THE MISSING DREDGE.

West Coast Times, 25 June 1912, Page 4

THE MISSING DREDGE.

THE QUESTION OF COMPENSATION. CHRISTCHURCH, June 22. Enquiries wore made yesterday by a ‘'Press” reporter regading the statement telegraphed from Wellington that in all probability the dependents of the crow of the missing dredge Manchester will find themselves in a peculiarly unfortunate position, for they may not bo able to claim any compensation at all in respect to the loss of their breadwinners. -The reporter was informed that legal difficulties have been anticipated by an adviser of one of the widows in Lyttelton. There seems, however, to be a possibility that legal prcccclings may not bo found necessary in regard, to the question of claims for compensation. One gentleman stated that he had received private information from Sydney which wont to show that the Sydney Harbour Trust, which purchased the -dredge-Manchester, from the Lyttelton Harbour .Board, was. taking steps to have each individual caso investigated, .with a view to the payment of compensation, and that when the Commissioners settled matters, tncy would deal with each case in a ■ fair and ■ liberal manner. Correspondence on the matter had been passing between Lyttelton and Sydney, and it was understood that tho Crown Prosecutor of Now South Wales had written for particulars of cadi case.

Captain J .A. H. Marcicl, Superintendent of tho Merchantilo Marine at Lyttelton, on tho 17th inst., received the following cable from Sydney: —“Please send first mail fullest available .particulars crew Dredge Manchester—Harbour Trust.” Captain Marcicl stated that ho had been at considerable pains to gather every scrap of available information regarding tho individual members of tho crew, and had forwarded a full report to Sydney tin's week. He had secured the home addresses of all the men, with tho exception of the four following:—o. Anguslin, A. 13. (last ship Taniwen); P. Prophet, A. 13. (last ship schooner Amelia Sims); H. O’Niell, fireman (last ship Petonc) ; aud W. Wallace cook (last ship s.s. Storm) and believed to have a wife in Sydney) ; and he would 1)0 glad to receive any further information respecting these men.

When the members of the crow signed articles, the majority gave their homo addresses, but .the others merely th onamc of the boarding houses they had boon . staying ,at in Lyttelton. Tho Seamonls Union had taken matters in hand from the beginning, and tho . particulars. of each member of the crow had -been -sent to the Secretary of -tho Auckland branch of tho Union.

While it was agreed that .the legal position was substantially as -outlined by Mr. W. T. Young, secretary of the Federated Seamen’s Union, it was claimed that he was not quite, correct in stating that The craw “.with one or two exceptions, were residents of Now Zealand, and most of them had their families living here.” The reporter was informed that tho majority of the members of the crew did not belong to Now Zealand. A great numbsr of them had come from Groat Britain, several being men who had worked their passages out.from Glasgow in the Lyttelton Harbour Board’s now dredge Canterbury.