STOWAGE OF ACIDS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3755, 2 March 1926, Page 29

STOWAGE OF ACIDS.

WELLINGTON, February 23. While the 6tea,mer Storm was discharging cargo at Dunedin in March last, a waterside worker had his clothes damaged bv a leakage of nitric acid, a case of which had been loaded at Wellington and stowed in the hold. As a result of this occurrence William Russell Webling, second officer on the vessel, who had supervised the loading of the cargo, was paid off at Lyttelton on the ground that he had committed wilful misconduct by not stowing the acid on the deck. His discharge, however, was marked “V.G.” (very good), although it was alleged that by his misconduct he was not entitled to a month’s salary or a month’s notice. This procedure was the subject of ai claim in the Magisrate’s Court to-dav by the Labour Department for £lO from tha Canterbury Chipping Company, the owner of the Storm, for a breach of the Merchant Service Guild Award. The argument took place whether it was the custom on tha New eZaland coast to stow such .acids on deck or in. the hold. In order to prove whether there had been misconduct to warrant the summary dismissal of the officer, evidence was given by several master mariners that it was a highly dangerous practice to stow acids below tha deck. A case was cited which occurred on the Manipouri some 30 years ago when a case of acid burst in the hold and three of the members of the crew lost their lives. Captain F. A. Maclndoe, secretary of the Merchant Service Guild, said that ha knew of several instances whera.acids had been carried below, but nobody had been dismissed for it. The magistrate, Mr W. G. Riddell, reserved his decision.