SMALL SHIPS

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 3, 5 January 1926, Page 8

SMALL SHIPS

equipment with Tireless

NEW REGULATIONS NOW IN "OPERATION POINTS OF DISSATISFACTION. „ „,Tse:, regulations issued under the receM£"amendment to the Shipping and Seamen Act, requiring the installation of wiieless apparatus on small ships, ■--came-into operation on Friday last r.pw.ners, of. vesselsi .coming within the meaning of the.new law have had . tome time in which to fit the necessary equipment and train men to work it,'and/in the-great majority of cases the 'regulations have been complied ■^wi-ttf." 1 Difficulty has been experienced in some instances, in obtaining apparatus, and four of the Northern "Steamship Company's fleet in Auck- ' land are still without complete sets, as a result of unexpected delay in the consignment of gear ordered from . ■■• abroad. .The Union Company has had similar difficulty,, but it is understood that it has complied with the require-,-iM(HiU'«q.far- as instalment is concerned. Classes have'been formed for „ instruction :of,ships' .officers in operating, and a large number of -ineri-'have qualified. A penalty is "prescribed for failure to. equip yes-. :sels" subje.ct.to the regulations after the, latter have come into force, but in" view .of the" delay in receipt o< gear " iib, action is being taken in the few cases;.of non-compliance referred to, and':ifis expected that the apparatus will 1 arrive in the Dominion in a few daygi■•■•• ' - -■■■•■■ ■■,'■■ . ■- . ;- DISSATISFACTION WITH EEOU..ji;r.; nations.. 'J'l A'certain amount of dissatisfaction with, and misunderstanding of, the regulations has given rise to correspondence in some of the Southern newspapers. Mr. ;G. T. Nation writes to the editor of the "Evening Poet" corroborating the opinions 'expressed in some of the letters referred to, "COMplainitfg'of the inadequacy of'the' Wic neWregulations, and pointing out "--whaTEe regards as weak points. He ",'writes-as follows:— ZZZ. "The,,new regulations are directly ■ due to the public outcry which arose ■■j «eneerning the Bipple disaster, arid to subsequent, requests from the various seafarer's?.unions that vessels of the Bipple class should be fitted with wifeless'telegraphy. . ' '.'Conferences were then held between the various unions, shipowners, and the 'Government, when it was de- . cided that the fitting of such coastal '"vessels' with wireless telegraphy would be highly desirable, but at the same tinie it would be.impracticable to employ f unqualified wireless operators, on these small vessels. To overcome this difficulty it was suggested that the deck officers should be trained sufficiently to enable them to .. work the apparatus in .eases of' entergency; At this stage^»;t«p»*iw»t«tive - :6f,the BaoUo-Telegrip^isti^lnstttnte, i*' o£ Australasia interfieWed tfce Minister; (who was Tespottiible. for "the drafting of the new regulations), and was assured th;rt the standing of the certificated wireless, operator WonW ■ f\o} bp, lowered in^any>*ajrj an 4 no wireless operator wctiil^Vbe effect^ ed by those regulations*'as /would, not apply to vessels at present' carrying qualified wireless operators*' f ,'lfow. $iat the new regulation! are in force we find that they riot only do not provide for -the-fitting of wireless \ieleg»»phy on vessels of the Ripple class, but actually permit the renibVfi of.atrledist six qualified rwire- • .less^bperitorsi-fourof, whom' were previously employed on home trade cargo vessels of over 2000 tons, and two ion passenger vessels of approximately 1500 tons. These vessels may now be operated by mate-operators 'and trtll not be open-to public traffic. Further, any vessel up to 1600 tons ''register may cawy as many' it' 399 ' T-p^sengersljetwe'en any: ports, iji New.. .. iWithout haying a. qualified wireless operator. , >■ ; I

DISPLACEMENT OF WIRELESS | OPERATORS. i "Under the new regulations no.ye

gel of less than 1600 tons register, and carrying less than 25 persons, is compelled to carry wireless telegraU ipny^tbereTdre vessels of the Bipple classy (frerwhjch.there has been so much Dublicj,ty, are not affected—the decision as to whether such vessels carry wireless telegraphy or not being ' left entirely to ,the sbipowner-ias in ttiVpask At the'same, time there are several vessels of slightly over 1600 . tons which did not previously carry wireless installations, but which will now b» fitted, and-operated by one of the deck officers in. cases of emergency. I quite agree that on home trade Vessels, of that class this pro- ' ccdure is quite a good one,, but the poin.l;.X'.JVi.Bh. to. make clear is that •the -regulation does not stop there, but extends to six home trade cargo vessels of over 2000 tons register, and 'two passenger vessels, of approximately 1500 tons register, which have previously carried qualified wireless operators; but who.may now be displaced*y mate-operators. "The signalling examination, for deck officers is a very elementary one, merely consisting ..of reading and transmitting Morse at ten words per 1 ininute, there being no practical ex- "■'• aminatiori. This results in the mateoperator being very slow and highly inefficient at the best, and should any fault develop in the apparatus he will be unable to locate and remedy it. On the other hand, the professional wireless operator passes lengthy examinations in both' theory and practical, and -hiS normal speed of working is from 23 to 30 words per minute. "jFnierely mention the above out"■stanifjnV'facts to show the inefficiency of the mate-operator compared with the certificated wireless operator, but columns could be filled showing further deficiencies. If any further proof were wanted of the inefficiency of a station operated by a mate-operator. it was given recently when a certain vessel carrying passengers and operated by a mate-operator was unable to 'work' either of two vessels which •"•jvcrC ;within a radius of thirty miles. ■;Tlioniate-operator'n place is on yes- '■' eels wh'crc it is a choice between having'no wireless at all and having an installation operated by a mate-opera- ' tor, and how the regulations have become so distorted that he is allowed to displace qualified wireless opera- " f.6ra is beyond my comprehension. And yet the public believe they are getting 'letter wireless regulations! WATCH HOURS. "Another important point is that en vessels operated by, a mate-opwa-,

tor watches are only kept for ten minutes at the hours of 4, 8, 12 a.m. and p.m. daily. To illustrate this point, take two vessels operated by mate-operators and within 50 miles of each other. One vessel finds occasion to use the "5.0.5." call, say, at 8.30 p.m., then communication could not be established with the other vessel, or with any other home trade vessel operated by a mate-operator until midnight, by which time it is highly probable the vessel requiring assistance would be lost. Therefore I maintain that the qualified wireless operators should not be removed from the six home trade vessels previously referred to, as if they remain an eighthour watch will be kept daily as follows: 9 a.m. to 10.30 a.m., 12 to 1 p.m., 2 p.m. to 2.30 p.m., 4.30 p.m. to 5.30 p.m., 8.30 p.m. to 12.30 a.m.', and these vessels will then be in a position to receive calls and render assistance to any smaller vessels which may require it." Obviously it is useless fitting vessels with wireless telegraphy if, they are unable to establish communication with other vessels in times of distress.

"Trusting that the travelling public of New Zealand will realise what the amended legislation will mean by lowering the standard of life-saving efficiency at sea and the urgent necessity of the present legislation being again amended to the 1925 standard as covering home trade ships." A Ministerial reply to this letter is being prepared, and will be published to-morrow.