A ROYAL MERCHANT FLEET.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1698, 14 April 1917, Page 4

A ROYAL MERCHANT FLEET.

What is to be the future of the British mercantile, marine? Hitherto it has been free, except in so far as the Board of Trade lias enforced certain regulations intended to promote the safely and comfort of the officers and men. It is now suggested that in addition to arming all ocean-going ships in an effective manner, the position of the merchant marine* should lie considered. The Morning Post has made itself the exponent of the new policy, and claims that the Government have now an opportunity of carrying out an important reform. It remarks that “the true relations between the Royal Navy and the merchant service, after a century of desuetude, have* been revived. It should now be possible to confer upon the officers and men rights and privileges which should secure their position. Once the necessity for arining merchant ships is admitted —the merchant service becomes ip part the concern of the State. Trained crews must he provided and retained. All merchant service officers and men should be trained in the Royal Naval Reserve and be paid accordingly by the Government. The whole merchant service should receive the treatment propgr to tb,e Nnyal Reserve, which, in fact, it is, !}