To the Editor of the NowrH-CxtNa Datty News.
Sit,—Having recently _returned from sea, with a copy of your paper of recent date, received at an outport, I seek to enlighten, in a minor degree, those of your readers who fare inclined to share the beliefs and "fears," of E. J. C., made public ju an article headed "Cotton wool sailors."
His first inaccuracy is that of "dotting the ocean" with liners of 150,000" tons. Though perfectly agreeable conditions exist in these ships, surely the Imperial Merchant, Service is not represented by half dozen such vessels? With the exfeeption of the recently instituted, and farcical, wireless certificate I have never heard of such things being necessary to allow a boy, and Toast of all an A.B, to take up a seafaring career.
The question of salary may be disregarded, for those upon. whom devolves the safety of life, and proerty, afloat are, as a rule, insuficiently remunerated.
Because, in th conditions' at sea show improvement, the sailor of to-day is accused of being pampered!
Is it not apparent to the reader that, because of this universal improvement, Britain's place at sea Femains comparatively unchanged, since her Merchant Service is sti Probably the least pampered of an; In conclusion, were it possible for the captain of a ship to direct operations, from his bed even,
"he would not take advantage battens and pulling of such "tender comfort," simply because he is conscious of that sense of duty, and responsibility, which Judging by the amount he pulled over the eyes of E. who is, 1 imagine, such an as would ask, "Mister McAndrews, don't you think steam spoils romance Enclosing my card, Tam, etc, *YouNo Saur.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.