Report of the Committee on Colour-Vision. 315 



where the correct interpretation of coloured lights is essential 

 to the safe navigation of vessels. 



I have shown, and I think conclusively, the great difficulty 

 there has been in the past in getting the Board of Trade to 

 recognise these dangers, and that when at last they did recognise 

 the dangers, they instituted methods of testing for colour- 

 blindness which are not efficient, this being shown by the facts 

 that these said methods, while they in very many cases allow 

 colour-blind men to pass, in some cases cause the rejection of 

 men as colour-blind who have a perfect colour sense. I have 

 also shown that while the methods of testing are inefficient for 

 the purpose intended, viz., the detection of colour-blindness, 

 the regulations dealing with these colour-blind men when so 

 detected are thoroughly bad. Colour-blind officers are granted 

 the higher certificate, which is simply endorsed " This officer 

 has failed in colours ; " and the fact that he is colour-blind is no 

 bar to his continuing in a responsible position. In the case of 

 men applying for a Second Mate's Certificate, it is true he does 

 not now receive his certificate, but he is at liberty to continue 

 his profession. So far as the Board of Trade regulations go, 

 colour-blind pilots, colour-blind " look-outs," colour-blind A.B.'s, 

 and colour-blind apprentices are quite competent to assist in the 

 navigation of ships, and may remain sailors to the end of their 

 days. I believe that no regulations, however elaborate, with 

 the object of preventing collisions at sea, and of preventing loss 

 of life at sea, can be successful so long as men who have not 

 good distant sight, and men who are colour-blind, are tolerated in 

 the Mercantile Marine. Again, improvement in the methods of 

 testing alone will not remedy the evils nor do away with the 

 great hardships entailed on colour-blind men. At the present 

 time a compulsory colour-test is only applied to those men 

 wishing to advance themselves, and thus it is only after years of 

 labour that their defect is discovered. To remedy the evils and 

 the hardships, it is essential that a colour test be employed at 

 the very commencement, and those who are colour-blind should 

 be stopped before they begin the sea life. At the present time 

 there is no test, and of a total of 956 boys who were being 

 brought up for the sea life on training ships, I found thirty-lour 

 who were colour-blind. These were boys who were going to 

 be sailors, and every sailor has responsibilities with regard to 

 " look-out" lights, and I have proof that the large majority 

 of these boys went to sea. I am told that the captains of 

 reformatory training ships are compelled to accept boys even 

 though they know them to be colour-blind. 



The Chairman : Your first point is, that all these boys should 

 be prevented from going to sea ? 



The Witness : Yes. The Board of Trade cannot settle this 

 question by improving their tests unless they at the same time 

 prevent colour-blind boys entering the Service. It seems to me 

 the action of the Board of Trade all through has been inexplicable 



