NAUTICAL INQUIRY

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 285, 22 February 1928, Page 2

NAUTICAL INQUIRY

INCIDENT IN COOK STRAIT MAUNGANUI AND TAMAHINE (From Our Resident Reporter .) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. ! The recent nautical incident in Cook Strait, in which the Maunganui is reported to have crossed the bows of the Tamahine, is to be the subject of a public inquiry, which has been ordered by the Minister of Marine, the Hon. G. J J. Anderson. The inquiry will be held before a magistrate. As both vessels will be in port on Wednesday, February 29. it has been ararnged to hold the inquiry on that day. It will be conducted by Mr. XV. G. Riddell, S.M. When the incident was brought under the notice of the Marine Department reports were called for from the two shipmasters concerned, that from the master of the Maunganui being re- { eeived on his return to XX'ellington last , Saturday. The reports, together wi ll ! , that of the nautical adviser to the I Government, were considered by the | Minister of Marine. No nautical asses- | sors have been appointed in this case as is customary where an inquiry is to be held into an actual shipping casualty. The action taken by the Marine De- I partment is independent of any inquiry held by the Union Steam Ship Com- ! pany, which, after investigating the ! matter, decided that breaches of its rules had been committed by the masters of the Maunganui and Tamahine, i who were relieved of their commands i and are to be appointed to ships ! of the company’s fleet.