SUBPOENA FOR ENGINEER AFTER PAPERS QUERIED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22916, 7 April 1949, Page 6

SUBPOENA FOR ENGINEER AFTER PAPERS QUERIED

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, April 7. The issue of a subpoena was ordered by Mr. A. A. Mclachlan, S.M., when a witness failed to appear at the Holmlea inquiry yesterday. The witness was Patrick Delaney, chief engineer of the Holmlea, which was towed into Westport on February 21 after her stokehold became flooded, Delaney was signed on shortly before the ship sailed from Greymouth.

Delaney’s first engineer certificate had been referred to in evidence during the morning sitting of the court. Edward Brown, chief surveyor of ships, Marine Department, Wellington, said that Delaney was born in 1899. His first-class engineer's certificate issued by the Board of Trade was numbered 14,854.

The registrar of certificates issued at Cardiff omitted certificates of officers born before 1880. The commencing number of the engineers’ certificates on this list was 39,631. Numbers Compared

The witness referred to other certificates issued to men born in 1881 and 1888 which were numbered 45,069 and 52,822 respectively. Among other engineers one examined in 1906 had certificate number 41,545 and one examined in 1920 certificate number 56,386. A man able to sit for a first-class engineer’s certificate would be at least 24 years of age. When Delaney was called to give evidence at about 4.20 p.m. his counsel, Mr. P. C. P. McGavin, said he could not help the court. Delaney had been present during the morning sitting and had arranged to meet him shortly before the resumption at 2.15, but had not turned up. Mr. H. R. Biss, for the Marine Department. said that Delaney had been served with notice as required by the Act. As he was not present counsel asked the court to issue a subpoena and the application was granted by Mr. McLachlan.