THE WIMMERA INQUIRY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 272, 6 August 1918, Page 5

THE WIMMERA INQUIRY

EVIDENCE A3 TO INSTRUCTIONS TO THE CAPTAIN. By Tolegraph— Prces Association. Auckland, August 5. The Wimmera inquiry was continued to-day. Mr. M'Veagh objected to the Court accepting expert evidence by Captain Hall-Thompson on seamanship anil navigation while the Court was ..ssisted by nautical assessors. Tito Court reserved this point. Cecil Jones, goncral manager for tho Euddart-P.arker Company, gavo evidence that ho had never received any instructions from the Admiralty as to tho trade routes of vessols. So far as ha was aware no shore representative of tho company in New Zealand had received any such instructij.is. Nothing would have been gained if the Wimmera bad arrived at Sydney on Saturday afternoon or evening. As far as ho knew no instructions woro over issued to skippers to tako short cuts to save time. Tho general instructions wero that the eafoty of tho ship was more important than tho timo-tablo, Mr. Blomfield asked that Ibo logs of ■various vessels should be oxaniined by the Court to ascertain whether tho course adopted by other shipmasters was similar to that taken by tho Wimmera. Mr. Alexander objected. Air. Blomfiold had made a statement that other ships trading between Auckland ;iml Sydney had tukou the same course as Captain Koll. There was not proof of this, and it was not right to create that impression. Tho inquiry was adjourned till September 2 to secure affidavits from Sydney as to the instructions issued to Captain Koll, and, if necessary, the evidence of Lieutenant-Commander Kiely, in charge o£ the minesweepers,