WHARF LIGHTING.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 December 1918, Page 7

WHARF LIGHTING.

'DISCUSSED BY HARBOR BOARD. The question of the lighting of the New Plymouth wharf was discussed at yesterday's meeting o£ the Harbor Board, the chairman (Mr Newton King) referring to letters and comments on thfl matter which had appeared in botli the local papers. Mr King characterised these as explosive letters from the president of the Watersiders' Union (Air W. Fitzpatriek). The Chamber of Commerce had a).-o taken the matter up, arid had intended to wait on the Board in regard to the matter, but had communicated their views to the chairman himself. A report, however, had been prepared by the works' superintendent (Mr P. Henderson) on the subject., and the chairman asked that the secretary should read it. The report was as follows:—

SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT. The question of the lighting of the wharf has again been raised owing to the refusal of the watersiders .work overtime on the Corinna during hev last visi.t on the 11th and 12th the priheipal excuse given being the want of sufficient lighting on the wharf. The president of the Watersiders' Workers' Union has stated to the press that "Before tile war the Union Shipping Company and the Railway 'Department made representations to the Harbor Board, with a view to improving the lighting of the wharf, which was considered unsatisfactory and dangerous to work under, and that the war came on and that the matter was allowed to remain in abeyance," thus ; conveying the iml)rtssion that the Jftord had. ignored the ■omplaints and iiad'dons nothing to improve lighting. *, r The facts its. that originally there iour lights on the wharf 'of 400 c&ndle 'powSr each, or a total of I*soo cp. November,, 1914, the Board installed a complete new system of lighting from overhead wires, supported by iron posts 40 feet high Carrying six lights each of 1000 c.p, or & total of 0000 c.p., as against the original 1600 cp. The railway authorities wrote to the Board expressing satisfaction with the improvement in the lighting, and no complaint has since been made by shipping, except when occasionally a storm may nave disturbed the connections. Within the last two years seven Home liners have visited the port and have worked every night during their stay withotlt any complaint being made of the lighting of the whari. Captain O'Shea, who was in charge of the stevedoring of the Port Alma, expressed ithe opinion that the lighting of the New Plymouth wharf compared favorably with the best ports of the Dominion and was decidedly better than at any other breakwater port- The president of the Watersiders' Workers' Union in a letter to the Herald admits that in some cases the lighting of the steamers is at fault, and I think this will be found to be the cause of the whole trouble. Nearly all steamers visiting New Plymouth are fitted with eloctrie lighting and have portable cluster lights for throwing a light on deck find over the side, or wherever required. Even the smaller ateamers of the Northern and Anchor companies are so fitted. Therefore, in installing the present system of wharf lighting the matter of lighting steamers was not considered, 'but every consideration was given to the best means oS distributing the light throughout the for the convenience of handling cargo, as well as for foot passengers and lor railway shunting There is no difficulty in working any steamers at night except the Corinna, which is about the (inlv* boat not fitted with electricity, and sit "the same time does more night work than any other Vessel visiting the port. The wharf lights show well into the open trucks for the discharge of coal (ind general cargo, but when butter and cheese or meat is being shipped from high vans which stand between the wharf lights and the ship a shadow is then ca-t to which the eyes get accustomed, but the men who are inside the Tans ate in almost total darkness A lantern to ea;li van was supplied by the railway some time ago, and was an improvement, but they became missing and have not been replaced. On December 17,1915, a letter was received by the Board from the stationmaster at New Plymouth as follows: "1 beg to advise that the improved lighting of the wharf is found to be iaost satisfactory and meets all requirements of railway traffic and general working of cargo. The improvemrtit minimises th 3 risk of accident to men engaged in working cargo in railway trucks"

BOARD HAD NOT SHUNTED.

The chairman said that the superintendent's report and the letter from the (Railway Department showed that Mr Fitzpatriek was all wrong and there tfould be no suggestion that the Board had shunted the matter. The Board had, a few months ago, appointed a deputation to go down to the wharf and Bee the actual conditions under which the men worked when complaints had been made some months ago, but they had not been down owing to the workers intimating that as it was rough on the night, arranged they wOuld not bo working. i Mr Bellringo? said that first the arrangement to visit the wharf had been postponed beec.use he was to be away on the date arranged, and later by the workers on account of rough weather, «nd since then nothing had been heard from the watersiders about arranging for tlk-- Board's deputation to go down. They could rot go down unless an arrangement war- made when the men were to be working. There had been a later complaint from the Rai'wn.y Department, however, which camo before the last meeting of the Board, in the shape of a letter from the acting-sta-tionnuster (Mr J. J. -O'Shea)-

ANOTHER RAILWAY COMPLAINT. This letter was read to the Board and was to the effect that the wharf foreman was complaining of the bad lighting of tho wharf. The lights alone; thu centre of the wharf were defective and not of iuuch use when boats were discharging at night. Also there were no lights at the side of the wharf, when they are required for loading and unloading operations. The letter continued; "The wliarf faborets arc continually complaining of the danger of being knocked off trucks when receiving cargo at nights, owing to the want of proper lights. During the recent visit of an oversea steamer we found it necessary to borrow lights from, the ship to enable the loading operations to be carried on with safety to the men concerned. It is aljo difficult, if not to tally goods at night timo for the same reason. We anticipate having a very Urge amount of discharging work to at aight ttais flaring tlic aezX

few months, and t shall be glad if your Board will take steps to provide adequate lighting facilities at an early date. THE BOARD'S POSITION. The chairman said that on account of Wing absent from the la.'-.t meeting of the Board he had not been aware of th» latter complaintMr Hughes said the matter resolved itself into-this: That certain ships had no proper lights. The watersiders should let the Board know -when they would be working under conditions of which they complained, and then the deputation could go down to see for themselves.

Mr Wilkinson said the tall trucks referred to should certainly be lighted, and ways and means should he found of doing that. The Corinna appeared to be the only boat about which complaints could be made, but he did not consider it was the Board's place to establish lighting for ships Which failed to provide sufficient light. The watersiders should have considered that point, ami make their complaint to the owners of the ships. The Board would do all it was required to do, but it would not light ships, else that would be a premium to the shipping companies to do nothing about lighting their vessels. Mr Bellringer pointed out that it had been his idea to carry the light along the wharf, and put in plugs so that portable lights oould be put in when and where required and the shipping companies charged for the light. They were anxious to,know exactly what the watersiders wanted, and were prepared to do ali they could for the men, but they must first see the conditions for themselves, and that could only be by arrangement with the workcus. Mr Maxwell agreed as to the Board's readiness to meet the men's wishes. They had established an improved system of lighting which had met all requirements, as was shown by the stationmaster's letter at the time. One boat seemed particularly deficient in lighting, but the fault there must bo with tile shipping company and not the Board. The watersiders were aware that the Board had a committee set up, and they were at fault ill hot letting the committee know exactly what was wanted. It was unfair that correspondence should be sent to the newspapers with the suggestion that the Board was not doing its duty. Mr Wilkinson then moved that ft reply be forwarded to the president of the Watersiders' Union expressing regret at the letters and statements which had been communicated to the press, atid pointing out that tney were aware that a committee had been set up immediately the complaint was received, and that the Board was ready to meet the officials of the Union in regard to the lighting of the wharf, and that the Union undertook to let the committee know when to visit the wharf, but that up to the present they had failed to do so. This was seconded by Mr McCiuggage and carried

Mr King said it was a great pity that the editors of papers attached footnotes to letters appearing in their columns, criticising local bodies, without first going to the fountain-head to ascertain if the information in the letters was correct. "What the deuce do they know about wharf lighting, whether itwas defective or not!"

The matter of the alleged defects in the lighting of the Corinna was further referred to, and the following resolution was passed.——

•"'That, -whereas repeated complaints have been made by the Watersiders' Union in regard to the poor lighting of the steamer t'o'rinn ". Hie U S.S. Company be written to pointing out that this ship is nrft fitted With electric light, and as the vessel is frequently Working cargo at night, the board is strongly of opinion that the matter should have the com* panv's immediate attention "