The sun., 1884-01-06
Villainy ON the Sea.

Tho great and increasing loss OF life and
property Mt sea OF recent years is inducing tho
British Board OF Trade to make vigorous
Efforts to devise remedies for state OF
things which Is not only lamentable, but
also outrageous, because large part OF the
destruction Is duo to carclessness, and even
to deliberate intention.
In circular which he has issued on the
subject, MIR. CHAMBERLAIN. the President OF
the Board OF Trade, says that mo shipowner
OF reputation and character will deny that
considerable proportion Of these losses Is
duo to preventable causos." Bad seaman
ship and bad construction are responsible in
many cases. but 1t must not be forgotten
that in many others the loss Of q ship Is
profitable transaction to the owners. The
ship may be insured for more than its value;
tho freight may be insured out and home,
and recovered without deduction for ex-
penscs which will not have been incurred II
the ship Is lost; the cargo may be insured
above its value, or at n speculative value
Again, the common law liability OF the ship
owner to shippers of goods and to passen-
gers Is now constantly restricted or put an
end to by special stipuations in the contract
OF carriage" The law as 1t at present stands
interest to bring his ship back safe, but oven
tempts him so TO conduct his business as to
make 1t his interest that she shall be unsafe,
and protects him when he has done SO.
Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN, for instance, refers to
testimony In regard to tho subject given
before Parliamentary Commission by Sir
THOMAS FARRAR. That witness presented
In detail supposititious case of ship in
tended to make voyage to Calcutta and
back, whose owners would make $3.50
more by having her lost going out, in the
Bay OF Blscay, perhaps. than by having her
complete her round voyage. 1t might be
inferred that this sort OF rascality would be
prevented by the vigilance OF the marine In
surance companies, who would refuse risks so
fraught with danger. But Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN
says that 1t Is the greatest mistake to sup
pose that underwriters as body have an
Interest In preventing shpwrecks. So long
as premiums bear fair proportion to risks,
the moro the losses the larger the business
OF insurance. II there were no shipwrecks
there would be no underwriting
MIR. CHAMBERLAIN Is more particularly
suspicious OF the shipowners engaged In the
coal, timber, and grain trades. Their
freights are low because OF sharp compe-
tition, and they may find 1t to their interest
to lose their vessels rather than take their
small profits for carriage.
The loss OF life at sea- which In 1875-76
was 2,0Sl, was 8,S72 In 1ssl-s2. In the last
year there We're lost 9s British timber-laden
ships. with 2s0 lives; 6s ships loaded wholly
or chiefly with grain, and 551 lives; 2S5 coal
laden ships, and 756 lives. Tho total was 45l
ships and 1851 lives.
| This great actual and proportionate loss
undoubtedly justifes Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN's
suspicion that the destruction Of many OF the
vessels was Intentional. All told, England
loses three or four thousand lives and about
fifty millions OF dollars annually by ship
wrecks. The President OF the Board Of
Trade does not go SO far as to say that the
whole OF this loss is unnecessary and pre-
ventable but he plainly indicates that 1t is
his opinion that II everybody concerned did
his duty very few ships would be lost And
those who know most about the subject will
be the surest to agree with him.
The Board Of Trade not having sufficient
power to remedy the evil, Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN
proposes scheme for organizing bodies to
assist In tho work. Tho object should be- he
explains ito so arrange the law as to set
the Keen, restless, argus-eyed interest Of
commercial men In action on the side of
safety; TO throw the civil liability for loss
and damage where 1t ought TO fall to put 1t
In the power and to make 1t the interest of
those who ara injured by shipwreck to seek
their remedy In the right place, and to make 1t
certain that those whose ships suffer ship
wreck shall lose and not gain by It,"
30 long as 1t Is for the interest OF owners
that ships should be wrecked. wrecks will go
on pcreasipg. and the loss Of LIE at sea viii