Tug Masters Did Not Get Full Claims for Wanganella Salvage

Grey River Argus, 24 March 1949, Page 7

Tug Masters Did Not Get Full Claims for Wanganella Salvage

WELLINGTON, March 23 Final payment to the masters and crew of the tugs Toia, Kahanui, Terawhiti, Natone, the launch Arahina, and the steam ferry, Cobar, for work done in the rescue of passengers and salvage of the stranded liner, Wanganeila, in January, 1U47, was announced yesterday by the Supreme Court. , , The Court ordered that the sum of £2500 paid to the Wanganui and Welling Harbour Boards and the Union Steamship Company as salvage money be split up between members of the ships in proportion to the work they did in helping salvage the Wanganeila, and likewise that the £350 awarded the Eastbourne Borough Council be split up among members of the Cobar. The Court’s finding arises following claims by the masters of the salvage craft that the crews, who had already been paid extra rates for work on i.he Wanganeila, deserved no part of the £2500 as theyhad not performed salvage in the legal interpretation of the word, . as this could only be done by ship s masters. This was over-ruled by the Court, which, however, "ruled that the major part of salvage work and responsibility devolved 'on the masters. This winds up claims by various harbour boards, masters and seamen for salvage money, the mam claims having been settled by the Couit last September. u biMasters will get a bigger share of salvage money than crew members because of their added responsibilities during the operations, announced the Chief Justice, Sir Humphrey O’Leary. The Natone (U.S.S. Co) with a master and a crew of three, assisted in the Wanganeila operation for three days including and following the liner’s stranding on 7 Barrett’s Reef, outside Wellington Harbour.