HELM ORDERS

Hokitika Guardian, 6 August 1931, Page 7

HELM ORDERS

THE DIRECT METHOD

EARL JELL ICO E’S SUPPORT.

LOADOX, June 25

Clause 29 of the Merchant Shipping and Load Line Conventions) Bill seeks to establish the direct method of giving helm orders. When the Bill was being discussed in the House of Lords last, week the Earl of Lnchcape moved the omission of the clause' and ‘Earl Jelliroe spoke in favour of the proposed change. Lord ilnchcape said that the present British helm orders had been the rule for many years and our captains and officers had been brought up on them. If the rule was altered accidents would happen and officers who joined hereafter would know one rule, while those at present serving would have to forget what they had learned. It was not unreasonable to ask that, so far as British ships were concerned, the old helm orders should be allowed to stand. A petition had been signed by the 8599 captains, officers, and pilots in the merchant service against the proposed change. In the course of his own business, he was constantly coming into touch with his captains and officers, and he had not heard one of them express himself in favour of a change in helm orders. There had been no real call for the change, except from ono or two small foreign shipping countries.

DESTROY THE CONVETION. Lord 'Ponsonby, Chancellor of "the Duchy of Lancaster, said that the overriding consideration in this matter, ( apart from the particular merits, was that the omission of the clause would frustrate the efforts of a great malty years and would bring the Convention down. We could not afford to allow the Convention to Be broken at the last moment. A reservation on our part would mean that we should have to try to reopen the conference and to get the consent of other nations to it, which we should assuredly fail to do. We should also have to allow other nations to have their reservations. The result would be chaos‘and no Convention whatever would be concluded. The of the clause and our refusal to alter our present helm orders would be an announcement to the world that Great [Britain was not ready to come into an International Convention lor the Safety of Life at Sea. That would be a Very grave charge to have made against us. He had sufficient confidence in the skill and ability of British seamen to believe that a change such as this would be made by them with the greatest ease and alacrity. The amendment would not only destroy the Bill, but, what was much tnore, important,. ,wo,uld,.destroy,the Convention.

Lord Atkin said that the Government had not appreciated the case that had been made. The most overriding consideration was that they should not imperil the lives of officers, men, and passengers who went in British ships, A petition had been signed by 8500 navigating officers -stating that their lives would bo imperilled and that was not a matter that could be ignored. It must be met, and it was not met by a landsman standing up and saying that he did not think there was that danger. As to whether the amendment would destroy the Convention, ratification with reservations had not been uncommon. PRECAUTIONS IN THE NAVY.

Lord Jellicoe said that when ill command of a ship he had on more than one occasion seen a helm put the wrong way under the present system. He felt convinced that when the proposed new system had been in use a short time it would be asked why on earth we had not adopted it years ago. The present system was obviously qu.te a wrong method of giving orders. Its dangers so impressed him that, when in the Navy they took to conning their ships from the top of the standard compass platform out of sight of the wheel, he insisted on having a hole cut in the platform, so that the officer giving the order to he helmsman could see that 'he was putting the helm the way -ft was wanted. When he was responsible for the fitting up of all ships under contract he issisted on that hole being cut. It was only a question, when the change was made, of similar precautions being taken; if •the officer saw that the helm was put the way he meant it to be put, he would be making certain that no accidents would occur. All an officer had to do, when lie wanted the sh'p’s head to go’ to the right, was to say “Right” or “Starboard.” If the officers diu not get into the new system in a week he would be very much surprised. The officers of the Mercantile Marine were second to none in the world, and ii other nations could adopt th;s change without danger most certainly our officers could do the same. (Hear, hrar.) Anybody who had had experience of what these! officers did in the late war in the convoy system, in keeping close station at night without liehts, would agree that it was absurd to imagine that they could not adopt such a change without endangering life and limb. He, therefore, strongly urged their Lordships to support the clause. (Hear, hear). The Marquess of Reading also appealed to the'r Lordships not to delete the clause.

The amendment was negatived, and IClause 29 was ord.red to stand part of the Bill.

The Committee stage was concluded and the Bill, with some drafting amendment, was reported to the ■House.