiency to the normal ships of the same ment sanctioned a uniform form of policy dimensions and proportions before the character A 1 at Lloyd's is assigned...

existence at the beginning of the 18th There were now two Register Books in

builders who are

nuking concern, being worked on a purely ence is attributed to the fire which de- that the cost of preparing and publish- orginally the expression of the carry-

national.

IL

REMARKS ON. REGISTER BOOK.

Nett tonnage is the gross tonnage less deductions for crew space, for propelling spaces. space (engine room, etc.) and navigating

tons of cargo, fuel and stores, in other Deadweight tonnage is the weight in

which vessels are sold as so many pounds words what the vessel will carry, Dead- weight tons are very often the basis on sterling per deadweight ton and all aboard of ber and, of course, a Displacement is the weight of the ship floating body displaces an

body.

amount of

"All statistics of merchant shipping are Admiralty ships are given in tons dis given in gross tons, while figures for placement.

A little should also be known about the depth to which a strip may be loaded and, the distance from, the deck to a dise painted and cut in on the vessel's sides, port and starboard amidships, is called the freeboard the disc is called the plim sol mark after & member of Parliament, Samuel Plimsol, who in the late 70's.

Lloyd's Register are licensed by the agitated for a load line for all British ships to be defined by Act of Parliament. British Government to grant this load

ing bf A 1 at Lloyd's I find that it has In my endeavour to explain the mean- resulted in my giving you a brief outline of the history of classification and insur ance of merchant shipping, and I hope that this subject has interested you as Nover in the history of wood ships was dwellers in an island which has built up

COMPOSITE SHIPS EXPLAINED.

of marine insurance. With very slight their construction so good as at the time its fame by shipping, trading and variations and additions that "form of when, iron ships were first introduced.surance.

THE BONNYBRIDGE DOVER RANGE STRONG AND DURABLE.

BURNS COAL OR WOOD

COMPLETE RANGE OF SPARES IN STOCK:

No.

Size of Oven

·ទ

12}" × 12 × 8...855.00

7 14 × 14′′ × 9'...$65.00

8. 17* "16" 91"...$75.00

No 9-Complete with Side Boiler

...$185.00

'FLAT TOP' LAUNDRY STOVE No. 2 Will heat 22 Irons at once

$50.00

KENRICK'S

CAST IRON TINNED HOLLOWARE.

OVAL

RICE

BOILERS

3 to 10 Glns.

SAUCEPANS

and

KETTLES.

HARDWARE DEPT.

LANE,

11

CRAWFORD, LTD.

PHONE 4567.

This Notice should remind you of Two Things,

You should be present in the Theatre Royal

on One of These Dates to See and Hear

THE GONDOLIERS.

and you should visit ANDERSON'S Now.

MARCH 20th, 21st, 23rd, 25th, 26th, 27th and 28th

MUSIC

FROM THE GONDOLIERS

THERE LIVED A KING.

TAKE A PAIR OF SPARKLING

EYES

CASILDA GAVOTTE

*

ANDERSON'S.

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12, Des Voeux Road.

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