REPRIMANDED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 292, 10 December 1936, Page 3

REPRIMANDED.

! SCOW ENGINEER. FOUNDERING OF TAMAHAE. MARINE COURT'S FINDING. (From Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. Released by the Minister of Marine, the Hon. P. Fraser, to-day. the report of the Marine Court of Inquiry into the foundering of the auxiliary scow Tamaliae in the Hauraki Gulf on September • 25, states: — "When the vessel attempted to leave ' Mangawai on September 24 there was a heavy sea on the bar. The engineer 111 , charge then decided to return to poi t, and he put the vessel about. In the course of that manoeuvre she was struck I 011 the beam by a heavy sea, which - broke several stanchions .011 the port ' side, and holes were made which allowed ' of water entering the hold. When the 1 ship was at sea 011 September 25 011 her vovage from Mangawai to Auckland - water gradually entered through those - holes, and she foundered at about 12.15 1 a.m. 011 the morning of September 20. 5 The engineer in charge was at fault in I not having made a proper inspection of r the vessel after she had received this 1 injury on the bar and before he. again 3 put to sea." Suggestions that she was at one time left derelict and that she was before , this a casualty "coffin ship' were quite untrue. The whole of the e\ idencc , pointed to her having been a well-found ' and staunch little vessel and a good sea boat. "Inadequately Manred." Contimi'.ng. the report states: "We consider the ship was quite un.seaworthy when she left Mangawai, and that her condition should have been apparent to the engineer in charge. The vessel was inadequately manned. Two othei men who comprised the crew were inexpenoiieocl. Indeed, the young man at the wheel for the last two hours before she sank had only a few weeks' experience, and, in consequence, did not notice the vessel was becoming waterlogged, i "We consider tlie sliip fouiulcieu through Mr. Jones' neglect and lack ot ricanuui.ship, ami lie is to be strongly reprimanded for his neglect. He i» probably quite a useful man as an engineer. but unsuited to command a ship. We return his ticket to him, but as a mark of the Court's displeasure he is ordered to pay £10 10/ towards the co-.s of the Crown in this investigation. We have taken into consideration the fact that he has suffered a heavy financial loss in the sinking of the ship." "The vessel was at the time manned in accordance with the law, for the Sliippincr and Seamen Act, by section 199, permits of a vessel of under six tons burden being commanded by a duly certificated engineer. Law Amendment Required. "We realise that there are many men of wide experience in seamanship who ' held 110 more than an engineer's ticket now in charge of small vessels, and who are quite competent in command, but we think that the law fequircs amendment so as to ensure that an engineer before he takes charge of a trading vessel of under six tons should have been : approved of by a authority, such as the superintendent of mercantile ; marine. We respectfully recommend that : the law should be amended so as to 1 grant this protection to seamen. "Several suggestions were put to us by Mr. Walsh 011 behalf' of the Seamen's . Union for our consideration and recom- ! mendation to the Minister. They may 1 be answered, generally. There is nothing i to lead us into supposing that any > further conditions and regulation of the - running of scows or small ships are • required. There is, in fact, 110 evil call--5 ing for remedy. We would like, liow- , ever, to respectfully suggest for the corii sideration of the Minister that with the • great increase in the use of marine [ motor engines, both within and beyond j harbour limits, the time has arrived i when it should be made compulsory for ! every person who drives a boat fitted ; with a motor engine to hold a personal I certificate of fitness so to do. Such is | the law for vehicles 011 the land and in ; the air, and it seems true in principle ! that it should be so 011 the water. Cei - tificates might well be issued by the ; port authorities in the case of small , crafts." , . The Court of Inquiry, which sat at Auckland lasS month, comprised Mr. Wvvern Wilson, S.M., Captain F. G. 1 Shirley, Captain J. M. McKinnon, Messrs. W. R Messenger and B. J. L. Jukes. Mr. A. Moody appeared for Captain R. H Jones, owner-master of the Tamahae, i Mr. Foden, of Wellington, for the Marine Department, Mr. Goulding tor the Scow Masters' Association, and Mr. ; Walsh, of Wellington, for the Federated i Seamen's Union of New Zealand.