DUTIES OF HARBORMASTER.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 2, Issue 193, 24 May 1878, Page 2

DUTIES OF HARBORMASTER.

To the Editor, of the AkaroaMail. Sir, — Through the iaecliutn of your columns I should like to know what tjge the duties of the Harbormaster, iappointed here, as- instanced in the late case of the XXX. We might as well be without one. The facts of the case are simply these :— A letter ia sent in from Mr Black, who is superintending the lighthouse works, to the Harbormaster, informing him that there is a vessel lying between tho Heads with her mainmast gone, and evidently in distress. The owners of the steam launch, on hearing this, get up, and. are prepared to go down to render assistance. TJje Harbormaster is asked if lie will engage the steamer or guarantee her,expenses on behalf of the Government,, and replies— no, he will not do anything of the kind, but informs the owners of the-steamer thfct they can claim, salvage ,riot bother himself any m.ore about it, but retires home. . If that vessel had sprung a leak and .foundered with all hand's daring the night, who wdul.d have been to blame? If in one port the Government are justified in sending a large-steamer out to look for a vessel reported bottom up, (the Clematis), why should not their representative here be empowered to employ at a small cost a vessel to render assistance in cases of distress.. It clearly shows that the Harbormaster stationed here should.be a nautical man, and should have engaged a. crew aiM proceeded in person in the so-called Government life-boat. As , it is at present, the vessel has managed to reach Akaroa after riding out the gale for twoi days, and the thanks of the public are due to MessW Wight and Bruce fordoing their best to render assistance, and that we ehould not allow them to be ont of pocket over it, I, for oue, will only be too glad to give something towards paying them for their time.

Yours, &c, ■ AKAROA.