THE SURAT ENQUIRY.

Otago Witness, Issue 1159, 14 February 1874, Page 7

THE SURAT ENQUIRY.

( The A rr/m. J

It is satisfactory to find that all gentlemen whose duty it is to inquire into the cause of wrecks, and pronounce opinions on the culpability or blamelessness of those by whom they are brought about, are not impressed with an idea that a six or twelve months' suspension of certificate is a sufficient punishment for masters or mates who throw away vessels, and endanger lives by their carelessness or bad behavioiir. The magistrates who sat with a nautical assessor in Dunedin to ascertain tho causes which led to the loss of the Surat, are evidently men who are not possessed by a maudlin sympathy with crime — and culpable negligence exhibited by those who have the lives aud property of others in their charge is neither more nor less — for they have cancelled two certificates and suspended a third, pour encourauev lcs autrcx. And who that reads the account of the investigation can say that they haves acted otherwise than properly ? Nothing could possibly have been worse than the conduct of the oificers of this unfortunate vessel. It was proved that the captain failed to provide himself with proper charts of the coast of New Zealand, although he liad never been there before ; that when he made the land at nightfall, he took no steps to determine his position accurately, not even consulting a work called the New Zealand Pilot, which he had on board; that after the ship struck and was found to be making water rapidly, no attempts were made to lessen the leak ; and that although he had a largo number of pass-engcrs on board, he allowed the steamer Wanganui, whose services could easily have been secured, to pass by, notwithstanding that the water in the hold had risen to Bft. Not content with these few trifling sins of omission and commission, immediately the vesselstruck thegallant captain and his two principal mates incapacitated themselves for the performance of their duties by getting drunk. But although they could do nothing, the master was kind euough to intimate that he would shoot the iirst passenger who tried to help himself and his fellow voyagers. We ask, would it not have been a sin to return his certificate to such a man even after the lapse of years? Can any one siv that an individual like this is n't to command a ship, even though the life of a cat was all that depended on his care, skill, and sobtiety? It is true no lives were lost on this occasion, but it is said that the immigrants on board have lost their all, aud it is certain that a fine vessel has been needlessly thrown away. We are afraid, however, that had the Surat been wrecked on our coast, one, or at most two, years' retirement from his profession would have been thought sufficient to purge the commander's offence Luckily, we were spared this trial of our jjatience. The Otago magistrates have done their duty ; it now remains for the Government of New Zealand to do its, by putting these misdemeanants on their trial.