CRUISE TO NORFOLK ISLAND

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 109, 1 February 1929, Page 12

CRUISE TO NORFOLK ISLAND

UNEXPECTED SEQUEL IN COURT. Dominion Special Service. Auckland, January 31. The recent voyage of three Aucklanders, Messrs. H. George, Geoffrey George and C. Bowman, to Norfolk Island in the :yaeht Victory has had an unexpected sequel. On-the return journey "the first New Zealand port entered was Whangaroa, which is not one of the ports where an inspecting health officer is stationed. - 1 ';■ •As a result-the three members of the crew will be charged in the Magistrate’s Court to-morrow with a • breach of the Health Act in landing from a vessel liable to quarantine without being granted pratique. ' ; The Health Act provides that no ship liable to quarantine may be brought to a wharf or other landing place and no person on board the vessel may land until an inspection has been made bv the port health officer. The only ex-; ception is in the case of urgent necessity or through a marine casualty. The penaltv. for a breach is £lOO.

Mr. H. George, who is a solicitor, in? tends to defend the case on the ground that as the Victory was short,of water when she arrived off the New’ Zealand coast it would have been impossible to reach Auckland. The shortage of water, he contends, conies within “a case of urgent necessity” and “want of provisions” mentioned in the Aet. What little water there was was foul owing to tronical growth, and he states it would have been impossible for the yacht to have come to Auckland direct. On berthing nt Who neuron each member of the party was examined by n doctor, ns there was no nort officer. Mr. George maintains there was nothing further the narty could have done under the circumstances.