NEW STEERING ORDERS AT SEA.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 145, 20 June 1931, Page 1

NEW STEERING ORDERS AT SEA.

ANOTHER MEANING GIVEN OLD COMMAND. (United Press Assn.—By Electrlo Telegraph—Copyright.) LONDON, June IS. The international convention dealing with the question of greater safety at sea was discussed in the House of Lords to-day. Lord Inchcape, chairman of the P. and O. Company, strongly opposed the proposal to alter the steering commands. The convention proposed that the command “Starboard” or “right” should be given only when the head of the ship was to move to the right, with a similar command in regard to movement to port or the left, whereas now the command “Port 3'our helm” meant that danger was on the port side and that the ship must be steered to starboard, or vice versa. Lord Inchcape pointed out that no fewer than 8590 British officers and pilots had opposed the change, which was contrary to the

present practice, and therefore likely to lead to accidents. Lord Jellicoe, on the other hand, supported the change. He had so often seen the helm put the wrong way under the present system that in every ship he commanded he had a hole cut in the compass platform in order that the officer could see the helmsman canning out the command correctly. He was confident that officers would soon become familiar with the new and simpler system introduced by the convention. The convention was ratified.