To the Editor of the "Norra-Caiva Dairy News."
Sir,—Regarding further correspondence on the above subject in the columns of your esteemed paper, I notice irregular statements made under the "Nom de plume" W. H. C., which if not corrected may prove misleading to your readers; therefore I take the opportunity of correcting them and hope you will insert this letter, The present 'Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea'? were devised at the Washington Conference 1889 and after several years occupied by discussions and notes passing between the Maritime Powers concerned, were formulated and promulgated in 1897, with the exception of Rule 9 which took considerably more time to formulate owing to the many different practices and different countries interested. in the fishing business and finally vame into force in 1006.
When I was a cadet, my father (who took great interest in my technical education) told me that in 1848 when masthead and sidelights were first introduced on steam-ships there was a great deal of objection amongst some seamen (of, I presume, the same stamp as W.H.C.) against the introduction of these lights and all kinds of complications and disasters were predicted; he also told me the old story of the "chemist shop" which W.H.O. has resurrected.
can assure W.H.C. that Article 5 was subjected to the same close scrutiny as every other of the old Articles of 1862, 3, 4 and 74; hundreds of witnesses from all parts of the world were examined and every consideration was given to evidence pro and con on all matters that affected the safety of lives and property on the navigable waters of the universe.
W.H.C. makes his own interpretation re Article 2 where it reads "that these lights are to be constructed so as to show an unbroken light over an are of the horizon of 10 points."
Now illuminants are not constructed, but you do construct the lantern which contains the illuminant—quibbling over the interpretation of phrases and private interpretation is a waste of time. As the Judges of the Higher Courts of England and the United States of America have decided "construction in Art. 2 refers to the lantern, this is common sense, and I refer W.H.C. to Article XI in this respect.
T think W.H.C., iff he still commands tug-boats, must be careful in future, as the commander of the governing power is responsible that his tows show their proper lights. The Merchant Shipping Act makes it a misdemeanour to commit a breach of the "International Regulations" even if no collision occurs and there is no loss of life or property; and the Merchant Shipping Act Sec. 6§0-702 says a.misdemeanour under the Act is punishable by fine or imprison.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.