The Press. TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 1903. THE ELINGAMITE ENQUIRY.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11486, 20 January 1903, Page 4

The Press. TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 1903. THE ELINGAMITE ENQUIRY.

The first though! vrlwh will strike tbe ■ ■ ■ ■ j .. public on reading the result of the Elingamito enquiry is that the sentence of tihe Court is very inadequate when compared with the gravity of the charges which they found to bo proved. They found Captain Attwood guilty of "grossly negligent navi- " gation" in driving at full speed through a fog, and in not taking soundings, and they also found him, guilty of a "grave error of "judgment" in allowing No. 1 boat to leave the ship, and particularly to leave it with only half the complement *be was able to carry. Ytt, they deemed it sufficient punishment for tihtse offences to suspend hie certificate for a year and to order him to pay £60 towards the costs of the enquiry. It is true that such a sentence carries with, it professional degradation, and that the subject of it will probably find it difficult to get another command when the jieriod for -which his certificate has been suspended has expired. Nevertheless, it cannot be forgotten that the "gross negligence' , of which the captain has been found guilty led to the loss of a steamer and of seven*: valuable live*. Had he been in charge of a horse and trap which had ran over a child with fatal results, and had a coroner's jury returned a verdict that lie had been gniity of "gross negligence,- lie would have bsen committed, for trial for manslaughter. We certaMy think that Captain Attwood may cowider himself very lightly dealt with. The same thing may be ssid o£tb» officers, who get tbsir cntiSeatw

retttrnedVaiUwugb the Court is of epiwoa that "their conduct was not ceasmmdaKe, "either in taundEng the boat* at E* taae "of the wreck, or in k*** ,l ? p»s««>«e ra M adrift on the raft" If 'tint <*J«* of these inquiries is to compel captains and officers t» exercise more care in the discharge of tbeir siuUe, the Qoxai mm* be prepared to inflict penaltiee proportioned to the gravity of the offences proved. This, we think, they have failed in this inetance to do.