No Blue Book issued by a Government department is more interesting or more important than that issued annually by the Board of Trade dealing, by means of " Abstracts " of returns, with all the shipping casualties which each year occur on or near the coasts of the United Kingdom. The Board of Trade has recently made public the statistics for the year ended the 30th June, 1908, and, following our usual practice, we place before our readers such of them as more directly bear on the great life-saving service entrusted to the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION. We believe that the facts and figures given cannot fail to interest all who sympathise with the Institution's work. It must be abundantly clear to any who look into the matter, that notwithstanding all that has been done, is being done, and will be done, to minimise the horrors of shipwreck on our coasts, shipping casualties—like the poor—will always be with us, but the duty rests on the British public which owes so much to the sailor, whether he be a Britisher, a colonial, or a foreigner, to do its utmost to protect those " in peril on the sea " and more especially those on or near the coasts of the United Kingdom.

We propose first to deal with the ship- ping casualties themselves and then with the lives so sadly lost as a result of the casualties. The total number of casual- ties in the year 1907-8 was considerable, namely, 3,863, this total being an in- crease of 79 as compared with the pre- vious year, and the number of those who perished as the result of the casualties was 318, a small decrease of six from the corresponding total of the year 1906—7.

The 3,863 casualties included shipping accidents of all descriptions—founder- ings, strandings, collisions, missing vessels, etc., and the Board of Trade allots the casualties as follows:—(1) Total loss ; (2) Serious casualties ; (3) Minor casualties. The cases of total loss and serious casualties show a some- what satisfactory decrease of 113, the the total number being 1,153 ; whereas the number of minor casualties ran up to 2,710, an increase of 192. Of all the casualties 92 resulted in loss of life, a decrease of 13 as compared with the year 1906-7.

Considerably more than a third of the casualties were, as has generally been found, collision cases, the total of such cases being 1,489 or 17 more than hi the previous year. The total losses, excluding collisions, decreased by two, that is, from 220 to 218, and there was also a fair falling off in the number of serious casualties, excluding collisions, the total being 576 or 35 less than the total for the previous year. On the other hand, there was a somewhat con- siderable increase in the number of minor casualties, excluding collisions, the total under this head being 1,580, or 99 more than in the year 1906-7.

Of the 3,863 casualties 3,449 befell British and Colonial vessels, and 414 Foreign vessels, the former being a decrease of 118 as compared with the preceding year, and the latter a decrease of 39.

The localities of the 3,863 casualties, excluding collisions, were :—East Coast of England, 655, an increase of 12; South Coast of England, 390, a decrease of 56; West Coast of England and Scotland and East Coast of Ireland, a considerable increase of 124, the total number being 814; North Coast of Scotland, 172, or an increase of two only; East Coast of Scotland, 143, a falling off of 16 casualties; other parts, 200 or four less than in the year 1906-7 ; total, 2,374, a net increase for the year of 62.

The total loss of life resulting from the 3,863 casualties, all classes of casualties being included, and allocated in the same way as the casualties, was : East Coast of England, 52, a very large decrease of 60 as compared with the year 1906-7 ; South Coast of England, 75, or six more than the total for the previous year ; West Coast of England and Scotland and East Coast of Ireland, 62, an increase of 14 ; North Coast of Scotland, 24, a small increase of 4; Sast Coast of Scotland, 21, as against Uy 3 the previous year; other parts, 84; total, 318.

If reference is made to the Chart issued yearly with the " Abstracts," it will be found that a black dot is placed against each spot on the coast where a serious casualty occurred during the year ended 30th June, 1908, and a red line is also entered againt the precise position of the 281 Life-boat Stations of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTI- TUTION. Every care has been taken by the Committee of Management in the placing of these Life-boats with a view TO their giving the most speedy assist- ance to the crews of vessels in distress.

Between the year 1861 and the 30th Jane, 1908, 6,908 British, Foreign, and Colonial vessels were wrecked on or near the coasts of the United Kingdom, and in every one of these wrecks life was unfortunately lost, the total number of those perishing being 29,335. The number of lives lost from British and Colonial vessels in the year 1907-8 was 256 and 62 from Foreign vessels; the total number of lives lost during the year being 318 as mentioned above. It will be noticed that there was a decrease of only one in the number of lives lost from British and Colonial vessels, whereas in the case of Foreign vessels the decrease was five. Of the 318 lives lost in all, 40 were in foundered vessels, 80 in collisions, 87 in stranded vessels, 60 in missing vessels, and 51 in explosions, washed overboard, etc. It is interesting to note that of the total of lives lost during the year 1907-8, namely 318, only 16 were passengers, the remaining 302 being one and all either officers or members of the crews of the vessels shipwrecked.

It will be readily understood that the number of vessels incurring casualties on or near the coasts of the United Kingdom must necessarily vary from year to year. The following table fur- nishes the very interesting statistics for more than half a century :—1854 (last six months), 458 ; 1855, 1,141 ; 1856, 1,153 ; 1857, 1,143 ; 1858, 1,170 ; 1859, 1,416 ; 1860, 1,379 ; 1861, 1,494 ; 1862, 1,827; 1863, 2,001; 1864, 1,741; 1865, 2,012 ; 1866, 2,289; 1867, 2,513 ; 1868, 2,131; 1869, 2,594; 1870, 1,865; 1871, 1,927; 1872, 2,381 ; 1873 (first six months), 1,206 ; 1873-4, 2,191 ; 1874-5, 4,259; 1875-6, 4,554; 1876-7, 5,017; 1877-8, 4,436 ; 1878-9, 3,716 ; 1879-80, 3,138; 1880-1,4,297; 1881-2, 4,367; 1882-3, 4,363 ; 1883-4, 4,405; 1884-5, 3,764 ; 1885-6, 3,596 ; 1886-7, 4,224 ; 1887-8, 4,004 ; 1888-9, 4,272; 1889-90, 4,344; 1890-1,4,198; 1891-2,4,710; 1892-3, 3,499 ; 1893-4, 4,951; 1894-5, 4,917 ; 1895-6, 4,620 ; 1896-7, 5,277 ; 1897-8, 4,964; 1898-9, 5,040; 1899- 1900, 4,067; 1900-1, 4,008; 1901-2, 4,124; 1902-3, 4,357; 1903-4, 4,668; 1904-5, 4,006; 1905-6, 3,685; 1906-7, 3,784; 1907-8,3,863. Total, 181,526.

It is found On looking through the Board of Trade returns for the last 55 years that during those years no less than 33,174 lives were lost in shipwrecks on or near the coasts of Great Britain and Ireland. It is a matter for great thankfulness, however, that during the same 55 years, the lives saved by the Life-boats of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE- BOAT INSTITUTION and the other means recognised by the Institution exceeded those lost by 4,960, the total of the saved being 38,134, whilst those who perished numbered, as previously stated, 33,174.

H.M. Coastguard, assisted by rocket brigades, still continue to carry on a grand work in life-saving on our coasts by means of the rocket apparatus, all being very admirably superintended by the Board of Trade. In July in the same way as the casualties, was : East Coast of England, 52, a very large decrease of 60 as compared with the year 1906-7 ; South Coast of England, 75, or six more than the total for the previous year ; West Coast of England and Scotland and East Coast of Ireland, 62, an increase of 14 ; North Coast of Scotland, 24, a small increase of 4; Sast Coast of Scotland, 21, as against Uy 3 the previous year; other parts, 84; total, 318.

If reference is made to the Chart issued yearly with the " Abstracts," it will be found that a black dot is placed against each spot on the coast where a serious casualty occurred during the year ended 30th June, 1908, and a red line is also entered againt the precise position of the 281 Life-boat Stations of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTI- TUTION. Every care has been taken by the Committee of Management in the placing of these Life-boats with a view TO their giving the most speedy assist- ance to the crews of vessels in distress.

Between the year 1861 and the 30th Jane, 1908, 6,908 British, Foreign, and Colonial vessels were wrecked on or near the coasts of the United Kingdom, and in every one of these wrecks life was unfortunately lost, the total number of those perishing being 29,335. The number of lives lost from British and Colonial vessels in the year 1907-8 was 256 and 62 from Foreign vessels; the total number of lives lost during the year being 318 as mentioned above. It will be noticed that there was a decrease of only one in the number of lives lost from British and Colonial vessels, whereas in the case of Foreign vessels the decrease was five. Of the 318 lives lost in all, 40 were in foundered vessels, 80 in collisions, 87 in stranded vessels, 60 in missing vessels, and 51 in explosions, washed overboard, etc. It is interesting to note that of the total of lives lost during the year 1907-8, namely 318, only 16 were passengers, the remaining 302 being one and all either officers or members of the crews of the vessels shipwrecked.

It will be readily understood that the number of vessels incurring casualties on or near the coasts of the United Kingdom must necessarily vary from year to year. The following table fur- nishes the very interesting statistics for more than half a century :—1854 (last six months), 458 ; 1855, 1,141 ; 1856, 1,153 ; 1857, 1,143 ; 1858, 1,170 ; 1859, 1,416 ; 1860, 1,379 ; 1861, 1,494 ; 1862, 1,827; 1863, 2,001; 1864, 1,741; 1865, 2,012 ; 1866, 2,289; 1867, 2,513 ; 1868, 2,131; 1869, 2,594; 1870, 1,865; 1871, 1,927; 1872, 2,381 ; 1873 (first six months), 1,206 ; 1873-4, 2,191 ; 1874-5, 4,259; 1875-6, 4,554; 1876-7, 5,017; 1877-8, 4,436 ; 1878-9, 3,716 ; 1879-80, 3,138; 1880-1,4,297; 1881-2, 4,367; 1882-3, 4,363 ; 1883-4, 4,405; 1884-5, 3,764 ; 1885-6, 3,596 ; 1886-7, 4,224 ; 1887-8, 4,004 ; 1888-9, 4,272; 1889-90, 4,344; 1890-1,4,198; 1891-2,4,710; 1892-3, 3,499 ; 1893-4, 4,951; 1894-5, 4,917 ; 1895-6, 4,620 ; 1896-7, 5,277 ; 1897-8, 4,964; 1898-9, 5,040; 1899- 1900, 4,067; 1900-1, 4,008; 1901-2, 4,124; 1902-3, 4,357; 1903-4, 4,668; 1904-5, 4,006; 1905-6, 3,685; 1906-7, 3,784; 1907-8,3,863. Total, 181,526.

It is found On looking through the Board of Trade returns for the last 55 years that during those years no less than 33,174 lives were lost in shipwrecks on or near the coasts of Great Britain and Ireland. It is a matter for great thankfulness, however, that during the same 55 years, the lives saved by the Life-boats of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE- BOAT INSTITUTION and the other means recognised by the Institution exceeded those lost by 4,960, the total of the saved being 38,134, whilst those who perished numbered, as previously stated, 33,174.

H.M. Coastguard, assisted by rocket brigades, still continue to carry on a grand work in life-saving on our coasts by means of the rocket apparatus, all being very admirably superintended by the Board of Trade. In July last there were 339 life-saving stations under the care of the Board and the total number of lives saved by the life- saving apparatus during the year 1908-9 was 112, a decrease of eight compared with the total of the previous year.

It is common knowledge that the Coast- guard have been of the greatest service to the Life-boat Institution in the past, and it is to be hoped that for many years to come they may continue to watch the coast, to look after the electrical com- munications which have been established for life-saving purposes, and to assist when necessary in helping to launch and man the Institution's Life-boats.

It ought not to be difficult for the British public to understand that a very large annual income is required to maintain the great life-saving fleet of the ROYAL- NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITU- TION in proper and suitable efficiency.

Further, that whether times are bad or good the service must be carried on, and the necessary means found for doing so.

Since the Institution was founded on the 4th March, 1824, the Committee of Management have granted rewards for saving upwards of 48,000 lives, and they feel that such a grand result should alone entitle the Institution to liberal and well sustained support.