VALUABLE CARGO IN WAIKOUAITI

Southland Times, Issue 24109, 24 April 1940, Page 4

VALUABLE CARGO IN WAIKOUAITI

Salvage By Harbour Board Proposed

CHAIRMAN’S SCHEME NOT ADOPTED IMPORTANCE OF STEEL AND TIMBER IN WAR TIME A suggestion that the Bluff Harbour Board should undertake the salvage of the remaining cargo of the wrecked freighter Waikouaiti was made by the chairman (Mr W. J. A. McGregor) at a meeting of the board last night. He said he believed the Government could grant authority under the War Emergency Regulations. When a recent inspection was made by a diver, Mr McGregor said, he reported that a great deal of hardwood timber and reinforcing steel could be recovered readily with the equipment possessed by the board. Mr McGregor said that the recovery of these materials would be extremely valuable to New Zealand at the present time when they were scarce. The board decided to take no action. It was stated that the vessel was still in the hands of the underwriters who would decide whether further salvage would be undertaken. It was also stated that the board’s staff might be involved in considerable risk if the chairman’s proposal was adopted.

The vessel had broken in. two and gone under, Mr McGregor said. Some day it might be sold as it lay, and for no one was the work of salvage more suitable than for the board’s staff which, with its adequate equipment, could carry on as weather permitted. The present legal opinion, however, was that the board had no power to salvage a wreck outside its own jurisdiction, especially as a commercial undertalcing, unless it was a danger to navigation.

GOVERNMENT TO TAKE GOODS

Mr McGregor urged that the board approach the Government under the War Emergency Regulations for authority to salvage the cargo as opportunity offered, and that the Government take over all the steel and other materials in this time of shortage ,and arranged with the exception of such material as the board might want for its own use. “In view of our lessening amount of shipping,” Mr McGregor said, “such salvage work would help to provide useful employment in the recovery of materials in this time of shortage, and in keeping a certain amount of money in our own country.” Of the 5000 tons of cargo in the vessel valued at £30C,000, only about 200 tons was salvaged in eight weeks of perfect weather. If the board had had opportunity to undertake the work during that time it could have recovered practically all the valuable remaining goods. There was still a great deal of hardwood timber and steel in the holds and as these materials were extremely scarce in New Zealand at the present time it would be valuable if they could be recovered.