114 GEOEGE HAGUE ON THE MORAL AND 



It would be easy to compute how mauy ships or vessels there were iu the harbour of 

 Liverpool on a given day, provided it were perfectly understood within what limitations 

 the word ship or vessel was used. It would be more difficult, for it would open the way 

 for more error, to compute how many ships had been in the same harbour during a given 

 year. There would be greater liability to error still if the computation were extended 

 over half a century. 



But let us suppose our object is to get the tonnage of all the ships in harbour 

 on a given day. That would involve questions as to different descriptions of tonnage, 

 and as to different kinds of registration, as between ships of foreign nations and those 

 of Great Britain. (Such returns are, of -course, constantly made. The question discussed 

 in this paper is as to the influences that affect their accuracy). The tonnage for a whole 

 year would be much less likely to be accurate than that for a single day. Still more 

 liability would there be to error if the period were extended. 



3. But to proceed : — It is desired to obtain an accurate statement of the contents or 

 cargoes of all these ships on a given day. Here the factor of motion comes in to increase 

 the perplexity of the iDroblem, and also that of diversity of articles, and various standards 

 of weight, bulk, and measurement. How is this summary of contents to be arrived at ? 

 An army of men might spread themselves simultaneously over the harbour and take an 

 inventory of the contents of each ship. The liability to error in this case would be far 

 in excess of the liability to error iu the former cases, for the cargoes of these ships would 

 be mostly in process of loading or unloading. But if instead of an actual examination 

 reliance is placed upon documents and pieces of paper, invoices, bills of lading, and mani- 

 fests, the liability to error would be greatly increased. 



Such computations are, however, made, and form the subject of statistical returns 

 from the ports and from the boards of trade of the United Kingdom. But obviously such 

 an approximation to accuracy as is attainable in counting the mei"e number of the ships 

 in port is out of the question in estimating their contents. 



4. But passing from counting things to counting men, let us suppose we are en- 

 deavouring to ascertain the numbers of the crews of these ships iu port on a given day. 

 This is obviously a more difficult matter still. Some men are on shipboard, some are dis- 

 persed on shore. They cannot, therefore, be coiinted. If ships' rolls and registers arc to be 

 relied upon, it will be found that some men are in service and some are paid off. If, therefore, 

 a census were to be taken of the crews of a given port on a given day there would always 

 be the question : What constitutes a ship's crew when a ship is in port ? Some would 

 determine it in one direction, some in another, and the result would vary accordingly. 



5. It is clear, however, that none of the foregoing approach iu difficulty that which 

 is involved if we are endeavouring to obtain statistics of value. What is the vahœ, let us 

 ask, of the cargoes of all the ships in the port of Liverpool on a given day ? Here at once 

 we are met by the question : What are we to understand by value ? and next. How is 

 value to be determined ? 



To commence with the cargo of a single ship, let us say, a general cargo. It is not 

 difficult to ascertain that she contains amongst other things so mauy bales of cotton, and 

 that these bales weigh so many pounds. But the value of this cotton is a matter of 

 opinion ; it is a metaphysical conception. There are in such cases different notions in the 

 minds of different men, as they are buyers or sellers, as they are of a hopeful or desponding 



