SALVAGE PAY.

Timaru Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 6061, 21 September 1894, Page 4

SALVAGE PAY.

» The law as to maritime salvage has alwaye appeared a little mysterious to non-ieafarers, who find a diffionlty m understanding upon what principle thousands of pound* ere frequently awarded to tug-boats for hanling a disabled steamer into port, and mere hundreds distributed with a liberal baud am ju 4 »s pilots and odd boatmen who Uke v hand m the job. A ship whioh is m so bad a plight as to solicit help beoomes, m Admiralty theory, largely the property of those who piok her up, very much like the oaie of any other dereliot sea fruit. Aod considering the risks that the salvors generally have to run m securing their prise few will be disposed to grudge it to them when they get it. Occasionally, how. ever, the cost of salving is greater than the value of the vessel it«elf, so that as far as the owners are concerned she might have been left to go to the bottom. In a case m tbe Admiralty Court it transpired that a German steamer, the 3<org, only realised £1684 when sold, which was barely sufficient to pay twothirds of the awards chsrged on her. Two tugs, which had pioked her up disabled m tbe Straits of Dover, bad, therefore, tobeoontent with £1000 for bringing her m. Thi», however, does not seem bad pay for a night's work at sea.