124 RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR FREEBOARD, 
a ship which was overloaded, but as there were no legally recognized freeboard 
rules from which to determine the limit of loading, one can readily imagine the 
endless disputes which arose between owners and officials as to what constituted 
an overloaded ship within the meaning of the act. 
A conference which was called in 1875 to ascertain the practicability of laying 
down rules for the guidance of the Board of Trade surveyors was abortive as far 
as the direct object of the meeting was concerned, although agreement was reached 
on certain fundamental principles which it was considered should govern the deter- 
mination of freeboards. Upon the introduction of spar and awning deck vessels, 
Lloyd’s Register of Shipping made the marking of an approved load line on these 
special types a condition of classification, and in 1882 published freeboard tables 
capable of general application which were based on reserve buoyancy percentages. 
At about the same time the Board of Trade issued freeboard rules for the guidance 
of the surveyors, and as there was also in use a scale of freeboard allowances recom- 
mended by the Liverpool Underwriters’ Registry, the necessity of endeavoring 
to arrive at a uniform basis for determining freeboards was urgent. 
The first Load Line Committee was appointed by the Board of Trade in 1883, 
and, after extensive investigation, reported in 1885 “‘that it is now practicable 
to frame general rules covering freeboard which will prevent dangerous overloading 
without unduly interfering with trade.” 
All obtainable evidence as to what constituted a safe loading for vessels was 
collected from owners and masters, and the freeboard tables recommended by 
the committee embodied the results of ripe practical experience within the limits 
of the dimensions of vessels existing at a time when a cargo vessel of 300 feet in 
length was considered a big boat. These rules, which were based on Lloyd’s 1882 
tables, were approved by the Board of Trade, and a large number of shipowners, 
to their credit be it said, voluntarily took steps to have freeboards marked on their 
vessels in accordance with the new regulations, although not legally required to 
do so, since it was not until 1890 that the Merchant Shipping Act of that year 
provided for the compulsory marking of all, except some of the smaller class of 
British vessels, with freeboards as recommended by the 1885 Load Line Committee. 
Lloyd’s Register and the British Corporation were empowered by the Board of 
Trade to assign freeboards, and the act itself contained a clause to the effect that 
due regard should be paid to the views of the assigning bodies in administering the 
regulations and in the making of any modifications in the freeboard tables which 
might be found necessary. This undoubtedly has had much to do with the fact 
that load line administration in Great Britain has never been oppressive, and that 
the freeboard rules and regulations have been modified from time to time in order 
to keep pace with the development of shipbuilding and the evolution of new types 
of vessels. 
The Merchant Shipping Acts of 1894 and 1906 extended the provisions of the 
previous acts, the 1906 Act cancelling the exemption previously granted to coasting 
steamers under 80 tons gross and requiring all foreign vessels in British ports to 
have load lines marked in accordance with the British or other freeboard regula- 
