"WHEN IT WAS DARK."

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 210, 29 May 1908, Page 8

"WHEN IT WAS DARK."

I DISPATCH OF VESSELS. L COMPLAINTS OF UNDUE DELAY. I- Is it safe and wise to allow big |oceai going steamers to be remqyed from th wharves after dark? This, question was dii I .• jussed by the Harbour Board at its m^etin y : . '•• •• ■}• yesterday afternoon.. j Tho agonts for tho, Tyser Line, Ltd., wrot complaining that serious ' delay had bee k- ' caused to-their steamer Mimiro owing to th jt Harbourmaster declining to allow her to'b f > removed, fromtlio wharves after dark. Tho; ' suggested that the by-law under which tho [.'• presumed that the Harbourmaster was work jng was designed for the conditions of man, ! ■ years'ago and might now be'reconsidered b; t/- the Board. " •; Tho Now Zealand and African Steamshi] Company forwarded a similar remonstrance j instancing delay' to the steamship' Moray j shire. - I, THE. HARBOURMASTER'S VIEWS." t The Harbourmaster (Captain H. Johnson | : reported strongly against any change in thi [:■ • present system. He objected, to the write: j. • of one of the letters classing the Marama anc ' -... \ Ulimaroa with the Mimiro and Star of Eng c land. The 1 two former were like yachts com i pared with the others, arid were fulli i equipped in every way, the men being edu ' catod to their work and stations, whereas thi • ocean-going, steamers were not similarly I'j '. ;' \ \ manned or equipped, their crews were noi ; <' ; under the control of .the harbour authorities and;tho work had to be done'under any con . ditions) Ho considered there could be n< comparison between this'port and Lyttelton which was a tidal port, where the tides ir tho winter months often came before daylight and after . dark. There was also c powerful'tug in 'uso at that port, and the I:.;'; ' -vessels air lay head .out., He failed to . sec tho urgency' of dispatching cargo' .steamers ! after dark. To insure the safety of the vessels and the; Board's property, ..and foi ■ tho honour of tho port, ho . strongly advised :, ' • the Board to adhere to the present system. Ho enclosed a report from the pilots confirming his views.'' . ■ i DISCUSSION BY THE BOARD. ■, The_ Chairman ,said. the. agents were, in error in supposing that there was \somo re- : " gulation or by-law on this subject. 1 Jt-was ; ■ ' merely a matter of custom at this port, and had always been subject to tho discretion, of the Harbourmaster. The Board had written to other Boards to inquire what tho practice r ; was elsewhere. Tho Lyttelton Harbour Board : . : V ; had replied that, it was not the' Custom to Temovo ships after dark, but it waslfsome- - i times done. Replies from, elsewhere had not ■•'A yet been received.' Tho matter came before tho Board in 1906 in connection with a com- '' / plaint by the Tyser Company about another vessel.' Reports were then obtained from other ports, but the Board did not make any change in the matter. The Harbourmaster had 'poweri '-to, allow these ocean-going i steamers to go out at night, when ho thought tho conditions favourable enough. The maroa and Marama, which. wero instanced by the, writers .as being allowed to leavo the : wharves at night, were on a different footing in common with other boats which came regularly and frequently to tho port.; Mr. Jones (contended that the Mimiro should havo been taken out. Tho fact ! that it was not done was a reflection on the part V-, v. of the Harbourmaster. The risk would havo been with-the ship. She could well have /'been taken out'., at half-past six on a calm . night. ■ '... Mr. Fletcher, said that he had changed his views on this subject since he spoke on the : ,'v-' subject some time ago. The , ooean-going . steamers were not on. a' par' with inter-colo-nial passenger boats. Tho former .were, far (V . moro difficult to manipulate, and the crews were often riot very' reliable when tho vessel , '. was, leaving. He thought tho Board might : bo.litiWe for any damage done. To carry out •' ••' '~ the. wiSnea-'bf tho shipowners, it would'be necessary to uso a tug and to employ additional men'. ■' Mr. Cohen said that what could bo done : at Lyttelton should 'bo ■ possible at "Wellipgton.' If this-port was to live up to its reputation eyor'y,"possible facility must.be given to shipping. ; He did not see that the Board would "be wrong in over-riding the Harbour- •\ , master's view,,though it would be going too far to instruct him always .'to remove'.ships .-/'YV- . at'night when'requested; \ .'-Mr. Harkness said'the Board should bo guided by the Harbourmaster and pilots, j Mr. .Bolton sympathised with the request as to removal after dark, but did not think ~ , - 'vessels_ should be berthed after , dark. He } ,: recognised that tho extra, expense, as pointed out by Mr. Fletcher, would havo to'be conj ■ sidered. : ; j LEFT TO THE HARBOURMASTER. .' Tho Chairman stated 'that several vessels ' . had on previous occasions been removed from tho wharves after dark, when the Harbourmaster considered it safe and proper to do so.' Ho moved in favour of informing the shipowners that the Board had no by-law regulation on the. subject, but that tho Harbourmaster had power to deal with overy case on ~. its'merits, with instructions to facilitate the ■ removal''or berthing of.vessels whenever, in his opinion, was . ,' Tho resolution was seconded by Mr. DanieU ■' and carried.