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CHAPTER XI—TRANSPORT SERVICES AND PUBLIC WORKS.
We devote this chapter mainly to the industrial labour employed
in transport services other than railways and deal in turn with maritime
shipping, inland steam navigation, docks, tramways and motor trans-
port by road. After discussing these. we add some observations on public
works.
Employment of Indian Seamen.
The statement on the following page gives the number and ton-
nage of all steam vessels and sailing vessels which entered or cleared in the
five important ports of India with cargo or in ballast in 1929-30. As
the table indicates, the great bulk of the tonnage is registered outside
India, particularly in Great Britain. The steamers registered in India
form about 5%, of the total tonnage cleared at the main ports and re-
present, for the most part, small craft. Some evidence was tendered
60 us regarding the conditions of labour at sea on ships registered outside
British India. We recognise the importance of such questions, but they do
00% come within our terms of reference and we must leave their consi-
eration to the Governments concerned. We have, however, regarded
t as our duty to consider the conditions affecting seamen while on
shore, and particularly the control of their recruitment. The recruit-
ment of Indian seamen is at present virtually confined to the ports of
Calcutta and Bombay. When seamen are required to fill vacancies at
Other ports, they are sent from these two principal ports. During the three
years from 1926-27 to 1928-29, the average number of seamen engaged in
Calcutta was 58,300 a year and in Bombay 34,600. The crew on board
the larger ships works in three groups—the deck crew, the engine-room
“réw and the saloon crew. The deck crew and the engine-room crew work
ander serangs responsible to the Chief Officer and the Chief Engineer respec-
fively, and the saloon crew under a butler responsible to the Purser or
Chief Steward. With the exception of a proportion of Goans in the saloon
Crews, the Calcutta crews consist of Bengali Musalmans, and come prin-
zipally from Eastern Bengal. The Bombay deck crews come from various
Parts of the West Coast, some crews being Hindus and others Musalmans.
The engine-room crews are Musalmans, many of whom come from the
Punjab and the North-West Frontier Province to serve the P. and O.
Steam Navigation Company. The saloon crews are mainly Goans by
Origin, For many years all persons, with the exception of Shipping Mas-
bers, owners, masters and mates of ships or regular servants of owners
have been prohibited from engaging or supplying seamen unless they
have been specially licensed for the purpose.
