GANG OF THIEVES
Marlborough Express, Rōrahi LII, Putanga 78, 6 Paengawhāwhā 1918, Page 2
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GANG OF THIEVES
DEPREDATIONS TN RAILWAY
SERVICE.
1 MELBOURNE, March 22. Startling allegations regarding the extent of pillaging in the railway service, and the existence of an organised gang of thieves engaged in the depredations, were made by Mr "Wynne, ex-Minister for Railways, when speaking in the Legislative Assembly on the railway estimates. Mr "Wynne said that there was an oiganisod gang of thieves in the railway service, and they would have to be rooted out. These men were a great menace to honest railwaymen. Thieves would put stolen goods into an honest man's kit or locker, and thus bring suspicion upon him. When men could steal a truck of wool between Newmarket and Spencer , Street, worth £600, it showed a pretty state of affairs. There were men in the Railway Department who had been proved to bo thieves, yet they were kept on. During his term
of office as Attorney-General he came across the papers of one man who hadj been convicted of 8Q offences; theseincluded the receiving of stolen goods He damaged the property of , the Commissioners to the extent of several hundreds of pounds by his; gross carelessness. This very man at one time cleared out and left hisengine on the line, to the great danger of the rest of the traffic, yet he was kept on in the service. In* one case a man, who had several sonsat the war, was dismissed because hehad reached 60 years of age, whilst another man, who had been convicted of stealing, and was also over" 60 years of age, had been kept on. The Minister for Railways promised^ an investigation into the matter.
