A HUMANISING AGENCY 207 



though the undertaking was, yet the responsible com- 

 mittee were able to place an order for a steam Mission 

 ship at a cost of about ,12,000, through the generosity 

 of an anonymous donor who paid the full expense of 

 building and equipping the vessel. This was the 

 Alpha, built at Leith in 1900, a steel vessel of 275 

 gross tonnage and 70 horse-power nominal. She was 

 followed in 1902 by the Queen Alexandra and \)s\e Joseph 

 and Sarah Miles, both built at Leith also, and provided 

 with everything that can minister to the comfort and 

 recreation of the men whose lives are spent on the 

 North Sea. The three steamboats represent an original 

 capital outlay of more than .34,000, and need a sum of 

 3000 yearly .1000 each to maintain them, although 

 they are equipped with fishing-gear and send their fish 

 to market like the rest of the fleeters. 



The great difference between a Mission ship and an 

 ordinary trawler, in connection with fishing, is that she 

 does not fish on Sundays, whereas very many of the 

 steam-trawlers do. This Sunday labour, apart from 

 any sentiment relating to the Sabbath, tells severely on 

 men who are almost incessantly at work throughout the 

 week and are deprived of needed change and rest. 

 There is no such thing for the North Sea man as a 

 half-day on Saturday and a whole day on Sunday a 

 complete rest and holiday to end the week. Perhaps 

 the time is near when he shall have his day of rest, by 

 law, like other and far less hard workers ashore. 



At present the Mission can station vessels with three 

 only of the four steam fleets that are fishing the North 

 Sea grounds. A fourth steamer is urgently needed, and 

 steps are being taken to raise the money to provide her. 



