THE TURAKINA FIRE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 29, 29 October 1907, Page 6

THE TURAKINA FIRE.

; COMMISSION OF INQUIRY. (Before Dr. W. A. M'Arthur, S.M., Captain "' Willis, and Mr. W. G, Foster.) •The Commission of Inquiry into the fire on the Turakina resumed at 10 o'clock yesterday morning, when some important' evidence was adduced. - Mr. Myers (for the Marino Department) called William Hayes Owen Johnston, Government hemp-grader at Auckland. Tho witness, under examination, deposed that'he had , graded the hemp shipment for the Turakina at Auckland. Ho had classified that shipmont as follows:—" Common," . 145 bales; —"Fair," IGO bales; "Good-Fair," 182 bales, quality was under 70 points). Over 70 points -"Fair," 160 bales; "Good—Fair," 182 bales This, as far as ho knew, was tho whole shipment. The bales, having'. regard to their classification, were in perfectly good order, being quite dry. The lower grade hemp,. "Common," was very poorly dressed. Of the 145 bales which ho had graded as "Common,"' 142 wore from the two mills (Keripohi and Makaka), in'which' Scotcher (a previous witness) was manager. A largo proportion of tho hemp from these mills was graded at 50 points, the lowest possible classification. Anything under 50 points would'bo rejected. The last shipment, 20 bales, which came forward before the departure of tho Turakina, wero sent back to the mills to ho re-conditioned. The sample submitted in Court was, in his opinion, perfectly sound. "A bale containing about one-third of similar quality to sample he would'grade' on a 50-point basis. If evsii a v'ory.small proportion existed he would still grade it as "Common." .. To Dr. M'Arthur, S.M.: Had .been- employed' in flax-mills for over 30 years. He had never seen a bale take fire from spontanoous combustion. . In grading shipments his usual procedure was, if he, found a baie to be unsatisfactory ,to open several others. To Mr. Myers:-.Had seen tho "bales at Miram.ir, ■ and was of opinion that, in quality, the flax was similar to the Auckland 'shipment. A'smaHpieco had been shown Uhim which'was certainly unfit for shipment-.. Ho would bo,prepared tore-classify tho Auek-' land shipment exactly as Jie had done before The samples, of tow ho had examined at Miramar wero shockingly bad. Ho had nothing to do with tho tow shipments at Auckland. : '-. ; ■■. .•" ' "To Mr. Johnston : ( Iri tho. "Common" grades it was sometimes found that ]>art of the flax had been'badly scutched. Had seen'"Ordinary", quality-'bale's 'so .hot that it was almost impossible to touch them. He had also seen green flax treated to.the samq degree Altogether ho should say that i.u'the Turakina shipment ■ ("Common" ( grade) ho had, examined about 50 bales} "and opened out about 20.- This was'over tho usual percentage ofexamination. He had done so becaiiso of tho inferior quality. Tile flax ho had examined was not so discoloured as tho Court sample. He had discovered no bales in'tho Turakina's shipment which ho would condemn. ,''•'! ' lo Dr. M'Arthur: : Had noverjieard.of \ny protest or complaint being raised in comiiiction with his "rejects," nor bad' he over heard any adverse comments passed on the bales by the-Harbour lioard officials or stevedores. ■ •.■'■'" . .. To Mr. Johnston: The bales ho had referred to as having been trgatod had subsequently rotted, and had a dirty and slimy appearance. .... ' '

Walter Hasty . Middlcmiss, Governmint. hemp-crader at tho Bluff, wa sexamined by Mr. Myers Witness had graded ,th'e shipments for the Turakina at ' the „ Bhifl ! ; and Port Chalmers.'" Tho 'total shipment at' the Bluff:'.'was 1443 •bales, and at. Port Chalmers 652 bales. : At the Bluff 123 bales had been stowed in No. 1 hold (in which the fire had originated). Of these 23 were (sradod as "Common," and the balance were " Fair" or " Go'od-Fair." He''was of 'opinion that the whole shipment was perfectly dry. Of anything similar to sample he had seen very little. A few stray bits hero and there might occur. : To Mr.' Foster: Had not rejected any bales from those which had come; forward at die Bluff. In the Port Chalmers shipment 33 bales wore graded "Common." Witness had not visited Miramar. ■ - . V

Thomas Evans, stevedore, examined by Mi. 'Myers,-gave evidence that he had been employed in the Turakina during tho loading operations in: Wellington. The men usually took their coats-down into the hold with thorn. If there was a rule- insisting on coats beiiig left on deck ho had never heard of it.' If the coats were left on deck there was a chance of their being taken. In ire't weather-there was nothing else for it but to take tho.coats down into tho hold. Witness had' neyer seen any smoking, nor ha/1 ho evor known- of matches,being dropped -among the cargo. ...'■'.-,' -x

. To '.Mr. Johnston: ,The men's coats wore usually kept clear of the cargo. To Dr.. M'Arthiir: Ho didn't know of any regulation relating to the disposal of the men's coats before going oh board. Ho had had 24 years' experience as a stevedore. Ho was a smoker, and carried a box of wax matches f in his pocket. : . -. To Mr. Foster: Had never been told by anyone to leave on deck.- The men usually hung their coats on the stringers in tho hold. A man might occasionally lay his coat , on a , bale, but ho would require to pick !t up again in tho process of stowing tho cargo., '."■' ' . ■ - Mr. Johnston remarked thatithn Now Zealand Shipping Company had issued instructions to stevedore employers, and foremen.tn the effect that coats must not bp taken into the hold. , ' ... .... ~. :

Peter. Brown, foreman stevedore at tho loading operations .on tho Tnrakinn,. supported thoevideiice of the previous witness (Evans). He had three months ago received instructions similar to those quoted by counsel (Mr. Johnston). Witness'explained that in wet weather there was nowhere to hang the mon's coats. Coats which wercMeft lying on deck were frequently lost. 'Fu had given instructions to his men that clothes were to bo kept'clear of tho cargo. In the loading of N0.,1 hold of tho Tiirakina tho coats wore left in the " 'tween-deck." Couldn't see how the New Zealand. Shipping "Company's instructions could he effectively carried out. Mr.. Myers handed in a letter ho had recoived from Mr., Alfred Seifert, a flax-export, who, ho stated, was in no way intorested in this particulnr shipments The letter was dated October 25, 1907.' . ," Referring to a statement by a witness in the. Court that '500 bales of hemp were so inferior in quality that they should not have lie allowed to leavo New Zealand. '■! wen! out to Minimal- this, morning specially to sop tho fibre. After a careful' examination, I must say 1 was struck, with tho quality of the fibre as a whole. With the exception of a few hanks, it gave every indication of having boon carefully dressed. Of course, in a large shipment, it is only natural to finrl a considerable variation in quality, but I consider' this lot to bo fully up to tho average shipments from New Zealand during tho last two or three years. 'Prior to that the quality was much inf'erioVto tho present-day article 1 also examined thn tow, and found some of it u good sample, but u lnrgn quantity g,,v u evidence of having been carelessly prepared, and is of >very inferior quality. This was all the evidence. Counsel havi.ig intimated that they would not address the Court, Dr. M'Arthur announced that ho would deliver the finding of the Commission on tho following lnornimr (Tuesday) at 1.0 o'clock.'