IN the August issue of The Life-Boat it was announced that the Committee of Management had decided, as from April, 1920, to give a further increase of 25 per cent, in the rewards paid to Coxswains and crews for going afloat to save life. This, together with the increase already given in June, 1919, made the scale of rewards 50 per cent, higher than it was before the war.

Continuing this policy, the Committee of Management have now decided sub- stantially to increase the retaining feeswhich are paid to Coxswains, Second Coxswains, Bowmen, Signalmen, and others with special duties to perform.

The retaining fee for all Coxswains before the war was £8 a year, while Second Coxswains received £2, and the others in proportion. In October, 1917, it was decided that the retaining fees should vary according to the size of the Life-boats, and this new principle made a considerable increase in the fees paid to many Coxswains. The Committee of Management have now decided, as from October, 1920, to increase the fees by approximately another 25 per cent., except in the case of the smallest Life- boats, where this increase had already been given a year ago. The fees to Second Coxswains, Bowmen, Signal- men, and the rest have been increased in proportion.

Under the new scale adopted in 1917, extra fees were also given where the Boats were kept on slipways or on the open beach all the winter, or were kept afloat at moorings ; and in 1919 it was decided that an extra fee should also be given to the Coxswains of Motor Life- boats. Thus, while in 1914 the fee paid to all Coxswains was £8, the smallest fee now paid—for Pulling Life-boats with no sails—is £10, while a Coxswain of a large Motor Life-boat receives £20, and if she is kept at moorings £24. Increases on a still larger scale have been made with regard to other payments. The fee of 10s. a tank, which was paid to the Coxswains of Boats fitted with water ballast, is now £1 ; while the allowances to Coxwains for painting the Boats have been increased, on an average, by 85 per cent..