FIRE ON WOOL SHIPS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8150, 6 July 1906, Page 2

FIRE ON WOOL SHIPS.

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110 YAL COMMISSION TO BE APPOINTED. WITH VIEW TO ACTION AGAINST SHIPPERS. PEE FfiKSS ASSOCIATION. W ELLINGTON, July 5. Questioned this cyening by a NewZealand " Times" reporter as to what the Gorernment proposed to do regarding fires on wool ships, the Premier, Mr Hall-Jones, pointed out that in the " Shipping and Seamen's Act, 1908," the Government had already made it a penal offence to ship wool, flax, tow or skins out of New Zealand "in sueh a condition from dampness or otherwise as to be liable to spontaneous combustion." The Premier said the seotion threw the onus on the shipper of seeing that the produce is shipped in proper condition. The difficulty was to get at! the person responsible for shipping the produce wet or damp—whether it wns the up-country wool scouring works, or the stations, or the agents in the town, who were responsible. It had been sug. gested that some produce might become damp while being put on board through slightly rainy weather, but as the wool was so closely pressed he had concluded that it was m the making up the bales that the trouble arose. They had an inquiry in 1901, when the Waimate caught fire in Napier Roadstead. It was then found that the fire broke out among the tlax. In 1902, the Jessie Osbo ne, lying at the Wellington wharf, caught Sre in the vicinity of the wool and flax, and there was not sufficient evidence to proye in which part the fire iriginated. Last year the Turakina iaught fire at Wellington wharf again itnong the wool and flax, and aguin il ivas not clear wkioh description of cargo the fire started in. No doubl I both classes of produce were dangeroui if shipped in a damp or wet condition ( It was a strange thing that we did not liear of so many cases of fire in thi | days when the produce went home ii sailing ships. Whether this was owin; ( to the great quantity now handled or to the more hasty way o 1 | preparing the produce for ship f inent, it was difficutt to say The first consideration was the safety of human Jlife; the second was thi mfety of the ship, her cargo and it: .|uality. Either wool or flax stored n a damp condition, whether through bat handling or otherwise, was an injur] to oversea trade.' Another questioi ' was how to meet the difficulty, and bi met it must. There seemed to be tw< ways. One was for the Underwriter: to arrange for inspection, as he believeii they did formerly. The other wa' ' was for the Government to appoint iD , spectors for the purpose Befor ' deciding the point, he would like I * have some further information, as ti where it is necessary to make the mos stringent inspection to assure tha t every precaution is taken to preven accidents. What he proposed to <l. was to submit to his colleagues his opinion that a Royal Commission should be set up to thoroughly inquire into tho whele matter. It might be e taken for granted that this would I e * done. a The section partially quoted above e goes on to say that every person who U ships such produce " commits a crime, i unless he proves that he took all reasonable means beforo shipping an' . wool, flax, tow, or skins to ascertau B whether they were in such a conditio! I as not to bo liable to spontaneous com , bustion." i e In reply to a question, the Premiei s said the Court would have to judg. who was the shipper, whether thi, shipper was the agent.at tho port who was actually engaged in sending the wool on to the ship, or the person to whom the wool belonged. Has a ease ever como before the [ Court ? asked the Pressman, r " No," answered the Premier. "My 3 object in holding an inquiry is to try . to sheet it home to some one, and if I ! could get sufficient evidence, 1 should not hositato to institute a prosecution against any person who caused damp woo) or flax to be shipped. The Courl will have to judge as to what is a reasonable means."