CO129-487 - Others & Individuals - 1924 — Page 10

2.

end of Formosa;

a cable here.

and the necessary details taken for the layi ng

During the six weeks we were engaged in this rotk

I made it my business (and I may mention it was part of my duty)

to thoroughly examine the suctions to the pumps and all.the

pumping arrangements, when to my horror and amazement I discover-

edthey had all been deliberately concreted up, thus makin. it

i possible to pump out any compartment should necessity arise.

I immediately reported the matter to the Captain, and

begged him to accompany me below to see the state of affairs;

but this he declined to do, and declared it was no business of

mine.

On the completion of the survey of the channel we

proceeded to Hong Kong, prior to going to Guam, Midway Island

and Honolulu and San Francisco which was to be our headquarters.

At Hong Kong I persisted a Board of Trade examination and sur-

vey should be held, and the Captain refusing, and endeavouring

to prevent it I took the matter to the 'arine Court being legally

represented. The Captain, who was not legally represented,

asked for a weeks adjournment so that he might be; which was

granted by the newly appointed Herbour Master, Retd. Captain

Barnes Lawrence, R.N.. At the Hearing a week later, when the

Captain was represented by the senior member of the Firm of

which my representative was the junior member, I was fined the

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