RANGATIRA INQUIRY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 100, 8 April 1936, Page 8

RANGATIRA INQUIRY

Master’s Certificate Not Affected COURT’S JUDGMENT By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, April 7. The Court’s judgment in the rehearing of the Kangatira inquiry was delivered by the Chief Justice, Sir Michael Myers this afternoon. He held in the first place that the Minister of Marine had jurisdiction to order, and the court to hold, the rehearing. Oil the tacts of the case, the Court came to the conclusion that in all the circumstances the master, proceeding as he did at 6.2 a.in., was an error of judgment. In view, however, of his unblemished record and superb seamanship after the disaster, and of the undoubtedly abnormal tide which caused the vessel to be set to the west so far out of her course, the Court considered the master’s certificate should not be affected. With regard to the wireless operator the Court was not prepared to accept the view that compliance with the regulations war a matter left to the discretion of the wireless operator. The judgment mentioned no illeffects resulting from failure to sound the alarm signal. The Court, apparently, has no jurisdiction over the certificates of wireless operators, but in any event did not recommend, in al] the circumstances of the case, that the officer’s certificate should be prejudically affected.