TOO MANY ABOARD

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 50, 22 November 1930, Page 13

TOO MANY ABOARD

Ship’s Master Convicted TRIP TO NORFOLK By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, November 21. Under prosecution by the Marine Department. Geoffrey George, master of the steamer Hikurangi, appeared before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., in the Police Court charged with taking the ship to sea without a wireless installation aud with carrying five more passengers than the number allowed by his certificate. He Was convicted and ordered to pay the costs. Mr. Hubble, for the Marine Department, said the vessel had a certificate of survey as a foreign-going steamer. The usual crew was 15, but on this trip to Norfolk Island they had a special permit to take three more, who were signed as members of the crew. On the return trip, however, they brought back four or five passengers, making the total 22 or 23 on board. The largest number which the ship was entitled to carry without being equipped with wireless was 19. / Mr. George pleaded not guilty on behalf of the master. He said one of the three extra taken down to Norfolk Island was not allowed to land there by the authorities, who requested Captain George to bring back throe or four people who had been stranded on the island and could not afford to pay their fares back to New Zealand via Sydney. Captain George carried an extra lifeboat on account of these additions to the complement. Captain George was convicted and ordered to pay costs. “The lives of the people on board ship are in the hands of the master,” said Mr. Hunt. “The matter of failing to carry radio is a serious one. In any case, the defendant should have cabled from Norfolk Island for permission to carry the extra passengers.”