BOYS IN THE MERCANTILE MARINE.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 22 February 1901, Page 4

BOYS IN THE MERCANTILE MARINE.

In the House of Commons on Thursday, December 13, in reply to Sir Charles Dilke, Mr Gerald Balfour said : I cannot admit that the scheme in connection with the light dues referred to in the question for inducing British shipowners to carry British boys on their ships has failed. The scheme has been adopted by many shipping firms of the highest standing. It came into operation in April, 1899, and up to the 30th of last month 615 enrolments have taken place. There has from the first been a steady tendency to increase, which has become more marked during the last eight months. The proportion of foreigners employed in our mercantile marine in 1899 was slightly in excess of that shown in any previous year, but this is probably due to causes outside the scheme. I hope that the measuro of success that has attended this scheme will go on increasing as its advantages become more widely known. I have no proposal at present to submit to the House." With reference to the foregoing, the following figures are extracts for the last three years from tables showing the progress of British merchant shipping, and ordered by the House of Commons to be printed on June 19, 1900: 1897. 1898. 1899. Number of. British persons employed .. 175,519 174,980 174,266 Number of foreign persons employed .. 33,898 35,308 36,064