THE WATERSIDE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 211, 25 May 1918, Page 2

THE WATERSIDE

COMMISSION ON ACCIDENTS THE WELLINGTON SESSION EVIDENCE OF WORKERS Tho Wellington session of the Waterside Accidents Commission was concluded yesterday. The lion. T. il. Wilford is chairman of the commission, and the other members are Captain A. 31' Arthur, Messrs. Marchbauks, J. Roberts, and Jj, Glover. Thomas Kerwin, a worker with 20 years' experience of the waterfront and some ecu experience, snid that crano lovI'rs were often stiff, and this made the steady lifting of slings difficult. Hatches ivero at times put on wrongly by inexperienced men, and the result was Hint if anyone walked on tho hatches they were liable to slip and go down tho hold, man and all. lie suggested that ihc borders of the hatches should bo painted dill'erent colours, so that no one uould mistake which way they needed to l>9 put on in order to lit properly. 'Jrane-uriver Mayward was killed tlirougfi a hatch which he had to walk on lulling. Mr. Roberts: If there, had been a net would ho have been saved? Witness: I. don't think so. Mr. llobsrts: Do you know of any other accidents? Witness: y.es, to Mr. Caldwcll-cling carrying away. Mr. .Roberts: AVas it ft faUl accident? Witness: it was. Witness mentioned another accident which ho knew about, and said that the victim had "never b:en much good Bince." There sliuuld be. uniformity in the matter of the side, on which winchlevers wero placed. A man accustomed to having a lever on one hand was liable to bo hindered in eases where he had lo art quickly if ho was put on to n wmeh where the lever was at his oilier hand. John Simmons, a watersidcr with 11 years' Wellington experience., and about 20 years' pea experience, was'asked if ho knew of any instances of defective gear. 'Ye.?, - " ho answered, and ho gave several instances, mentioning the names of tho vessels. Through a defective winch on one vessel a full basket of coal dropprd on a man. Tho system of moor, ing hulks was very bad. He had known of a man being dragged under from the buoy, and of others being ■ thrown olf. A hulk man had been drowned tlint way. Ho thought that if a man reported dVfective gear the complaint would t>3 welcomed and the man who reported would not be victimised. He knew of no case of victimisation.

Suggestions ss to Inspection. James Laurensoii, watersido worker and fi,rmer-y seaman, spoke in favour of consideration of tho control of inspection. Ho suggested that tho Marino Department should tako over full control of inspection of ships, hulks, and wharves. Ho suggested three branches: (1) Tho'inepector of. machinery lo inspect all.machines on ships, wharves, and hulks; (1) the surveyor of ships to survey all ships, boats, rafts, etc.; (3) the inspector of gear to inspect all gear en ships ana wharves and hulka from day to day. Further, eacli to have complete and separate control. Witness said that he was out against tho system of dual control of inspection. Hβ also said: "There never was a man who held a master's certifio.ite ivho could give justice to the men on the wharves." Captain M'Arthur: "I objoct to that." Tho chairman said that the witned9 was entitled to express his opinion. Witness said that was his opinion. "A man must be brought up in the trade." Laureneon eaid also that the wire rop& now used was not of as good quality as the wire rope of a few years ago, and in addition it did not got fair treatment. He produced.hemp rope.to tho wmimiasion. Ulteriorly it looked good, but when opened out much of it almost powdered away. Many of the etrands wero only about an inch long. Ho said that ho had even seen ropo enap wuwi being stretched over men's ehoulders, although on the outside that rope looked good. Ho thought that the rone-maKora should bo required to give a guarantee with their topes.'

Captain M" Arthur: Whore did you get! that! , ; Witness said that ho would not care to mention tho name of tho man or Uio show. Mr. Roberts: There is no need to answer that question. The chairman agreed with Mr. Roberts e view, but said that witness could zivo tho circumstances. Witness said that ho saw a ropo tons tc-sted on a coastal vessel, and it broke, so ho asked a sailor to give him two pieces to enow the commission, "Ounht to Bo in Gaoi." Captain M'Arthur said the fault' lay not with the owners of vessels but vatu tho people who issued such rotten stuff. Tho chairman; Yes. They ought to be in gaol. Witness Eaid that the .Government should lay down a minimum requirement. Questioned by Mr. Marchbanks, he si-id that crane chains had broken on the Railway Wharf. Mr. Marchbanks: I have heard of only two. Witnoss: What about'the chain that "stretched" 10 feet? Mr. Marchbanks said that if a chain with 2000 links wore to tho extent of one-sixteenth of in inch at each end of. each link tho chain would then be lengthened (or "stretched") by twenty feet. Mr. Marchbanks: Bo you know of any aocident from these breaks?

Witness: No, but I point out the danger. Ernest E. Cauhnni, for niany years a seaman and now a waterside worker of long experience, eaid that unsafe ladders in holds wore- responsible for some accidents. Ho referred to an accident in which a man had both his ankles broken, and to another accident in which a man had his log lacerated and tho muscles of tho limb damaged. There should be a etauncbion to give a man a safe hold when ho was crossing the combings. Ho knew of several accidents, ono of them fatal, through bad storing. Ho knew of three fatal accidents through defective winches. In some coastal boats tho holds wore often filthy, and in 1913 ho had got blood-poisoning in one. t-Holds were sometimes badly lighted, and that led to accidents. In handling hides mishaps had occurred. There should always bo some antiseptic handy for men working with hides so as to guard against blood-poisoning. Thoro was also a case of fatal accidont through bad hooks. The Watcrsidors , Secretary. James G. Bruce, secretary of the "Wellington Waterside- Workers' Union, said that because of tho great number of waterside accidents ho had paid great attention to tho question. Lately thero had not been so many accidents, and that ho accounted for by tho new working conditions. Ho .reckoned tho inspectors clliciwit from a sea-going point of view, but owing to lack of knowledge of waterside work the inspectors were not thorough ouougli, and many of the causes of accidents woro overlooked. Tho inspectors had ahyays assisted him when ho made complaints. Tho running gear of vessels trading to Wellington was not in good order. The working of too many gangs and gears in holds was responsible lor niOTo iiccidonts than was thought, and that was ono of tho worst things which had to. bo contended against in Wellington. Ho had complained to tho authorities about an oil-laden ship being berthed with a hulk and threo colliers, and a railway engine rumiinu' alongside, lint Ihi! ship was not moved. Another vessel with benzine on board had worked general cargo with naked lights. jSo oil ship should be berthed where a railway engine was working. Ho presented a iist of '105 accidents which occurred between July 111, 1910, and May 11! ol this year, which occasioned more than a fortnight's lay-up. As to the number of gangs to work in a hold an arbitrator should decido. The coudilions of work hero were bettor than in tho United States, but not bettor than Canadian conditions. His TCferonccs were to the I'nciiic coaet. Crabs ehould not bo used; they tore the cranes ana the gear about, and tho ships had not been built for grabs to be worked in llii.'in. Risks With Oil Cargoes. - Augustino Bovan, aL=o a waterside

worker, who was employed at crane driving, stated that lie had lind two turning ch&iuo broken, but accident had not resulted, lie knew that fatal accideuto bad occurred through the breaking down, of wool stacks and through too many carte being in a shed. The crane-driver on an oil ship objected to the captain smoking, and to the smoke from a tarboiler blowing across the hatch. Nothing was done, but whim eventually the boiler was moved there were live coals found on the deck. This occurred ou a foreign ship. Captain M" Arthur: We can do little or nothing with foreign ships. Witness: I contend that as it is our port, and as our lives are being risked, something ought to be done. Tito chairman euid that consideration to the matter of oil ships ivas being given by the Marino Department. Witness said 'that ti number of the Harbour Board's cranes were iu an unfit state. They were not consistently bad, and eo were dangerous; they played the confidence trick oji the drivers. James Reid said that many accidents occurred just after the men going into the bunkers, which, were in darkness. William C. J'hypers, waterside, worker, said that the present system of handling wool was dangerous, both m stacking ami breaking down. William Mallard, Henry Georgo Roil, William Curry, George Wallace, John. Anderson, Joseph Franklin, C. R. Patterson, John Edward Townhill, J. N. Carwood, John Casey, John Keogli, John O'Brien, and Martin Broudhurst, also gayo evidence. Tim commission then adjourned till Monday.