THE ‘ARGUS’ ON THE SURAT AFFAIR.

Evening Star, Issue 3421, 7 February 1874, Page 3

THE ‘ARGUS’ ON THE SURAT AFFAIR.

It is satisfactory to find that all gentlemen whose duty it is to inquire into the cause of wrecks, and pronounce opinions on the culpability or blamelessness of those by whom they are brought about, are not impressed with an idea that a six or twelve months’ suspension of certificate is a sufficient punishment for masters or mates who throw away vessels, and endanger lives by their carelessness or bad behaviour. The magistrates who sat with a nautical assessor in Dunedin to ascertain the causes which led to the loss of the Surat, are evidently men who arc not possessed by a maudlin sympathy with crime—and culpable negligence exhibited by those who have the lives and property of others in their charge is neither more nor less—for they have cancelled two certificates, and suspended a third, pour encourayer les centres. And who that reads the account of the investigation can say that they have acted otherwise than properly 1 Nothing could possibly have been worse than the conduct of the officers of this unfortunate vessel. It was proved that the captain failed to provide himself with proper charts of the coast of New Zealand, although he had never been there before; that when he made.the land at nightfall, he took no steps to determine his position aeeurateljq not even consulting a work called the ‘New Zealand Pilot,’ which he had on board; that after the ship struck and was found to be making water rapidly, no attemps were made to lessen the leak, and that although he had a large number of passengers on board, he allowed the steamer Wanganui, whose services could easily have been secured, to pass by, notwithstanding that the water in the hold had risen to Bft. Not content with these few trifling sins of omission and commission, immediately the vessel struck the gallant captain and his two principal mates incapacitated themselves for the performance of their duties by getting drunk. But although they could do nothing, the master was kind enough to intimate that he would shoot the first passenger who tried to help himself and his fellow-voyagers. We ask, would it not have been a sin to return his certificate to such a man, even after tho lapse of years] Can any one say that an individual like this is fit to command a ship, even though the life of a cat was all that depended on his care, skill, and sobriety ? It is true no lives were lost on this occasion, hut it is said that the immigrants on board have lost their all, and it is certain that a line vessel has been needlessly thrown away. We are afraid, however, that had the Surat been wrecked on our coast, one, or at most two years’ retirement from his profession would have been thought sufficient to purge tho commander’s offence. Lii ok by, we were spared this trial of ai\r patience. The Otago magistrates have done their duty; it now remains for the Government of New Zealand to do its, by putting these misdemeanants on their trial.