VERDICT QUESTIONED

Taranaki Daily News, 17 January 1930, Page 11

VERDICT QUESTIONED

THE MANUKA DISASTER MARINE OFFICERS’ CRITICISM. RESOLUTION OF PROTEST. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The opinion is widely held among seafaring men, particularly by master mariners and officers, that the Nautical Court of Inquiry into the loss of the Manuka was unduly harsh in finding Captain Ross Clark guilty of negligence and in ordering him to pay one-half of the Crown costs. The finding of the Court was discussed at considerable length by the committee of management of the Merchant Service Guild this morning. Special consideration was given to clause 3 of the finding and the following resolution was carried: — “That the committee of management of the Merchant Service Guild after careful consideration of the finding arrived at by the Court is of the opinion that the Manuka disaster was caused wholly by an abnormal westerday set, and, further, if the Court was unable to determine on the evidence before it why the ship was six miles south of her apparent position then we are at a loss to know why they returned a verdict of negligence against the mas- • ter.” Captain Ross Clark has resigned from the Union Steamship Company’s service. Ho will leave Wellington on Monday for his home.