OVERLOADING OF VESSELS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4507, 31 August 1875, Page 2

OVERLOADING OF VESSELS.

]Mr. It. M. Forster moved an adjournment in the New South Wales Parliament in order to call attention to the following paragraph in the Sydney Morning Herald “ The steamship Fashy took her departure from this port on the 29th instant, hound for Wellington, New Zealand. She had on board 697 tons coal, 2581 bags sugar, 446 cases fruit, 112 bags maize, and sundries ; bat in addition she carried three tiers of iroubark logs on her foredeck, and also twelve passengers. She cleared the Sydney Heads at 7 a-m., and with a westerly wind, barometer 29’60. As the vessel proceeded to the eastward the wind hauled to the S.W., and the sea got up to such an extent that the ship took in large quantities of water, washing away all the fruit stowed on the fore-hatch, starting the engineroom hatch and completely smashing up the covering of the steering gear: in fact, the ship was like a half-tide rock, the waves making clean breaches rldit over her, everything movable on deck being swept away. At noon the ship was hove to with her head to the southward, but as the sea still increased, Captain Kennedy deemed it prudent to bear up for this port again, and he had to use much caution to get her into this port, by heading the vessel to the sea in the height of the squalls, the ship making such bad weather from the fact of her being overloaded and helpless. She made the land next day off Wollongong, and with considerable list to starboard, finally arrived alongside the Cosmopolitan Wharf.” He did not know whether there was any person in the employ of the Government to see that vessels leaving the port were not overloaded, but this was a case which ought to be inquired into. It was not the first time that he had heard of ships going to sea in an unseaworthy state, and it was necessary that something should be done to remedy such a state of things. The law was very stringent against seamen, who, for trivial offences, were punished, in some cases, far more severely than prisoners at the Quarter Sessions ; and that being so, it was necessary that the Government should make strict investigation into cases of this kind, and hot allow men’s lives to be hazarded through the cupidity of owners of vessels or others. He thought the matter was of such serious moment that he was justified in bringing it under the notice of the House and the Government. Mr. W. Forster seconded the motion. He thought the House and the Government were obliged to the hon. member for having brought this case under their notice. He had not before been made acquainted with it,' but he promised that it should be fully inquired into. The matter would have to be inquired into by the Marine Board, and it was to some extent beyond the control of the Government, who could not, therefore, promise the same sort of remedy that might be promised if a Board of this kind were not in existence. He did not say this as implying anything wrong in the Marine Board, because it was possible that a full explanation would be given; but if the Marine Board made an explanation, he did not see that the Government could go any further, whether such an explanation were satisfactory or not. He hardly thought his hon. friend was justified in making such a general- charge against magistrates as that they dealt with seamen with too great severity, and perhaps the hon, member would see fit to reconsider what he had said before he allowed it to have the general affirmation which it seemed to have. Mr. Cameron said it was not an uncommon practice for steam vessels to leave this port overloaded. When the late Mr. Dalgleish was Marine Surveyor he frequently prevented vessels from going to sea in an unfit condition, but since his death a proper supervision had not been exercised. He hoped the Government during the ensuing session would see fit to propose some amendment of the Navigation Act. ° Mr. Phelps complained of the carelessness shown by the drivers of vehicles when passing street corners, and mentioned that he had narrowly escaped an accident through such carelessness. Mr. Phelps, in explanation, said the loading of barges on the Murray was regulated by the insurance companies. Mr. R. M. Forster, in reply, said he was quite sure the Colonial Treasurer would carry out the statement he had made, and he had every confidence that the Marine Board would investigate the matter fairly, and if they had not the power to deal with it, he thought the necessity for an alteration in the law would be apparent. With reference to the severity of the sentences passed on seamen at the Water Police Court, he had not made notes of the cases that had come under his observation, but he could instance one case of some men who resisted the attempt of the captain to compel them to eat rations totally unfit for human food, and who, on arriving in port, were convicted and sent to gaol. The matter he had brought under the notice of the House was a very serious one, involving life and death. He was satisfied that a proper investigation would take place, and therefore he would leave it in the hands of the Government.