SHIP OVERLOADED

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 151, 23 December 1925, Page 5

SHIP OVERLOADED

CAPTAIN FINED £25. "Shipowners must note that penalties in these cases will be increased unless the law is complied with. If this is not done, they must, expect a substantial penalty," said Mr. E. Page, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court to-day, when Captain Binger van der Hagan, master of the oil-tanker Agwipond, was charged with bringing his ship into Wellington so loaded as to submerge in salt water the centre of the disc indicating the load line. Mt. J. Prendeville, who appeared for the Marine Department, said that there had been several prosecutions under the Shipping and Seamen Act for similar offences, and steps were being taken to fix the maximum penalty at £1000. In tho present case, the vessel's Plimsoll mark wa3 submerged one ana a half inches. In March last defendant was fined £2j for having the mark submerged 114 inches, but this time, said Mr. Preudeville, there appeared to 1 ive been some attempt to- come into port with tho mark clear. Mr. H. F. 0 'Leary, for defendant, pointed out that in American waters, ships were not required to observe such regulations as British vessels. The Agwipond hart loaded at San Luis Obispo, California, and defendant had tried to load his ship so as not to commit a breach of New Zealand law. On two,previous occasions, defendant had arrived at Wellington with the mark well above water. Tho amount of the submersion indicated that the breach was not deliberate, and counsel asked for a light penalty. Defendant, in evidence, attributed the breach to the difference in speciiic gravity of ' the oil, as' compared with tha(_ carried on previous trips. Kvery effort had been tnarlc to arrive in port with the mark above wat'.'r. A line of £25 was imposed, with £2 9s .costs. :