LOSS OF THE QUIRAING.

Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 534, 30 September 1902, Page 4

LOSS OF THE QUIRAING.

(To the Editor of the Times ) Sir,—The Marino Court in Sydney has come to u decision inquiring into the missing of the Quiraing. This decision i 3 briefly as follows: “The Quiraing . . . though a wet ship, and did not steer well, was seaworthy in all respects at the time of her departure.” I cannot allow this finding to pass without some comment. The Judge added “ that the Court eould not disregard the statements of engineers and others in favor of the wild statements made, some of which were palpably false.” I would line to call public attention to an episode that occurred in the Auckland Harbor but recently. The Balmain, which, by-the bye, is two years younger than the Quiraing, was cleared and ready to proceed to sea. This vessel was passed in Sydney as being seaworthy and sound ; yet on an inspection arising out of the demands of the crew it was discovered she was mo=t “ emphatically ” uiisoaworthy, according to our inspector’s report. Now had the Balmain gone to sea and never reappeared, could the testimony of the seaman who knew her he called “ wild statements, some of which were palpably false.” If the Balmain on a dirty night had been struck aft by a heavy sea, and suddenly plunged into tho vast sepulchre of tho deep, who would have credited the seaman who stated that he lmd known a portion of her hull to be nothing but laminated rust. A .Judge would have listened to the evidence in a cold, formal way, and discredited as “ wild statements, some of which were palpably false," tho only evidence that was reliable. Tho court, in all its unwisdom, would have arrived at precisely the same conclusion as was the case in tho Quiraing. As a matter of fact, only last April two of the crew wanted to leave the Quiraing in Auckland, and told me they did not think her seaworthy. One of the men fortunately left hor as soon as the vessel arrived at tho other side, and came back to Auckland, and is here now.

It would appear from tho decision of the court that after the rats have deserted a vessel, and owners find it a difficult matter to get men to ship, seaman must not make disparaging statements about her unseaworthiness, but us these sudden disappearances are becoming too frequent, common sense and common humanity would suggest that the examination of vessels on the Australian coast is very remiss. As things are there at present it would appear that seamen only too frequently have to embark on “ coffin ships,” that carry them to watery graves. Is this an age of humanity or what ? Has ail respect for human life been completely obliterated in tho mad rush of competition for wealth ? Tho casual reader will peruse this finding carelessly as an item of news ; but, to the practical man, who goes to sou, and their wives and little ones, it will road as a kneil that if the present negligent surveys in Australia continue will too surely toll for the loss of those who win the bread. I trust that the legislators of Australia and other countries will take the most stringent measures to abolish henceforward that dread of “ shellbacks,” the “ coffin ship.”—l am, etc.,

J. K. Knkex. Secretary Seamen’s Union, Aucklaud,

A MESSAGE TO MELBA

Aii (Australian poet of sportive tendencies writes : We'll admit you are a dnger, Madame Melba. Though you arc not the only warbler we have had ; You may he the greatest singer, Madame Melba, But we’ve had some others not too jolly bad. Though.yoiir interviews read chatty, Madame Melba, Like the interviews witli Patti, Lind and Co., Still the dicken yarn about the “ birdie .singjiig ” Wii/i an ancient chestnut sixty years ago !

it’s a yarn they used to tell of Pharaoh’s daughter, I low the people thought her singing was a bird, And when Cleopatra sang the people thought her Quite tlie most delightful crow they ever heard. But there are no singing birds in old Australia, Except Hie laughing-jackass and the : crow, And it seems to me comparisons are odious, if even they’re original, you know i

All the same, we have to thank you, Madame Melba, And perhaps the poor reporter does Iris best ; And he can't he wrong to rank you, Mad.-une Melba, With the Pattjs, and the Linds, and all the rest. But the garden stull about the child win listened, And who thought the lovely singer was a bird, Was extremely old when Abraham was christened, And when told of us is obviously absurd.

I don’t niiiul about a fairly ancient story, If it’s told in cither pungent prose or rhymes ; But I feci inclined to utter something gory \\hei_. I read the same old gag a thousand times. And you don't'require this stupid nonsense. -Madame, It’s ridiculous in every hind of way ; What's the good of stories twice as dui Af, am To prove you are the champion' ‘ your day ?

All that is necessary to make the Public "Works Statement thoroughly acceptable to the people is unlimited Faith, Indeed, as it is, Faith has necssarily become an important clement in our political creed. In this matter of future railway works expenditure, it is essential. Probably, if wo can amend the scriptural maxim to read " Sir Joseph will provide,” and, folding our hands, rest easy in our minds, all may yet be well. But when the elections are over and the Government are once more secure on the Treasury Benches, it is to he hoped thut we may not wake up and find that we have got “ Faith and not Works.”—Observer. Thanks to the bequest of Mine. Chassegros, at six points in Paris where the inclines are very steep a horse has been stationed in charge of a cartman. All cartmen coming up the steep with heavy loads who find themselves in need of aid may have the extra horse by paying ten centimes (two cents), or even nothing at all if the horses pulling the cart are in desperato need and their driver has no money, The cartmen who rent “ the hors., of the reinforcement.” as it is called, will be given a ticket, and the one who has thr greatest number of these at the end of the year will receive a reward. The society organised for this equine relief hopes to be able soon to station horses at other points.