New Iberia enterprise and independent observer., 1912-08-10
THE ENTERPRISE AND
Observer. Consolidate
Official Journal of Iberia Parish.
su Inscription $I.bO Per Ann,,m
LIFEBOATs ABSURD"

subscription $3.50 Per Annum
LIFEBOATS ABSURD"
Llfeboats are mot necessary,
mot wise," and "absurd," or at
least sufficient number of them
! to provide for every passenger
entirely overlooking the crew--is
so considered in the Judgment of
Harold Sanderson, a director of
the White Star Line. And this
astounding statement was not
made before the "Titanic" went
down, but less than 60 days after
that disaster. If there have been
any doubts as to the necessity of
stringent governmental control,
they must now fade away before
such policy as this. And the re,
mark was not an accidental word
carelessly dropped in casual con-
versation as the private opinion
of an individual. 1t was part of
the sworn statement of a man ten.
tifying before the British investi-
eating board as a director of the
White Star Line. But this is not
the worst. The same witness
went on to relate how, to appease
public clamor, the Olympic" on
her first westbound trip after the
great disaster did carry sufficient
boatage to provide room for every
soul ON board, women, children,
men and crew. eve started"
testified Director Sanderson, "to
have a number on board equal to
the number of souls the vessel
carried, but we saw that was alb
snrd, SO we reduced them"
As long as there are boats suffi.
cient to save managing directors
while the less fortunate passen.
gers are getting drowned, what
mattersf
With such a policy as that,
now, while tears are yet flowing
for the dead, can there be any
surprise that the "Titanic" was
so miserably equipped. Being
questioned a second time wheth-
cr in the interest Of public safety
there should be (life) boat ac-
commodation for every passenger
and every member of the crew,
Mr.. Sanderson replied, "In the
same interest my answer is that It
is not necessary and is not wise.
This announcement canno: but
cause q decided shock to Ameri-
can travellers, however complacent
our British cousins may be. II
there be any "absurdity" in SO
serious a matter, is it not rather
that British freight steamers must
carry lifeboats for double the
number Of men on board; while
passenger ship instrusled with a
hundred times as many lives is al
lowed to leave port equipped to
save but a fourth or a thirdl
It was offered in excuse that
"there are certain risks in connec.
tion with going to sea, which it is
impossible to eliminate, just as
there are risks in travelling on
land; J" and Lord Mersey, presi-
dent of the commission, seconded
Mr.. Sanderson with "Quite right,
every person who goes to sea, or
for that matter walks on land,
must accept some risks
The man in the street has some !,
choice he can lake the other side |
or use another street or wait until
a JOY rider has passed; but once
on the high seas he is without al !
tentative. He cannot control
the disposition Of his own dead
body or even that Of his wife:
The captain, whose word is law,
can sew him in a sack and dump
him overheard. Of course there
is risk in going to sea, which Is
precisely the reason why steam.
ship companies which have so lit
tie regard for the safety Of their
passengers should be compelled
10 reduce that risk to q minimum. |
That government has and can ex-
pstcise such regulation is unques-
kioned. If for instance an Amer
ican ship attempted to land its
passengers stricken with some ter
rible plague at q British port
would there be any hesitation in
using cannon to prevent such
anding, If necessary |
"Lifeboats absurdl" That the
Titanic could sink was also
!. absurd ''--once. II is the fan
led absurdities Of life that have
made most of its greatest TRACE.
lies. Al the hundreds Of brave
slowly sank into the icy
waters Of the North Atlantic We
san imagine their last words-- |
"Lifeboats How &bsurd |"