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Evening Star, Issue 16822, 26 August 1918, Page 4

Trnc concise report and recommendations of the Royal Commission

Protection of Waterside Workers.

which recently investigated the cause and pre vontion of waterside accidents—the source of much

friction in a branch of the Dominion's maritime trade .and industry—reveal a thoroughness of method of investigation and a commendable desire to effect practical remedies of defects in the present system of handling cargo at tho various ports. It will ha something of a surprise to most of the harbor authorities and chipping companies to learn from the report that the Commission found at least 36 new ways towards affording greater protection to watersido workers by improving their working conditions and strengthening the gear they are called upon to handle. Tho Commission consisted of the Hon, T. M. Wilford, Minister of Marine, and representatives of the shipping, watersiders' and harbor board interests, and they investigated with businesslike thoroughness tho whole system of watersido work and its irritating and occasionally fatal defects, which for a lons time threatened to remain a chronic problem apparently beyond reasonable remedy. It -was a happy arrangement that led to the appointment of the Minister of Marine as chairman of the Commission. This commendable arrangement brought the Government directly into the heart of the problem, and obviously enabled tho Commission to frame their recommendations in a form ready for Ministerial consideration without vexatious delay, as is too often the case in respect to the findings of Royal Commissions. Of tho Commission's 36 proposals for increasing tho safety of waterside workers no fewer than 27 wore unanimously agreed to ; the balance were left to the decision of the "Minister of Marino, who had a full knowledge of the evidence upon the issues involved, and had also, it may be said, exceptional legal ability to determino the value of such evidence. All the recommendations of the Commission have been approved by the Cabinet. Most of tho recommendations deal with technical improvements which are of special interest only to those directly affected by their projected adoption. Hie point of general interest is tho appreciable fact that tho Commission found that the long-standing grievances of the men were neither fanciful nor perverse, but were based on a lack of reasonable safeguards for the protection of life and limb. The Commission recommend, for example, that legislation should be passed empowering the Inspector of Machinery to inspect all machinery used for loading or discharging cargo. They also recommend the framing of regulations necessitating a guarantee as to tho strength of ropes manufactured or sold in New Zealand, and the preparation of departmental schedules as to safe loads of wire, flax, and Manila ropes for the guidance of those using them. Indeed, in every respect, the Commisisian aim at securing .the highest possible measure of protection for the men employed at the waterside. The report is extremely satisfactory, and the Commission are to be congratulated on their work. It is to be hoped that there will be no delay in giving effect to their recommendations, and that all the authorities concerned will co-opex-I ate in good spirit towards effecting very I necessary improvements in the working conditions of waterside workers.

On Thursday of this week the Medical Board at Kensington will examine candidates and men who hav© been classed Cl and are 41 years of age. On Friday the same board start the examination of tho reservists drawn in the 21st ballot, and, as before, they will be taken in strict alphabetical order. This was the third day of sloppy weather in the Durisdin district-. On Saturday and yesterday the set of the wind was easterly, with a litUe southing. To-day it was southerly, with an inclination to the west. Theweatherwise expect the change to come with a brisk breeze from tho south-west, perhaps to-morrow. Gardeners are much delayed by wet weather this season. The only consolation is that the rain is not accompanied' by cold. Following up our announcement of a few weeks ago that A: Moritzson and -Co-, hav-e .sold "their business to tho Otago Co-oper ative Fruit-growers' Association, we are now authorised to state that tho concern will bo taken over next week, that the j new manager is Mr W. G. Gould, from Waipawa (formerly of Hastings), and that tho association are considering several innovations with the view of saving laboT and time so as to get the fruit from tho orchard to the table as speedily as possible. Counting no-courses and undecideds, 50 courses weTe run at Forbury Plumpton durin-f the two days of the Dunedin Coursing Club's mooting, and, though the weather was dull on Friday and wet on , Saturday, the kills numbered only 17. In about half of the courses the haras, , though at a disadvantage on damp ground, simply played with the dogs. The Rev. Graham H. Balfour stated vesterday that First Church had so far given £6OO to the Bed Cross, this amount being represented by the endowment of four cots and the receipts from and in 1 connection wdth. th« chap that tbo ladies ran on Saturday. Lieutenant M'Crorie is told off to take charge of the 12th draft of Cl men (num. baring 30), who leave Dunedin for camp to-morrovr morning. In the Supreme Court action Mary Ann Cotton v. G. and W. Shiel, claim $2,000, damages in connection with the recent quarry fatality, the jury, after a retirement of a little over two hours, returned at 4 20 on Saturday afternoon with a verdict for the defendants. Judgment was accordingly entered for the defendants, with costs according to scale, disbursements, and witnesses' expenses. His Honor also certified for the costs of a special jury and for second counsel.

Mr Paulin telephoned at 2 p.m. :—S.E. to S.W. winds, rain showers, and mist. The rainfall for 48 hours to 8 sum. to-day was 209 points. The Hon Arthur Myers, Minister an Charge of Munitions and Supplies, mentioned to newspaper representatives in Wellington that it had been recently reported to him that the Petrol Regulations, in regard to price, were not be- | ing observed in some cases by retailers. Consequently the matter had been taken up by the Department with the secretary of the Motor Garage Proprietors' Association of New Zealand, who w* now cooperating by assisting in making the regulations more fully known to all the parties concerned. The prices whioh had been fixed by the Board of Trade were the maximum prices which should be paid to retailers, the Minister continued. Anyone who paid in excess of the gazetted prices was therefore committing a broach of the regulations. Some further particulars of tho attempted escsßpe of three Germany from Apia were given to an Auckland 'Star' reporter by a recent arrivail from Samoa. "Captain Steffenay," he said. ;'was always considered a. native born citizen of the United States Prior to the war he was master of a rteamer. It was later found that the captain was a naturalised American, and the Administrator (Colonel Logan) stopped him coing to sea- He was not interned with "the" German prisoners, but had to report himself at fixed times at headquarters. Captain Steffenay was allowed aomo freedom, being in charge of the Solomon Island boys. That gave him cliargo of somo .stores, but benzine was under the care of Customs officers I he. captain, had to bo indoors ea-ch night at o o'clock, the same as other Germans. It was this that no doubt made him decide to e-eape. He v.lilised tho trust placed m him to r-ecure. stores intended for the Solomoil Islands under his cHJrge- -Uw launch in which tho three men attempted to wcape was stocked with eight months stores and 120 cases of bemino \V|i«i a, short wav from the land the .launch's en gine broke down, and this fact led to the capture of the runaways. One of tho returned soldiers who nas taken up one of the sections m Lamonts Estate, near Woodlands, <vus agreeably surprised cue morning last week (says the 'Southland Times') to receive a visit from some of his neighboring farmers. lney considerately brought their teams with them, and instead of talking about the weather, crops, frozen mutton, dajry produce, and other topics so dear and weessarv to a farmer's conversation, _ they merely said "Good morning/' and immediate'lV made preparations for a days ploughing. Fortunately they were favored with beautiful weather, and consequently made good progress, some hfteea acres being ploughed before they finished. The Lake Logan nuisance— always big and obtrusive to those living in tho dis-trict-is forcing itself upon the attention of the public again. The Harbor hoard have been doing good work in he pumping of spoil into tho area, in fulfilment ot its promise to transform noisome shallows the breeding-place of disease germs and pestilential insects, into dry land But the resident* are apprehensive, not without justification, that the board propose to discontinue pumping operations, while there still remains a considerable area of water, and their fears conjure up visions of tho myriads of insects that afflicted the district adjoining the lake in the hot weather last summer. Acting for the residents, the Lake Logan Vigilance Committeo have met and considered the situation, and their first step has been to write asking for information as to the board's intentions in connection with the work at Lake Logan. The need for making this unsightly area at least sanitary is bevond discussion, and it would be a distinct breach of faith and a crying injustice to tho district if the Harbor Board should discontinue its present reclamation works before the lako is sufficiently filled in to make it dry and sanitary. _ A feature of the present operations causing concern is the scooping out of quantities of black mud and the depositing of it on the foreshore closo to houses.

Three Australian soldiers groped into a bus on the Strand a day or two ago, oach with an eye bandaged and useless (wrot« the 'Sydney Morning Herald's' London correspondent recently). They were fresh from the struggle about Amiens, and though the one who told me this said nothing of his own misfortune, he said a good deal as to the fighting of the Australians in general. And all that he said merely bore out what one hears on all sides—namely, that our men have gone into this new series of struggles in great heart and at the top of their fighting form. Wonderful., indeed, the dash and fire _of their attack, said one of them, in deseription of his comrades, and no less wonderful their grit in defence. Time and again, ho said ; they have gone at the Germans with" quite irresistible effect, so that there are towns and villages to-day in their sector of the straggle which the foiv surviving Germans who met them there will never forget. Mostly he liked to tallc of a hand-to-hand conflict in a certain town where Australians fought Gorman s,-through the streets and in and out of the houses, and scattered them, and sent them flying in terror far to rearward. The Hun, he said, had not the slightest chance when it came to the individual stand-up struggle—and the German dead in that town were a proof of it. A3 to himself, this young Australian did at last say something. A shell exploded very close to him. He lost one eye, and until a night or two ago was deaf. On that night someone playinff a violin in the .London Hospital ward touched an extreme high note of piercing quality. At all events, it pierced the veil which was about the soldier's hearing, something snapped in his head, and his deafness vanished.

The subject of coal occupied the attention of the Palroorston North Borough Council for a considerable time on Tuesday night states the ' Manawatu Daily Times.' The Mayor, in accordance with his notice of motion, moved : "That, owing to increased cost of coal, and facilities for obtaining same, a conference of local bodies be held to consider the question of purchasing a boat for the purpose of conveying coal cheaper and for the benefit of citizens and settlers." He suggested that a. conference of representatives from Kairanga. Feilding, Levin, Foxton, Shannon, and probably Woodville and Pahiatua, should be held to discuss the question and consider the purchase of a steamer to bring direct supplies of coal. When the Foxton bar and river war© dredged, vessels of 10ft and 12ft draught would be available at the Foxton port, but in the interim the vessel could trade to Wellington. He estimated a 500-ton vessel could ho purchased fox about £IO,OOO, carrying 26,000 tons of coal annually at, say, 10s per ton (freight was now lis), would clear £13,000 in one year without including freight on the return journey. She could also carry supplies of pipes, cement, eto., required by local bodies. Councillor Bennett seconded the motion. Councillor Crabb stated that most colliers were 1,000 and 1,100 tons, and were cheaper to run than small vessels. He said shipping looked profitable on paper, and at present it was so, but under normal conditions the expenses of incidental outlay were very heavy. He also pointed out that it would bo impossible to purchase a steamer now. The Mayor quite agreed, but thought it wise to be in early when shins were being liberated, and his idea in calling the conference was with a view to being ready when opportunity offered and ensuring a sufficient and cheaper supply of coal for the district in future. The motion was carried.

That -present -\var -coixlitions contain a. germ of hope for tho betterment of sailors seems evident from the conditions maintaining on an American full-rigged ship which recently visited Dominion waters. On this ship the crew are supplied with bedding, and the linen is changed regularly. It addition a " peggy " looks after the forecastle and s<-,es to the meals in a maniw*r hitherto undreamed of. This enumeration, seems simple to -shore folks, and nowise meriting comment. But to thoise who in tho past have experienced the dreary wretchedness of the sailorm-an's lot there is a world of meaning- in it. The mariner of the future, it is evident, will find greatly improved conditions in regard to housing and feeding.

The first case of the kind to be heard hero will come before the Police Court on Wednesday, when two brothers living in tho City will be charged with harboring a military deserter. The offence, an indictable one, is punishable by a fine of £IOO, ox two years imprisonment.

New sewon's photographic (foods; excellent stock now arriving. Cameras from 6s. .Send your order early to H. J. Gill. 11 and 13 Frederick street, Dunedin. 'Phone 1,144. —[Advt. | Au intereethig quarter-page display advertisement dealing with the question of No-■bi.o-na.l Efficiency will \>e found on page 2, of this issue, wnd should be carefully considered by every reader.—[Advfc.] Never retreats; always win* for its wonderful quality. Watson's No. 10 whisky.— [AdvfcJ Truly a wonderful boon to evry housewife i "No Rubbing" Laundry Help. Is 3d packet sufficient for seven weekly family washings.—[Advt.] Nominations for the annual meeting of the Council of the New Zealand Educational Institute*' 1 to bo held next January, close on ■Saturday. The increased -interest taken in educational matters and certain clearly-prc-nounoed movements is making for a record nomination and a record vote.

Watson's No. 10 is a little dearer than most whiskies, but is worth the money.— [Advt.] A meeting of members of the Souttara St&rr-Bowkett Society will be held on Monday, 'September 2, when the 105 th appropriation of £SOO will be disposed Applications are being received for shares tin No. 3 group.

Do not hesitate over the purchase of your new oostumo. Woollen goods are Kitting still more difficult to procure. See our now brown worsteds. Ansell, Octagon.—[Advt.j