MARINE SIGHT TESTS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1797, 15 August 1906, Page 58

MARINE SIGHT TESTS.

UNION COMPANY’S REQUIREMENTS. DEPUTATION TO THE MINISTER. Tho Minister of Marine, Hon. J. A. Millar, received a deputation on August with reference to the sight-teSt required by the Union Steam Ship Company. The deputation, which represented the Merchant Service Guild, was headed by Captain Watson and Mr A. L. Herdman, as solicitor for the Guild. Mr Herdman pointed out that section 24 of the Shipping and Seamen Act, 1903, provided that ‘‘The Minister may from time to time appoint fit and proper persons to be examiners of applicants in the sight-tests which may he prescribed,” etc. He understood from Captain Watson that the 1 nion Company were not satisfied with the tests provided by the Marine Department, but insisted upon a test of their own. thus placing those who passed the regulation test at a great disadvantage. The deputation asked that some amendment bo made in the Act providing that the test laid down by tho Marino Department should be adopted by all shipowners. ' Captain 'Watson explained that the Union Company insisted upon men going through a sight-test every five years, with the result that many men were passed out and discharged from the company’s service. The men’s discharge contained reference to the fact that their eye-sight was defective. This 'prevented them getting employment elsewhere. The company enforced this periodical test until a man reached the age of forty-five years, although his eye-sight might be quite good enough to navigate a ship. In correspondence with tho company the Guild had stated that when a man had once passed the test, his! sight was not likely to fail him until he reached the age of forty-five. Hon. Mr Millar: I am familiar with section 24 of the Act. Mr Herdman: The Union Company May that in addition to that test they require a test of their own.

Captain Watson : According to the correspondence with the company, they consider tho Marine Board test absolutely useless, though this appears to bo good enough for shipping firms) all over tbo world. It is very hard on men, after serving ten or fifteen years, to bo discharged on this account. They are not likely to get employment elsewhere, because other shipowners -would want to know why they had left their former employment. In our correspondence with the company we have pointed out that we have no objection to their test if it is applied to men on joining their service ; hut if not, then wo think that the British Board of Trade test should apply. The Hbn. Mr Millar said that he had had this matter brought under his notice before. It appeared to him that tho sight-test laid down by the fnion Company was one that net one man out of forty-five would ever pass. There was another thing to he considered: The sight of a seaman, accustomed to navigating in the dark at night, was not the same at? that of a person accustomed to ordinary artificial light. He h'mself thought that something should bo done, and he would go fully into the matter with a view to seeing exactly what tho Board of Trade regulation was. His own opinion was that tho tests should be held in a room where there would he an examiner to see whether a man’s eye-sight was good enough for distinguishing colours, with a chart placed at a reasonable distance-, worked out to scale, for the sight required. It was not a question of whether a man could read small print at a distance, but really whether his eve-sight was such a.s to guarantee the

absolute protection of passenger*! and crew. Still, at the same time it was a reasonable thing that the test" should be such as to afford this protection whilst preventing any injustice being done to the men. He would inquire whether the Department had a ppointed any person to examine in sight-test ad provided by section 24 of the Act, and what was the best form of examination that should bo followed. Of course, when the deputation asked for legislation ho did not think they wanted legislation, to prevent the Union Company making regulations of their own. They could hardly do that, so long as the company complied with the law. However, ho had no doubt that if the matter was placed before the company, and it was dliown to them that their passengers and property would be just as well protected with a less rigid examination, that they would fall in with the suggestion for a modification of the test in a manner that would be satisfactory to all parties. He would communicate with the company and endeavour to get a modification of the regulation, so that matters might be placed on a better footing.