DANGER!

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2858, 24 August 1916, Page 6

DANGER!

£•:' EXPLOSIVES IN'THE HARBOUR .... HARBOUR BOARD TAKES ACTION "v ;: .; 'At the meeting-''of the 'Wellington >' Harbour Board last evening Mr. W. ', .Hildreth. raised a question which led ,;.,',to a very lively discussion on the risk .';/.'.Wellington was taking in allowing a .vessel with a large quantity of cx- ■ , .plosives on board, all for another rtl.colonj'j to „work this port. He drew •v : attention to the presence.• in port of 'B'the steamer Cacique, .which had on t.: boaid some 800. to 900 tons of Ameri- ' can explosives, the whole of which were ;';: consigned to Sydney. .Theso oxploQ', sives were being kept oh board whilst, the, cargo for .Wellington was being' ..lightered. In his opinion, tho steamer, should have gone on to Sydney /.first and unloaded her'explosives heforo coming to Wellington. He also pointed out that the margin of safety, in the case of American ■ explosives was ; .'less than it was with British explb- .'.■.-■ sives.. ,'".'■ ;;' ;~" ■;' Mr. R. Fletcher said thai the point ;): '.Mr. Hildreth had raised, was a very -important This steamer had between 800 and 900 tons of explosives, •■':■:.:'whioh were more dangerous than tho ;.' British article. Why had she not :• gone on.to Sydney?. If there were V no regulations to. meet the case, and ■ ; . ; he knew of none, then:tho sooner they '•-.'• made them the better for the safety :;':.v of the port. Sho'.' had enough explo- ■> ; sives on board to blow Wellington to ...jpiecesf And tho point was that they had nothing to do with New Zealand >~ at all—they wero all for Sydney. A member: "She should not ho al- ,' lowed to come alongside."- , Mr. Fletcher: "That is all right. ;'V -.She's not coming alongside, /She's ■-•lying out in tho middle of the har- \ ■■''■•: boiir." ..'■'■ ' ''v '.•;.:•;..Mr. Hildreth: "Is she paying any ;':'...ohargos?" '.-.■ ; ':.'.: The secretary (Mr. H. E. Nicholls): -.;, '"She is paying lightering, and the or•dinar? port charges. The cargo for ■\ "';New 'Zealand is being lightered. The remain'on board." Mr. H. Nathan said it was quite, /.enough when they had. to take \ their :' ; own. risks on explosives landing for \>'i New Zealand, without taking a risk ;' on explosives for other countries. The •'.Cacique had over, 800 tons of high ex- ■:: plosives, and all know what happened .. v In '■■ Neiy York tho other day. He '•' ihougbt the board should frame a by- ';'.': law to deal, with'such cases in tho' :■, future: ':, . Mr. M. Cohen said, he would movo V'v'that the board consult its solicitor at ;■'■;-imce with u. view to framing a regula- ' tion for the protection of the port from ■' similar occurrences to tnose mentioned. ■■■' ..Mr. Nathan;said that; they had no' -''.'power- to prevent a stoamer'coming : • into'' port, but'they .had the. power '.to ]'■;■; make charges that would prohibit such .:'.., vessels putting into Wellington. ';■:'•.;'.'.:Mr;• Cohen said.if a vessel were per-, '- . 'nutted to como, she should be:confined x. to such limits that would ensure that ■no damage was done to anything hut ■ theyshJD herself. The case was en.'.'Vkirely difforent when. tho explosives '-.T-Avere for the development of the coun'.'•try or for defence,purposes. : ,••'•. .'.'■; The chairman agreed that such risks not be taken when the.,stuff <:,■ was' for a port ..beyond the Dominion. "•'■,;•■■ Mr.. Fletcher: This board has no ';.{.: Hght to, take-any risk with, explosives .'•■.".'-not intended for.the Dominion. If any- " ;thing (happened the whole place would ; be blown to. pieces. ;■'. It. was unanimously . agreed that a , 'i regulation be at once, prepared to meat ;,; such - risks as were.. presented in ■ the ,-jjcase. of.the Cacique. .;•-./ ■;•;,: /Later on. in the Mr,. Cohen >'■■; asked if-it were : not possible to have •;':•'■; the Cacique removed to a safer place ■';': 'than at- present. ; They had been told that she was lying in a position equidistant from Wellington and Somes'.ls- : ■ land: Would it not be better if sho nearer tho island. . , A member: And blow up the Germans. . (Laughter.) ■.-. ' The secretary stated that the Harbourmaster had-placed the vessel in . what 'he considered to .be the safest position in the harbour.. He had also . examined the vessel, her cargo, and the ... magazine./