A SHIPPING TEST CASE.

Colonist, Volume LIV, Issue 13567, 7 November 1912, Page 6

A SHIPPING TEST CASE.

FAILURE TO LOG FREEBOARD, AND DRAUGHT.

[United Pit ess Association.]

Dunedin, Nov. (5. A case of special interest to shipping was decided by Mr. Widdowson, S.M., this morning, when he gave his reserved decision in the case of Goo. M. Ituxton (master of tho ship Kaiapoi). The charge was that defendant, when leaving Lyttelton for the .purpose of proceeding to sea, failed to record tho ship's draught of water and the extent of freeboard in the official log book, and ■that he did, without reasonable cause, fail to produce such record to the Superintendent of Marine when required to do so.

The Magistrate held that though section 206 of the Act was not aptly arranged, it was made clear by the light of the previous .section. He held that subjection 3 of section 206 held a mandate to the master to record certain particulars in the ..official log book. That being so the master had been guilty of a purely technical offence. The case would serve as a warning to shipmasters. Defendant was convicted and ordered to pay costs.