OVERLOADED CRANES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19254, 17 February 1926, Page 12

OVERLOADED CRANES.

A DANGEROUS PRACTICE. HARBOUR BOARD'S ATTITUDE. PROSECUTIONS IN FUTURE. The danger of the overloading of wharf cranes by those hiring them was referred to at the meeting of the Auckland Harbour Board yesterday. The Shipping and Stevedores' Association wrote asking if it were possible to provide some contrivance to prevent the overloading of cranes. The engineer. Mr. D. Holderness, said there was no mechanical contrivance to do this. The practice of overloading cranes by those hiring them from the board was serious and dangerous, and was becoming more'and-more frequent. He Eiaked that prosecutions should follow every breach of the by-law.

It was stated, there were two recent instances of overloading, once when a five-ton crane lifted a propeller weighing 5 tons 4cwt., and the other when a threetor! crane jifted a weight of 3 tons 16cwt. As far as the lifting of the propeller was concerned, the Union Steam Ship Company, Ltd., stated it was unfortunate thai tho weight was lifted, but the driver was not aware of the exact weight of the propeller. The company had been advised from the Sydney office that the propeller weighed five tons, and it was assured that it did not weigh more than that. It deplored the intention of the board to prosecute in such cases, and asked that the matter should not be carried further.

The New Zealand Shipping Company wrote stating that its wharf staff had instructions to keep to the by-law. Tile chairman, Mr. H. R. Mackenzie, moved that the superintendent take immediate action in any cases of overloading of cranes in the future. Mr. Mackenzie said the propeller referred to had the weight perforated on it, and it was painted in large white letters. A crane might capsize and men might be killed, and the board would have to bear responsibility. The board would overlook the present offence, but> would give clear warning for the future. In reply to a member, Mr. Mackenzie said it would have cost the shipping company double to have had the propeller lifted by the floating crane Mahua. Mr. C. G. Macindoe said he thought the chairman's resolution was rather drastic, and threw the onus on the shipping companies to ascertain the weights of articles. If that were done, the companies would resort to their own methods of discharging cargo. The resolution could be modified a little, and the board oould have responsible men on the wharves to see that the by-law was not broken. The chairman replied that would mean a sta,ff of 20 men. The board had to protect life and limb. The engineer said that in the case of the propeller the driver had his doubts about the weight, and asked what it was. Althongh the propeller was clearly marked with the correct weight, the driver was told that it was only 4 tons IScwt. , The chairman remarked that the threat of proceedings would stop further trouble. The resolution ws3 carried, Mr. Macin- -»• .... ' doe dissenting.