FOR some time past it has been felt by the Institution that its Branch at Grimsby did not receive from the trawler owners the support which it bad reason to expect in view of the fact that Grimsby is the chief centre of the British Fishing Industry, in fact the largest fishing centre in the world, and that the Life-boats of the Institution are more often called out to the help of fishing boats than of any other type of vessel. The extent of the services of the Life-boats to the trawlers and drifters of Grimsby can be judged from the fol- lowing figures. There have been 1,295 launches of Life-boats or assemblies of crews for service during the past five years (1st January, 1922, up to the end of September, 1926). Of these, 146 were for trawlers and drifters, that is to say, over 11 per cent.

27-3 per cent, of all the launches and assemblies for Trawlers and Drifters were due to Grimsby vessels.

30-5 per cent, of the launches and assemblies to British Trawlers and Drifters only were due to Grimsby 22-3 per cent, of all the lives rescued from Trawlers and Drifters were from Grimsby vessels.

31 -8 per cent, of the lives rescued from British Trawlers and Drifters were from Grimsby vessels.

3 per cent, of the total launches and assemblies of the whole Life-boat Ser- vice to all kinds of vessels were due to Grimsby vessels.

Unfortunately, the attempts of the Institution to bring these facts home to the trawler owners of Grimsby have been met by general charges against the Institution of bad adminis- tration and extravagance. In view of this very unsatisfactory state of affairs, it was decided that a meeting should be held at Grimsby. The suggestion came from Commander Boothby, D.S.O., R.N.R., the Honorary Secretary of the Grimsby and Cleethorpes Branch, and through the good offices of the Mayor of Grimsby, Councillor Ernest Harrison, a meeting was called at the Town Hall on 8th October, for the express purpose of enabling critics of the Institution at Grimsby, and particularly the trawler owners, to meet representatives of the Committee of Management, so that the latter could answer such criticism and objections, and give the fullest informa- tion about the organisation, administra- tion and work of the Institution.

The Mayor asked a few representative residents to lunch to meet Sir Godfrey Baring, Bt., Chairman of the Committee of Management, Captain the Viscount Curzon, C.B.E., V.D., R.N.V.R., M.P., and Captain H. G. Evans, R.N.R., members of the Committee, and Mr. George F. Shee, M.A., Secretary of the Institution, those present including the Deputy Mayor, Alderman Frank Bar- rett, the M.P. for the Borough, Mr. Walter J. Womersley, the Port-Master, Captain J. Man, C M.G., R.N.R., Alder- man R. G. Hitching, and the Town Clerk.

It is greatly to be regretted that none of the trawler-owners attended the meeting. The Mayor decided, nevertheless, to hold it, and those pre- sent acted the part of advocatus diaboli, and put forward the main criticisms and objections to the Institution's conduct of affairs which were understood to explain the complete failure of the trawler owners of Grimsby to accord it their support. Press representatives were present.

After the various criticisms and objections had been stated, Sir Godfrey Baring described the nature and scope of the Institution's work, and dealt with the numbers and the duties of the officials of the Institution whose salaries are given in the Annual Report and Balance Sheet.

The representatives of the Institution, the Mayor of Grimsby, and the Press, also had before them the summary already given, showing the very high percentage of services rendered to Grimsby trawlers among all the trawlers and drifters to whose assistance Life-boats have been launched in the past five years.

Lord Curzon laid particular stress on the important and national character of the work done by the Institution, and the claims which such work had upon the shipping community in general and trawler owners in particular, though he admitted that those connected with the shipping industry had had a bad time ; in recent years. He made an earnest , appeal to the trawler owners to drop their attitude of hostility and criticism ! and to support the Institution gene-rously. I Captain Evans dealt with the question j of salaries, and emphasised the character of the work done by the chief officers and the organising secretaries, who, he thought, were by no means overpaid for the very difficult and arduous task I imposed upon them. The Secretary dealt particularly with the criticism that the Institution allowed the crews to claim salvage, which was ; often exorbitant and unreasonable. He pointed out the great difficulties of this problem, which was still occupying the : earnest attention of the Committee of Management, and emphasised the fact : that the Institution took no share what- ever in salvage, except in connexion with the services of the Padstow Steam Tug.

The proceedings closed with cordial votes of thanks to the members of the Committee of Management and to the Mayor respectively. The Mayor stated that he, the Member for the Borough, and other representative citizens would address a letter to the Press, expressing their complete satisfaction with the statement made by the Chairman and the other members of the Committee of Management, and calling upon Grimsby to do its part in providing the resources so urgently needed to maintain the Life- boat Service at the highest standard of, efficiency. The Mayor's opinion was repeated in a letter to the Grimsby newspapers, dated October 25th.

After setting out the facts with regard to the meeting which I have already given, the letter concluded with the following emphatic expression of the signatories' opinion:— " We, the undersigned, desire to place upon record that we are entirely satisfied that the Royal National Life- boat Institution is run upon sound busi- ness lines and that the allegations made against it are quite unfounded, and we appeal to the public of Grimsby to give the Institution adequate support.

" As regards salaries, one of the state- ments made was that extravagant salaries are paid. We are convinced that none of the officials of the Institu- tion are overpaid.

" In conclusion, Mr. Editor, we are de- sired to say that if any one wishes to have a Balance-sheet and Report, one will be sent to him by return of post on application to either the Secretary, Mr.Shee, 22, Charing Cross Road, London, W.C. 2, or to the local Hon. Secretary, Commander H. B. Boothby, D.S.O., R.N.R., Royal Dock Offices, Grimsby, and that the former of these two gen- tlemen will be very pleased to answer any questions that anyone chooses to ask, or will explain anything that requires explanation to the best of his ability.

" Thanking you in anticipation, Mr.

Editor, we are yours faithfully, ERNEST HARRISON (Mayor), FRANK BARRETT (Deputy Mayor), W. J. WOMERSLEY (Borough Member), R. GUY HITCHING (Chairman, Watch Committee), ,1. MAN (Portmaster for Grimsby)."