The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-02-09 00:00:00

THE LEAD LINE,

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMES.

Six,-I beg to offer a few remarks in reply to
the letter of " R.," which appeared in your impres-
sion of yesterday's date, on the subject of the use
of the lead line, not intending to justify in any way
the neglect of all proper precautions for the safety
of ships.
In the letter mentioned, your readers were
informed that " in November [1855] the Board of
Trade issued a peremptory order to all captains in
the mercantile navy to use the lead line under all
circumstances."

As the subject of the safety of vessels appears
to be oue in which " R." is pecuniarily interested,
it is to be regretted that, for his own -advantage,
and for the benefit of those " who go down to the
sea in ships" (and who may unfortunately go down
in them), that he did not favour that class of melt
who have lately been the object of official persecu-
tion (and who, from such, are in a fair way of being
soon coupled with the " dangerous classes ") With
a copy of the " peremptory order " aforesaid.
This " peremptory order to all captains " is n°
other than a letter "to the Secretary to the Under-
writers' Association, Liverpool," in reply to a pre'
vious communication relative to " an important
advantage " which " wonld be gained" by that body.
The letter,"dated 20th November, appeared once itt
the Shipping and Mercantile Gazette on the 22nd of
same month, and was, no doubt, copied into a fog
other journals; but I have no hesitation in saying
that the majority of shipmasters are still unaware
of its vague contents.
This letter, or " order," as " R." calls it, and
which, he says, has been so " totally diregarded,"
is directed at shipmasters to a certain extent, it is
true, though by some very confused idea of reason-
ing, he calls it a " peremptory order to all" of thew;
whether it is such, your readers will be able to
judge, if he favours them with it; and, also, to judge
of the breeches pocket motives which have induced
him to become an advocate of the lead line, though
his letter, indeed, is sufficient evidence of them;
and the obliquity of his understanding on the
subject of a letter to a distinct body of men, is
equally traceable in his communication on the
subject of business matters.
" 11" continues :—" This is a serious matter l°
shippers, and., above all, to underwriters, not to
allude to the loss of life that frequently take 9
place." The latter appears to his £s. d. view of
the case to be scarcely worth taking into account.
The safety of ships (or use of the lead line) being
one that " underwriters, above all" are pecuniarili
interested in, we may safely presume that your
complaining correspondent is one of that highif
ill-used class—shipmasters, unfortunately—like
their fellow mortals, are fallable, if otherwise, the
business of the underwriter would scarcely exist,
and this source of profit also.
" R." says that " the underwriters are imperil'
tively called upon to look after this important
matter, or " they will sustain heavy loss." fr
person unacquainted with the subject might realit
suppose that they were obliged to take all "
and at certain fixed premiums, instead of having'
the option of what -"
risks" they take, and the
opportunity of making their own terms if that
engage in the business at all. It is needless to and
that an underwriter who understands his busines4o
fixes his premiums on such a scale whereby a profit
accres to him after payment of losses. " It" 1'
evidently one of those who like to pocket the
former (a pardonable device I grant) without being
called upon to pay the latter.
Underwriting, in one respect, is but betting, th,„!
underwriter giving the odds, and having cellar
known average losses and his judgment to guill,6
him ; if the vessel arrives safely he gets his 21-, „
51., or as he makes his bargain; if she does nut,'
then has to pay his 1001., or part of it in case 0
average or partial loss.
The finger of the underwriter has very evident
been in the pie of the Merchant Shipping Act, °ea
to a considerable extent, whereby his interests ar.:
warded tale"ohlgestpiAnalle-r xe'llveinhrriatinf‘'rrePre.
sented) are not only almost wholly lost sight of,
but he has pains and penalties staring him in the
face whichever way he turns.
If an underwriter, from competition or irlety
parity properly to estimate the risks he undertakes'
makes up his books badly (as speculators on the
" Turf" sometimes do), he must expect to wind uIY
with a loss. If such is your correspondent, or be
cannot look on the debit side of underwriting as,:
business man should, let me advise him to turn Plo
attention to other pursuits, instead of railing 86
the "ignorance and neglect" of shipmasters, stir
" the non-use of the lead line," and making 504
tions with respect to " peremptory orders," wh'
are at variance with facts.—Yours, &c.,
Liverpool, 7th Feb., 1857. Kale WAY'

TO THE CHAIRMAN OF THE WATER
COMMITTEE.

Sir,—Permit me in the most unqa lifiedmanner;to deny the truthfulness of your statement, at
inhabitants the
Council W
meeting onWednesday last, that i'd
are sP.tisfied with the water which
have thought proper to supply them with. PeA
people, concept those who had indulged in aoTh".
thin'," stronger than water, would have
hardihood to make such an assertion ; and
none honestly dare say that it is to c0n31)74
with the sparkling water which the town has htf,,
using, prior to the introduction of surface
which is now mixed with it. Most of my persePo
friends, like myself, entirely reject it for table °go
although for a time accustomed to drink water d
dinner. lam creditably informed that at meethe
the dining houses in town a great increase in 4
consumption of ale and porter is the Vho
natural result of introducing it. And, on "si,
same grounds, the magistrates may expect
cation to spread, and vice and crime with Do
Yesterday, an eminent physician said to me 11!0,
shop, in reference to a remark made by Mr. 00
Fade, about the confinement in a lunatic aaP
lir
of those who areopposing the present water suPP,O
that the advocates and apologists of it much 11,,,0.
deserve such treatment ; and I say advisedly,
if you persist in prohibiting our having the Ivo
water in its purity, and evil consequences el's.og,
to the health of the inhabitants from substitute
an article, which if not positively poisonetig'or
highly objectionable, you are criminal in de"
greatest degree, and no punishment would be floot;
quate for such misconduct,—l am, sir, your 133
obediel,t, JAMES 'llol3l*

22, Old Haymarket, 7th Feb., 18-57:

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