[?' [?] [?] Of Watersiders

Chronicle (Levin), 4 August 1948, Page 3

[?' [?] [?] Of Watersiders

' AUCKLAND; August 3. The eonelusion of the Waterside £mployers' Assoeiation's case was in nght when the Tribunal ixiquiring into the Mountpark and Broompark disputes adjourned this afternoon. Mr. C. A. Hamer told the Tribunal that he uxpeeted .to finish by noon tomorrow. It is likely that Mr. G. G. G. Watson, for the Waterfront Industry Commissio'n, will then address the Tribunal. The major witness today was Captain J. M. Henderson, 'niaster of theBroompark. He said he-had been in the ship as inate and later as niaster, sinee she was'built in 1942, and had had no trouble over her hatehes in any of the 45 ports she had visited in various parts of tho world. Captain Henderson said that until the Broompark 's prcsent Auckland visit, there had never been any objection -to nianhandling her hatehes. In all his time. at sea .»he had never heard a word against this praeliee. Slinging was a morc dangerous nrethod. "Moving hatehes by hand is the only method I have ever seen uscd," said witness. "I have never seen an accident and I do not know why the inen did not earry on hcre. I do not think the hatehes aro too heavy. lt sceiiis fantastie that a crane or derrick should have to earry eaeh oue off individually. ' ' To Mr. T. P. Cleary, for the Cornmission, witness said the hatehes were a vulnerable part of a ship and a wcakness eould lead to aeeidents, even to the loss of a vessel at soa. This was reeognised as a . frequent eause of the loss of sliips. He eould recall four vessels lost with all liands in the North Atlantie, after sending messages that their hatehes were stove in. As a sliipmaster -he wo.uld' not lightly agree to any material alteration in his hatehes. To Mr. Barnes witness said moving hatehes by hand was the most ecpnotnieal method from the viewpoint ot stevedoring. Time lost moving them by sling was elumsy and uneeonomieal. "Asked if he agreed that a large proportion of aeeidents to workcrs were eaused through faultv hatehes, witness said he had never been in a ship with faulty hatehes and had never seen an aeeident as the result of oue. "Plaees like Auckland would impose their wavs on the whole world," said witness wlien asked by Mr. Barnes to eomment 011 the Marine Department's proposals to introduee slab hatehes. " Companies regularly running between here and Britain may find* them suitable but wliy should an oeeasional visitor to Auekland be penaiised just for thosc ships? As I do not approve of slab- hatehes on my own ship, I suggest you approaeh the

Sliipowners' Associatiohs of the maritiiiie nations." : Witness added, under fnrther .crossexamination, that he had not seen a ship with slab hatehes but he1 eould visualise them. -