SAFETY AT SEA

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 68, 17 September 1930, Page 13

SAFETY AT SEA

WIRELESS IN LIFEBOATS

EXAMPLE OF THE TAHITI

Pointing out that one of the lifeboats of the ill-fated Tahiti was equipped -with a wireless installation, Mr. P. Fraser (Labour, -Wellington Central) and other.members of the Houso of Representatives suggested when the Marine Department's Estimates were under consideration last night that similar plant should be required to be fitted to all lifeboats. Mr. Fraser asked the Minister or Marine whether his conservative department had taken note of the fact I that, despite the House being informed year after year that it was not possible to equip small boats with proper wireless equipment, one of the Tahiti s lifeboats had been so fitted. He declared that the Department had had to bo almost dragooned ■ into passing the present regulations governing wireless on small ships, and that it only came up to scratch when the Ripple disaster occurred. The Minister _of Marine had scouted the suggestion, when it had been raised in the House in years gone by, that it. was possible for small boats to have wireless equipment-. Mr. Fraser asked whether the time had not arrived when such equipment should be put. into the boats of every ship entering and leaving New j Zealand ports. Support of this request was forthcoming from Mr. E. J. Howard (Labour, Christehurch South), who. said that again and .again members had j fought for that principle. . . I The Minister of Marine (the Hon. I J. B. Donald) said that he understood | New Zealand was far ahead of any j other country in. the matter of the installation, of wireless on ships.. , Mr. Howard: "Not on your life." _ .| Mr. Donald agreed that most if j not all steamers should be equipped | with wireless. He had noticed that j one of the Tahiti's lifeboats had been j equipped, and he would certainly give; the matter close attention. | Mr. A. M. Samuel (Reform, Thames): "Don't yon think every big steamer should have a power-driven . lifeboat?" "That certainly wonld be ii Tery | good idea," said Mr. Donald. j THE SAME OLD REPLY. | "I had hopes that the present Mm- j ister would be a progressive Minis- j tor," said Mr. Fraser, "and that under his administration the Department would become more progressive and businesslike, but I am disappointed on both grounds. We have had the same answer from' him as we had in 1920 about wireless on ships. We were told then that we were- the foremost country in the world. Apparently the Department went to sleep in 1925, and has not wakened up yet. I want to know if this is a criterion of the De-partments-enterprise, or has it learned nothing about the advance of wireless since 1925? The regulations have not been improved ' upon since they were brought in. It may have been true that at that time we were in adr vance of anything in force in any other country, but' we have got tired of receiving such an answer.-"