[TO . THE EDITOR OF TES " SPECTATOR:1
Sra.,—This letter is out of date, as I have only just received your issue of October 9th, but I hope you will insert it. I wish to express my strong sympathy with the cause Mr. Noble advocates. I am glad to hear from him that inspectors are rather inadequate than venal, but the fact remains that ship- owners have it in their power, if they are wicked enough, to send unseaworthy ships to sea for their profit, thereby _risking lives at least as valuable as their own. I sincerely hope this correspondence may rouse public opinion in this matter, and strike out some scheme which may be brought before the Board of Trade with practical result. As Mr. Noble points out, these undermanned death-traps, once away, are out of the power of supervision, and therefore inspection can hardly be too stringent before sailing. And I agree with you, Sir, that adequate carrying out of the present system should be tried before any new scheme is brought forward. Personally, 1 think that it would have a very good effect to ship twenty; five selected shipowners to navigate a worn-out tramp across the Atlantic in October, but I fear that is not practicable.—I
[We cannot continue this correspondence, but as Sir Walter Bona:eau and Mr. Cuthbert Laws have written in somewhat strong terms we feel it would not be fair to Mr. Noble to deny him the right of a further reply. We must make it a con- dition, however, that no new ground is opened and that his letter shall be of moderate length.—En. Spectator.]
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