NO TROUBLE GIVEN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26841, 4 August 1948, Page 6

NO TROUBLE GIVEN

BROOMPARK HATCHES MAN-HANDLED IN 45 PORTS SLING METHOD CONSIDERED DANGEROUS P.A. AUCKLAND, Aug. 3. The conclusion of the Waterside Employers’ Association’s case was in sight when the tribunal inquiring into the Mountpark and Broompark disputes adjourned this afternoon. The association’s counsel, Mr C. A. Hamer, told the tribunal that he expected to finish by noon to-morrow. It is likely that Mr G. G. G. Watson, for the Waterfront Industry Commission, will then address the tribunal.

The major witness to-day was Captain J. M. Henderson, master of the Broompark. He said he had been in the ship as mate and later as master since she was built in 1942, and had had no trouble over her hatches in any of the 45 ports she had visited in various parts of the world. Captain Henderson said that until the Broompark’s present Auckland visit there had never been any objection to man-handling her hatches. In all his time at sea he had never heard a word against this practice. Slinging was a more dangerous method. “Moving the hatches by nand is the only method I have ever seen used,” said witness. “ I have never seen an accident, and I do not know why the men did not carry on here. I do not think the hatches are too heavy. It seems fantastic that a crane or derrick should have to carry each one of them individually with legs.” To Mr T. P. Cleary, for the commission, witness said the hatches were a vulnerable part of a ship and weakness there could lead to accidents, even to the loss of a vessel at sea. This was recognised as a frequent cause of loss of ships. He could recall four vessels lost with all hands in the North Atlantic after sending messages that their hatches were stove in. As a shipmaster, he would not lightly agree to any material alteration in his hatches. To Mr Barnes, witness said that moving hatches by hand was the most economical method from the viewpoint of stevedoring time lost. Moving them by slings was clumsy and uneconomical.

Asked if he agreed that a large proportion of the accidents to workers was caused through faulty hatches, witness said he had never been in a ship with faulty hatches and had never seen an accident as a result of one. “ Places like Auckland would impose their ways on the whole world,” said witness when asked by Mr Barnes to comment on the Marine Department’s proposals to introduce slab hatches.

“ Companies regularly running between here and Britain may find them suitable,” he said, “but why should an occasional visitor to Auckland be penalised just for those ships? As I do not approve of slab hatches on my own ship, I suggest that'you approach the shipowners’ associations of the maritime nations.” Witness added under further crossexamination that he had not seen a ship with slab hatches but he could visualise them.