SAFETY AT SEA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21366, 20 June 1931, Page 11

SAFETY AT SEA

THE NEW CONVENTION ’ / RATIFIED BY THE LORDS (United Press Association.) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) LONDON, June 18. (Received June 19, at 10 p.m.) In the House of Lords, during a discussion on the new international safety-at-sea convention, Lord Inchcape strongly opposed the proposal to. alter the steering commands. The convention proposed that the command “ starboard ” or “ right ” should be given only when the head of the ship was to move to the right and a similar command in regard to “ port ” or “ left,” whereas now the command “ port your helm ” meant danger was on the port side and the ship must be steered to starboard, or vice versa. No fewer than 8. r )9O British officers and pilots had opposed the change, which was contrary to the present practice, and therefore likely to lead to accidents.

Earl Jellicoe, on the other hand, supported the change. He had so often seen the helm put the wrong way under the present system that in every ship he commanded he had a hole cut in the compass platform in order that the officer could see that the helmsman was carrying out the command correctly. He was confident that officers would soon become familiar with the convention’s new and simpler system. The House ratified the convention.