RE WANAKA INQUIRY. TO THE EDITOR.

Evening Post, Volume XLI, Issue 104, 4 May 1891, Page 2

RE WANAKA INQUIRY. TO THE EDITOR.

Sir—Referring to your leading artiole in your issue of the nthinst.in which you make a very bitter and undeserved attack on tbe 1 gentlemen before whom the inquiry was held, 1 and in which you insinuate that tbe anthori1 ties at New Plymouth are not competent to 1 hold enquiries into shipping caanaltios, I have to suggest in fairnoso to the gentleman I mentioned that you publish the decision of i tho Court — a copy of wbich I enclose- ' —in full, in ordor that tho public 1 may judge as to the truth and fairness of 1 your article In writing the article, you 1 were perhaps nmled by the very inaccurate 1 I and misleading telegram as to the effect of the decision sent to you by the agent for the Press Association, whioh I would ask you to publish at the foot of the judgment. 11 make this request, its I think the mombers . of the Court, viz., Captain Adams (who was sent hero from Wellington) and tbe Resident 1 Magistrate at New Plymouth, are entitled to be treated fairly, and I feel sure you will comply. I am, Ac, Arthur Standish. [Oar correspondent has, we think, somewhat strangely mi&read onr article, if h» 1 will reporuße it he will find that no personal ■ charge of ii.oompetoncy was preferred! 1 against either of tho gentlemen forming the1 Court. The Court was referred to, uot its- > individual members, and no general charge ' of inoompetency was made even against the1 Court. The words used wero—" Tho Court,. 1 in fact, acknowledged itself ntterly incompetent to perform the special duty for which it was constituted;" and again, "It was the Court, not the captain, whose incompetence , was established." There was no personal I reference, and the incompetency of tbo I Court to determine how the Wanaka was I wrecked, the purpose for wbich it was con1 Atituted, is proved by the following extract I from its judgment:—" Three causes are sug- ; gestcd—viz., Ist, a current setting in towards 1 the eaet; 2nd, tbe compasses being affected ; by tbe ironaaod; and 3rd, bad steering. 1 Ihe evidence which has been adduced is cot . in oar opinion sufficiently definite to justify 1 ue in coming to any definite conclusion as to what caused the vessel to go off her course to the eastward. We think careful observa- ; tions should be taken with the view of 1 ascertaining whether currents or'ironeand attraction have really the effect referred to, ! in order that masters of vesseli trading on , tbis coast may make such allowances as may be found necessary." Tbe word "inoompetent," referring to a particular nutter, is ! no more than a synonym for " unable." and ! here the Court admitted it was unable to 1 come to a conclusion. We had no deßire to impute any personal discredit to either tho Resident Magistrate or Captain Adams, and ' regret that tbe words should have been bo 1 misconstrued by any one. Want of epace 1 precludes oar compliance with the request 1 to republish the judgment in full.—Ed. E.P.I