Talks On Wahine Cars

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31762, 20 August 1968, Page 1

Talks On Wahine Cars

(N.Z. Press Association)

WELLINGTON, Aug. 19.

The Wahine underwriters win meet the insurance companies tomorrow to reach an agreement on the ownership of vehicles and personal propertysalvaged from the wreck. The New Zealand representative for the underwriter,

the United Kingdom Mutual Steamship Assurance Association, Mr I. M. McKay, said today that the meeting was to determine the legal owners of the property and what they wished to do with it. Most of the 70 vehicles lost in the wreck were fully covered by insurance companies.

One vehicle was not insured and two were only partly insured.

It was not known how many insurance companies had paid out on claims and to what extent they were the legal owners, Mr McKay said.

In some cases insurance companies would have paid out claims for some or all of the property, said Mr McKay. A salvage charge would also have to be paid by the owners.

Effects salvaged from cars would be placed in polythene bags and returned to owners. A small suitcase, which was found in the Wahine last week, has been sent to its owner in Christchurch. This was the first property brought from the wreck since salvage began.