SUPERVISION NEEDED.

NZ Truth, Issue 87, 16 February 1907, Page 3

SUPERVISION NEEDED.

TO 'IJHE EI>ITt>R. ' Sir,— lt is time that the Customs authorities at' Napier were . livened up m regard to ;the ; lives' of the stevedores when/ they ,aro taken out m the j bay to work. ,I. might i§tate that the j other day. ■.^...steamer " at this port took out Msf 'stevedores and had a crew of ite-pwri 61; eight lives, and had not a boat ,of any, description on board, amd ; ,6nly -toad', three life-belts, and no . life-liiies pr .rockets. Also the authorities at' this "poft allowed a lighter loaded with wo&l and four men aboard lp leave the- wharf without, a boat, #6r even life-belts, and when alongside of the Home going steamer Pathan she ; sprung a leak, and it wasiaijbrfc- df^tfosd luck that one of their slnall steamers ' was alongside at i^ie time, or else the lighter would^-have folintierod and most likely all -hands been lost through the carelessness of the authorities; I miftht- state that this lighter is only 'held ;tofljgther with tar and when • itho"^ar >Jcpmes off she springs a lea^i lilce the rest of them, and I think it is i time ; the Minister of Marine saw. that lijs;hter owners were not the inspeptors of shipping m this port of Isfapier, for.it is only natural .that, they' will not condemn where an entirely independent official would. I mififot supeest. that the authorities at > this port should see that the stevedores have life-belts m their launches when they take working men m 'the ! roadstead, and also when they go for pleasure trips and' take from SO to 40 . excursionists for a sea trip. They . should be compelled to carry a small' boat. Hoping the Muiister p£ Marine pr the authoriities will see to this iftatter.'— l am, &c, is .-..■-- ' ■ . , W. WILSON. Port Ahutiri.i Fe. 8, s!O7. ,