Letter sent to the Board of Trade from the Dock, Wharf, Riverside, and General Workers' Union
On April 19, 1912 the Board of Trade, specifically the Marine Department, received a letter from the Dock, Wharf, Riverside, and General Workers’ Union of Great Britain and Ireland detailing the Union’s disdain at the loss of working class lives that occurred on the Titanic (Tillett, 1912; Appendix A). The letter was signed Ben Tillett, the general secretary for the Union. The letter began by offering condolences to the families of the third class passengers and members of the crew that perished on board the Titanic. Tillett went on to describe their feelings of the crews callous disregard for life shown in the forbidding of third class passengers to get on board the lifeboats and that the saving of just the first class passengers was a “disgrace to our common civilization” (Tillett, 1912). He then called upon the government and the Board of Trade to insist that an adequate amount of boats, rafts, and belts be provided to save every all lives on board a vessel, even the crew. To close the letter, Tillett, called upon the Labour Party to force the government to provide proper protection for the lives of all mariners and passengers regardless of their class or grade (Tillett, 1912). This letter challenged the government to change the laws regarding the number of lifeboats on board a vessel and make an accusation that the third class passengers were discriminated against (Tillett, 1912).
The inquiry after the disaster did not find any evidence of discrimination but there was one steward that testified who had a different opinion. The steward who testified stated that male third class passengers were kept below deck as late as 1:15 am. Since it was women and children into the lifeboats first this meant that third class men would likely have not survived anyway, but if there was room for men aboard the lifeboats allowing third class passengers on deck might have saved their lives (Wilkinson & Hamilton, 2011). There were also reports of closed stairways blocking the way to safety third class passengers with the cheapest tickets. During the first three days of the voyage it was also observed that the class divisions were strictly followed with first class passengers receiving the best service. It must also be noted that more male first class passengers survived than third class children, showing that proximity to the boat deck may have been a factor in survival (Wilkinson & Hamilton, 2011). It is unknown whether or not Tillett knew about the accounts of third class passengers being barred from the boat deck, but it is clear from the letter that he assumed, or acknowledged, this occurrence.
The picture in the header bar is a pin from the Dock, Wharf, Riverside, and General Workers' Union ("Dock, Wharf, Riverside,," Dock, Wharf, Riverside, and General Workers' Union pin). The image of the letter was a scanned image of a replica that I personally own.
The inquiry after the disaster did not find any evidence of discrimination but there was one steward that testified who had a different opinion. The steward who testified stated that male third class passengers were kept below deck as late as 1:15 am. Since it was women and children into the lifeboats first this meant that third class men would likely have not survived anyway, but if there was room for men aboard the lifeboats allowing third class passengers on deck might have saved their lives (Wilkinson & Hamilton, 2011). There were also reports of closed stairways blocking the way to safety third class passengers with the cheapest tickets. During the first three days of the voyage it was also observed that the class divisions were strictly followed with first class passengers receiving the best service. It must also be noted that more male first class passengers survived than third class children, showing that proximity to the boat deck may have been a factor in survival (Wilkinson & Hamilton, 2011). It is unknown whether or not Tillett knew about the accounts of third class passengers being barred from the boat deck, but it is clear from the letter that he assumed, or acknowledged, this occurrence.
The picture in the header bar is a pin from the Dock, Wharf, Riverside, and General Workers' Union ("Dock, Wharf, Riverside,," Dock, Wharf, Riverside, and General Workers' Union pin). The image of the letter was a scanned image of a replica that I personally own.