SAFETY AT SEA

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 18, 20 July 1935, Page 9

SAFETY AT SEA

INQUIRIES INTO WR€CKS

BOARD OF TRADE ACTION

* (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, July 18. In the course of a speech on the Board of Trade vote in the House of Commons, the President of the Board of Trade, Mr. Walter Runciman, spoke of the problem of safety of lives at sea. Ho referred to the losses during last winter of the steamers Usworth, Blairgowrie, La Crescenta, and Millpool in the North Atlantic. The Wreck Commissioner, Lord Merrivale, said Mr. Runciman, had completed his inquiries into three of these cases. He was glad to say there was no reflection on the judgments of the j Board of Trade, which had one of the ! best technical staffs in the world, j There had been, however, four main ' points on which the Court had issued very solemn opinions—namely, steering gear, manning surveys, and the way they were conducted, and entries in logs. Lord Merrivale believed the loss of the Usworth was due to the failure of the steering gear, and that the gear was of a kind which involved special risks. I

Immediately bo heard the finding, Mr. Kuncimnn said, he set up a strong committee to consider in the interest of safety of lives at sea tj^pes of main and auxiliary steering gear fitted on the Usworth and Blairgowrie. As soon as the Govermnent had the committee's report they would study it and, if necessary, act upon it.