Evening star., 1929-12-15

were taken to safeguard the lives of the
men. OF course, on such ships no pas
sengers we're taken. The lives OF the
men mattered not at all to the ship
owners; their sole interest was In coll
lecting profits either in the form OF high
freight rates or insurance.
Rudyard Kipling has celebrated these
"cofln ships" as they were known
among the Seamen in his Ballad Of the
Bolivar" The famous ballad tells how
such q ship was loaded down with steel
rails and started out across the bay
with scarcely enough coal to take her
there She ran into storm, but, by
some extraordinary stroke of luck, the
crew proved equal to the unexpected
to port, to the great disgust of the
owners. AS Kipling describes it:
Just a pack of rotten plates,
Puttied up with tar,
In we came and time enough,
Gross Bilboa Bar.
Overloaded, undermanned,
Meant to founder, we
Euchred Gods almighty storm,
Bluffed the eternal sea-"
Puts the Bill Through Parliament,
Better times came for Plimsoll when
he went into the brewing business, and
eventually he got into Parliament.
From the very beginning of his public
career he agitated the need for the
protection Of ships and men by the reg
ulation of shiploads. He entered Par
lament in 1868, but, despite the most
persistent efforts, could get no serious
attention for the measures he proposed.
Then he turned to the public by pub
fishing, in 1872, q book entitled Our
Seamen."' It told the story of the "cof-
nm ships" and the avarice of the ship
owners. A profound impression was
created, the British public taking pride
in their merchant marine and having
been ignorant heretofore Of the true
conditions. So Salutary was the public
impression created by Plinsoll's book
that in 1873 Parliament adopted his
resolution providing for the appoint-
ment of a royal commission to look into
the matter. This commission inveSti-
gated and drew a bill, which, although
inadequate in PlimsollS view, was the
best he could expect to start with. The
bill was introduced in Parliament.
Then we see how at all times lobbieS
operate in legislative bodies. A powerful
lobby representing the Shipowners inn
mediately set up a strong opposition to
the loadline bill. This proved so ef.
fective that the prime minister, Dis
raeli, announced in the Commons that
the measure would be dropped. A spir.
1ted scene followed, In the course OF
which Plimsoll shook his fist in the
Speakers face-an act for which he
subsequently apologized. There was
more delay, but public indignation had
by that time reached such q pitch that
the government found 1t expedient to
put the bill through.
PIimsOlPs Name Perpetuated.
The act was passed giving the British
Board of Trade power of regulation
over loadings. Loadlines were estab-
lished and Immediately became known
as Plimsoll marks, as they still are.
Samuel Plimsoll became something OF
q popular hero in England. Upon his
reelection to Parliament in 1880 he re-
signed his seat to Sir w. Harcourt, be-
cause Harcourt was home secretary, and
Plimsoll believed that he would do more
| to advance the interests of seamen.
When his action became known, no less
| than 80 constituencies offered to elect
him-a proceeding comparable to one
in which 80 congressional districts In
the United States would offer to send
a man to Congress, no matter where
he hailed from.
Now that, after more than half 0
century. the American Congress has
| followed the British example, loadlines
will be plainly marked on American
ocean going ships and there can be no
possibility of overlooking.