SAFETY AT SEA

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 4, 6 January 1926, Page 5

SAFETY AT SEA

WIRELESS INSTALLATIONS

THE NEW REGULATIONS

MINISTER REPLIES TO CRITICISM.

In order to show the actual position in regard to the installation of wireless on small ships, which has been the subject of much newspaper correspondence, the Minister of Marine (the Hon. G. J. Anderson) has issued for publication a letter to Mr. P. Fraser, M.P., replying to certain allegations and criticism of the new regulations, niade by a deputation of which Mr. Fraser was a member. Other members of the deputation were Mr. Tombs (general secretary of the Australian Wireless Operators' Association) and Mr. G. T. Nation (of the Now Zealand Wireless Association). The letter also covers most of the points raised by Mr. Nation in his letter to the "Evening Post," and published yesterday. In commencing his letter, the Minister refers to an interview Mr. Tombs had with him prior to the mak-' ing of the regulations in June last, and to an assurance that the standard of safety of life at sea so far as wireless was concerned would not be lowered. Mr. Tombs stated further that, whereas at that time New Zealand had the highest standard of provision, England being second on the list, now New Zealand was very low down on the list. Under the New Zealand 1913 regulation, Mr. Anderson points out the only ships required to carry wireless installation were:— (a) Every inter-colonial and foreigngoing steamship registered in New Zealand and engaged in carrying passeugers; (b) every Home-trade (New Zealand coastal) steamship authorised to carry 150 passeugers or more. Although the regulations required a-cer-tin'cated operator to be carried they specifically excluded any obligation to perform any regular listening service. It would bo noted that no cargo vessel, no matter how large, or where trading, or how many crew on board, was required to carry wireless at all. THE STANDARD OF SAFETY. The position under the new (1925) regulations was that every ship registered in New Zealand and every liome-trado ship, whether registered in New Zealand or not, whiuli was: (a) IGOO tons gross or over; (b) authorised to carry more than 12 passengers; and (c) carries more /than 25 persons (crow or crew plus passengers), was required to carry a wireless installation. Whereas under the old regulations no regular listening watch was required to bo performed on foreign-going, inter-colonial, or home-trade Bhips, under the new regulations inter-colonial and foreigngoing ships and home-trade ships in Class 111. were required (o perform listening service in accordance with -'Convention', regulations, while home--trade whips"in' Class IV. 1 wdw, required, to perform a listening service of ten minutes every four hours, and to report (o S shore station once in every round voyage in order to demonstrate that her equipment was in working order. ■

The increased requirements of the new regulations as to the installation of wireless on ships and as to the listening service to be performed were so marked as to render absurd Mr. Tbmbs's contention that the standard of safety had been lowered, said the Minister. On the contrary, it had been raised beyond any other country in the world, in that the new regulations embraced every ship which had 25 persons on board, whether they be crew or- crew plus the number of passengers the ship was authorised to carry. This was a new requirement which did not exist elsewhere, and, furthermore, every hbme-irade ship in Class IV. was required to listen sit a greater number of intervals than under Convention regulations.

Mr. Tombs contended that hometrade ships now In Class IV. should be in Class 111., which were required to carry a certificated operator and to perform listening service in accordance with Convention, regulations, which service Mr. Tombs regarded a* a high standard. The listening service required by Convention regulations of a Class 111. ship in these waters (Zone D) was a watch of two hours with two-hour intervals of rest, commencing at noon and finishing at 10 p.m. (approximately), thus making a total between noon and 10 pirn, of "six hours on watch and four hours' rest. Between 7.30 a.m. and 9.30 a.m. another watch of two hours was kept. The listening watch on Class IV. ships was of ten minutes' duration ovory four hours. It was ( obvious, therefore, that from the point i>{ view of safety of life at sea, the watch maintained in Class IV. ships was infinitely more effective than the service advocated by Mr. Tombs. A LIFE-SAVING AID. "When considering the matter of • mended regulations," states Mr. Anderson, "I viewed the installation of | wireless telegraphy mainly as a lifesaving aid. By eliminating the unnecessary special operator who would perform no other duty and providing for a certificated wireless signaller who would be one of the deck officers, it was made possible to go further down the scale of ships required to carry wireless, with the result that New Zealand regulations require an installation in ships of a class that are not affected by any other countries' regulations, not even the Commonwealth of Australia, from whence Mr. Tombs comes.

"It is quite clear that Mr. Tombs's conception of safety of life at sea ia limited to the question as to whether the operation of ships' wireless is performed by special operators who are members of the Wireless Operators' Unions, or by deck officers specially trained for the work and duly certificated by the Post and Telegraph Department. If by the former he would be satisfied, if by the latter he holds the ship unsafe. I disagree with him. As Minister,of Marine I have nothing to do with commercial wireless; I simply provide for ita use for the safety of the ship's personnel.

"Mr. Tombs made a statement to the effect that he had been advised by the Amalgamated Wireless Company that certain operators on Union Company vessels had received notification that when the new regulations came into force certain men would not be required and that four men had received notice accordingly, 1 have made inquiries and Hud that what actually happened was that four mcii on Union Company vessels were informed some time ago by the Amalgamated Wireless Company that when the new regulations came into

operation their services would probably not be required. Those notices have since been withdrawn. COMMERCIAL AND DISTRESS MESSAGES. "An assertion was made that trouble was likely to r.rise when Class IV. Bhips with wireless signallers used the installation for commercial purposes, and that business at the land stations would be blocked. The Post and Telegraph Department's regulations, which, govern the licensing of ship wireless stations, specifically provide in regard to Class IV. ships that the only commercial messages, as distinguished from distress messages, TvhicK may be transmitted, are those of urgent maritime importance, and these must be to a shore station. The use of the installation for communication between ship and ship, except in case of distress, is forbidden. If any such difficulty as Mr. Tombs pretends to anticipate arises, he may rest assured that the Post and Telegraph Department will deal with the offender in just the same same as it would deal with a member of his union who was careless or inefficient in his work. I may point out further that the operating test for a wirelgss signaller is ten words per minute, while the same test for a second-class operator is twelve words per minute, so that therp is nothing much in his contention'after all. AN INCORRECT STATEMENT. "Mr. Tombs in his letter makes a definite statement in paragraph 2 to the effect that the following thirteen ships, Kaitoke, Kaikorai, Kekerangu, Kawatiri, Whangape, Kauri, Kurow, Kaituna, Kaitangata, Kaiapoi, Waipori, Karma, Karori, would, under the old regulations of 1913, when on the New Zealand coast; have had certificated wireless operators and kept a regular watch. r. ' ' This statement is absolutely incorrect, because all these ships are cargo ships, and under the 1913 New Zealand regulations no cargo ship, lio matter what her size, or v,'het!ier in foreign-going, intercolonial, or Home trade, wan required to carry any wireless installation at all. I aye gone into the particulars of these .ships and find that each of them is over 1000 tons gross, and each of them has a crew of over 25. Each of them holds a foreign-going certificate. Under the New Zealand 1925 regulations, therefore, each of these ships would be required to carry wireless, and any ship engaged in intercolonial or for-eign-going trade would be required to carry a wireless operator. "Mention is also made of I'le Kaimanawa, Wingatui, Katoa, and Wanaka. The three 'first-mentioned are in the same category as the t'irteen ships already referred to. The Wanakp, being a Home trade sh.p of over 1600 tons gross, is also required to carry Avireless, but a wireless signaller satisfies tho regulations. "HIGHEST STANDARD IN THE * WORLD." "When Mr. Tombs asks, 'That in the interests of bui 1 members, whose livelihood is being taken away, a certain amendment should bo made to tho regulations,' he makes it clear beyond question that Tiis conception of safety of life at sea is, as i have already stated, limited to the employ nient of union operators, not to the extension of wireless (n ships.: • "On the other hand, 1 think I hive made it clear beyond all question that from the point of view of safety of life at sea, the New Zealand 1925 regulations are the highest standard in the world. That being the case, there is no immediate necessity to amend the regulations." Some points in Mr. Nation's letter (published yesterday) are not touched upon by the Minister. In regard to a suggestion .that if the Bipple were afloat to-day she would not be affected by the new regulations, it is pointed out that the Bipple carried a crew of 16, and was authorised by her survey certificate to carry 18 passengers, making a total of 34 persons. She would therefore come within category B of the "regulations, as she was authorised to carry more than 12 passengers, and also within the regulations under category C by reason of the fact that she carried more than 25 persons, including passengers and crew.