THE KAIPARA INQUIRY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 741, 14 February 1910, Page 4

THE KAIPARA INQUIRY.

The finding of the; Nautical. Oourt' of Inquiry; , '.which sat' to investigate the;,causes, of the ao'eideht. to the , ' .stearher- . Kaipara ■ when . leaving, Auckland -Harbour,-has completely exonerated the ; : captain and officers from all 'blame. It has also .made it perfectly.: clear, that .in- the" Court's .opinion .the , . Auckland■••''; Harbour Board jhas-not .shown that''proper, regard .for; : its, responsibilities v.thaji' should bo'expected of.it. Those who have 1 read the report of the proceeds ings.iat the; inquiry will probably, concur; with;.;both findings. The, Court .laid ..down. , '. very, dearly, its viewsi of •■ the ohligation ■ resting ■; on; the Harbour. Board as. to; the; infor-; mation.which it' should;make.availablo' to masters.-of 'vessels trading to th^'port..;•/:;;..,, : , : . ; ./. : '; : : f'r ■;.:'..'

■ The Court suggests, so 'the finding rani' that it is oneiof the first duties—probably .the .most. important duty—of! every hai-/ bourmaster '.entrusted with the management. and control of .a! harbqiir,; under, and ,, -subject ;to, the ■provisions'-of the, :Harbours Act, 1 1900,'to;oause.a thorough and; reliable .survey,'to; be'.'made of ..the' principal or Channels within the, harbour' limits, and leading to the v wharves/ 'docks, etc., along which waterways : or /channels shipowners : are, invited or entitled'to send their ships, arid that masters;;of '.vessels 6hduld be ! furnished with accurate and reliable charts. (containing, the best, up-to-date-information 1 that can be procured as to;' , depth '■': of water/ , .'hidden.', dangers' lurking ■ in , the fairways,.-,position :of.'lights;.• and .'buoys,' and such other.;, useful : l and. necessary m-, formation);.so that .theyVmay be able to .iuivigdt'e their vesselsvin'and, put of port with confidence ■ and.; safety. .; ;:..-.; -;.;.'

: That this .'plain and obvious duty was not fully attended to may not have, been; the ■ fault; of, the harbqurniaster,.' but the evidence ■'. made !'it very clear that, the Admiralty chart, was misleading, as to the depth'of 'water in the .vicinity of .the spot I where the accident'; occurred, /and, to,quote the-finding,' "that;in ,re-; gard' to the; matter of the"; survey of. the Auckland Harbour masterly in-, activity; and > supirieness ;scem' to 'be' the prominent enaracteristics' of the. conduct of the Board." This, ho' doubt, is', very strong language, but when .the : circumstances, : are taken 1 into . consideration, thoy., call for plain speaking. How far the blame. is to be apportioned between the Board and its officials may be open: to question,, but ■ there can ;be (-no doubt that the state of things disclosed . warrants '.severe strictures., Auckland , has; a magnificent har-' bour, it has always taken a proper, prido in its possession, and it is .the raoro surprising, therefore, to learn of the failure disclosed in a direc-. tion so vital. Wo have heard a; good doal of lato of tho dangers to navigation arising out ;of tho; inadequate survey of the -waters around the New , Zealand coast, 'and •' it' isgonerally recognised that nothing but the very heavy cost involved justifies delay in carrying, out a complete survey, There is no excuse, howovor, for neglect in connection with survoys the waterways -or channels within harbour limits .of the priooipal ports of the Dominion.