LASCARS AS SAILORS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1049, 11 February 1911, Page 10

LASCARS AS SAILORS.

Sir,—l-hnvo; rend with much interest a pamphlet on "Tho Lascar Question" by Grant Harvey, and reprinted from tho Dnnediii "Star" of December 17 last. Having sailed for many years on board steamers manned by Lascars, 1 havo pleasure in testifying to their ability,'good conduct, and efficiency-ns a crew. The fact that they aro British subjects seems to bo more or less ignored, but if questioned you will find that thoy. aro very proud of that fact. Tho P. and 0. Company havo been carrying H.M. mails for moro than half a century in vessels manned by Lascars—not to sneak of thousands of pnssengers 'annually—nnd thcro havo been very few casualties and no serious loss of life.

Surely Mr. Harvey must bo "a prophet or more than a prophot" when ho can foresee that "an attempt will lio made sooner or later through the British Uouso of Commons; aiming nt tlio revision of nil overseas British legislation affecting tho mercantilo marino in such n direction as will causo tho shipping laws of tho Commonwealth and tho Dominion to conform with tho arbitrary standard of the United Kingdom." Mr. Harvoy advocates copipjeto legislativo autonomy, for

Australia and Now Zealand, and quotes Canada as an example, but it must bo borno in mind that at the present timo tho two former aro entirely dependent upon tho grand old Britisli Navy for tho protection of their oversea commerce and their welfare in goncrnl. Thero arc at presont about 38,000 foreigners (including Lascars) in our increnntilo marino, and were theso withdrawn what would tho result be? Tho great difficulty in theso days is to find British seamen for British ships, although a move has been mado in tho right direction, notably by tho Union S.S. Company, by tho establishment of sea-going training ships; and training homes for hoys, such as that of tho Navy. Leaguo. at Liscard, Cheshire.—l am, etc., MASTER MARINER,