Factory and Workshop Operatives 5,270,835 4,047 405 Railway Servants 381,626 4,717 472 Miners 718,747 10,333 1,033 Seamen 188,391 21,241 2,172 Further, Mr. Wilson estimates that one seventh of the lives lost amongst seamen is due to causes which could not easily be prevented, and that the remainder—18,206 for ten years, or 1862 annually—are lost through preventable causes such as under-manning, incompetent seamen, insufficient stability, want of proper shifting boards, over insurance, reckless navigation, superficial surveying and over loading. The foregoing list, be it remembered, is not ancient history, but is made up to date, so to speak, and during a time when the “Plimsol Shipping Act” was supposed to be in full swing! It is a common saying that, owing to the great improvements made in connection with modern shipping, the mortality amongst seamen is considerably less now than it was in former years, but the stern logic of facts shows that instead of this being the case, the loss of life is increasing at a fearful rate. On looking back a bit I find, from a perusal of the “British Wreck Register,” that during the thirty years preceding Mr. Wilson’s table (namely 1853 to 1883) there were 21,651 seamen lost by shipwreck, or an average of 721 annually. In other words, the annual loss during the past ten years—1883 to 1893—has been three times as great as the annual loss during the previous thirty years. Surely this is a startling piece of information, and one well calculated to make a person ask, Is this state of matters due to modern improvements, or is it in spite of them? Speaking as one who has had many years’ experience as a seaman, I have no hesitation in saying that six out of every ten disasters which overtake ships are caused by the foolish practice of hurrying vessels out of port in an unfit condition. Many a time have I seen, and been in, ships sent away from Melbourne and elsewhere with hundreds of tons of cargo on deck. In some instances this cargo was intended to remain on deck, and in others it had to be put below after the ship got to sea. Indeed, in one notable case a royal mail steamer actually took with her, from Melbourne, a number of stevedores men, or lumpers, for the express purpose of stowing the cargo whilst the vessel was on her way to Adelaide. Every now and then the community is startled with the account of some appalling shipping disaster, and, as a rule, the credit of such is given to the Creator by announcing them as “acts of Providence.” In sober truth they are mostly “acts of improvidence,” the blame resting solely with foolish, short-sighted man. A large steamer will come into port to-day, discharge and load cargo all night, and sail next morning on a fresh voyage. “Despatch in port” this is called, but too