LOSS OF THE TITANIC.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 102, 29 April 1912, Page 9

LOSS OF THE TITANIC.

UiSSONS LEARIHED

ADDEESS BY MR- HAVELOCK WILSON".

i ition as secretary of the FeJeH ' s LTmens Union, and the fact that | TtTnZl »il..r «nd - number of the , tl°Mr. Havelock VViHon. who ? wd n \ vi'it to Sew ZeaUn.!. to .peak "♦f'-TOwiwte on the recent awful calaWt of the «re,-k nf the Tit.mi,, Thoro ""7« hr-P a»di p »'" at th " "P Pra " ou * e M, Krn.t Tlaris presided. Mr Wilson «* polit-lv nt th esppn- of the c on|v I rale whi-li I -> :: -'" rs affeotin,' the reflation, doalinp teats on th" Tiunir raw up l.pforr Hip miMw h- Imd MM that a. >non ns srSffi««£d ti-t'ir ,;n,, r n,y tot» ennngh t<. wrrj" h«H tho ppopln on J^ ri s o snnn wmii.l thorn be trouble. Lt hf had no i<J.-« the fa.-T "«nl.l hr hrouß ht o«t in «irh a inoliuii'holy manner. frervboflr thought th- Titanic «as absoLelv unVinkabie. A= =«-"i a* lie rea.i. of rtcralamity hf vva. rrrtain that >he ],aJ not struck end on. bor-ausr even if her bow, had been ? m a.'he,l the forward hulktod would have kept her afloat for day?. He fame to the inclusion that she had rlanced along the brr ? xv.d ripped her Mdc out. He hoped that thi> would not snotrest that watertight bulkheads ivere of 50 prvice. They r-liould be inbistmi upon in the case of pas&en<rr>r ships. .\< some people were aware. -hip- had double bittom? about three feet apart—where the Kater ballast was carried, and lie was strongly of opinion that this double s!;in should 'l« carried ri?lu up to the waterline. He mentioned that be had known vessel, with the outside bottom ripped practically off: still. tlio-i- vessels had come home on their ballast tanks. It was a serious thinp that the Board of Trade had permitted ships to carry only half enough boats for til ■ people on board He was not goinir to bl-anic owner* for this remissness. The permanent officials and the nautical advisors of the Board were to blame. Speaking of the adverse '■omments on Mr. Ismay. be s:iid he was very glad ind-eed that that crentleman had been saved, as it would allow him to realise to the fullest extent what it meant to he placed in the position of those unfortunate people on the Titanic. The tesson would never be forgotten by owners. Mr. Wilson was very pained and surprised that these unfavourable comments had been mad* , on Mr. Ismay. a.« ■there were no more conscientious or careful shipowners in th" whole of Great Britain than Isir.ay and Co.. who were responsible for the White Star line. The remarks about racing across the Atlantic Mr. Wilson characterised as ••Tommy rot." Then there was the insinuation that Mr. Ismay had interfered with the . aptain of the Titanic. Those who suptrpsted such a thing little knew th" stamp of men who rommaniled such ships. ][d Capt. Smith been interfered with he would promptly told Mr. Isnmy to mind his oira .business. Concerning the allegation that there was neglect on the part of tie captain in not •easing down the slip when there was ice about. Mr. Wilson was not prepared to accept that view, and advised his: hearers to suspend judgment till they got more information. 'There were no more careful men in the world than the Atlantic captains. The Ounnrders lad been navigated across tha» ocean for 60 years, and never a shin had been lost. I It was impossible to help what was 'past, and the question was how could they prevent such catastrophes in the future. For twenty-fire years he had pointed out the terrible risk ships ran ■without a sufficient, number of lifeboats for all on board, and secondly without laving a sufficient number of qualified men to man those boats. There would TO no difficulty with regard to the first point, because be observed that instructions had been issued by nearly all the owners to carry forthwith a sufficiency of boats. But what use was it to have enough boats if there were no men to work them? There should w at least three competent men and »n officer or a petty officer to each wat, He did not expect that the Titanic earned more than fifty qualified sailors. The Lusitania and Mauritania carried less than fifty. There were numbers Of stokers and stewards, but if there were forty or fifty men in r,ich of tho«e aenartment? who had never been to sea before, what was the use in treating them as qualified men to work the lifeboats? Also the time had arrived when wireless should be made compulsory on all ships. The cost of installation* was only about £200. and the operator would cost about £5 i> month. If some of the cargo boats in the vicinity of the Titanic md been fitted -with wireless it was quite possible every life on board would lave been saved. When the Oovernment compelled ships to carry more boats and more men. and be equipped with wireless, they should nlso compel foreign ships trading to British port.Md comnetinj with British ships to <"ome under the ~ame regulation*. Mr. Wilson paid a tribute to the heroism of tie crew after the vessel struck.

Speaking o" the improvements that" had %een obtained in the way of protecting life at sea. Mr. Wilson said that in 1885 when the British shipping amounted to some .-,.000.000 tons, it required the toll o; 3500 lives every year to carry on the trade. When he 'pro- | tested, and tried to effect remedies, it w 's said that these things were '"the >ct or God. As though God had a partailar spite against those who -went a pon the great waters: I: wfs a siznifi«nt fact that their effort- for improved condition; had resulted in reducing the nmriber of lives lost from 3.100 to 1000. Vv B - in that, time the tonnage of British *inppißThad increased to 14.000.000 tons. After fhe address, -which was listened *0 with clos.. attention. Miss P.issons ;*n?^h hymn. '-Nearer. My God. to lllee," the audience joining in the last tTr> verses. On the morion nf Captain Grant, ponded by Mr. Singer, the audience unanimously .i resolution embodying the reforms =, I!TK psted by the lcc- *« r End t]!i|l wi n hp submitted To x »e proper authorities.