THE GENEROUS SAILOR.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 111, 11 May 1915, Page 7

THE GENEROUS SAILOR.

WHAT HE GIVES AWAY. IS THE FOOD HIS OWN! A matter of nautical custom was involved ill a case before Mr. K. V. Krazer. S.M.. when a coloured man named Claremont Myers, a native of Jamaica, was charged that he two bottleii of pit-kfcs and about a pound of butter from the sjs. Victoria yesterday. Mycn* wae arrested by l'<in»tablc (.mirley at tlie wharf, whvn he w;>,~ i-.trr.vinß a sack in which lie vva*- rolleetinjr s<r:ip» for fowte. and in which the pickl<-s were fouml. Thomas Milne, chief hti-ward on Die B.». \ietoria. <-Ut<-d that the two uno|iened hottles of pickle* were of tire Wrand Htoi'ked in the ship, ami nobody on 1.0a.r,i had authority to f-'i\.- away any (if the titoriT l . To Mr. Lnndon: The ship's neraps were put in a cask ami given away hv arrangement. No was made with .lecutjcd. The men in the foVa-stle appointed ~ man to ris-i-ivc the sli>re*. and lie was given practically »hal he a»k<xl for. Wh.it was not v.-cd dy thy men wae .thrown away. His Wor-'np: D<> \.lll mean to say thi'.se fflloHs are jjiveii y.>"d hotter, and what is left over on the table '» thrown down? 1 doirt think they throw the butter away. Mr. l.undon: "lie I.ml- out astonishing Things when one pvt-< into t'acee eases. To Mr. McMilJloii: T'i.- lir.ineii (jot nine or ten iinttlr* of picklv* a week, hut if a fireman got several Ixittl.w <<f piekleo and AA not u.-e them, ihvv were not his to Rive ..way. They were jriven out for use mi I lie chip. Hi- Worwliip: It* Mir.l> 11 matter of common sense that the shipping company undertakes to feed thy ere«. lull not ti feed other people. Mr. l.imdon: I think we will be able to estahlii-h that the food 1- per scale, unl if the men are not ai.le to .'.it it they are .it iibi-rty to tfive il away. T'.ie witn.-r-o ,«tiU<-<l that thi- food served nut wile liberal, more than the Bcale. tl nh ruli- U-inp tli..t it should be Miflir'.iMit. without vviiete. The slnpV engineer stat.-d tliat Myers had nn authority to !■<■ on the i-liip yes ter.U>. l)ete.'ti\-c loiurlev ntitiil that fhortly after !> oVI -k >»t.-nU\ morilintf he ~nw Myi-w »it» a bay. nnd .l.allenged him concerninj! vviiat he had in it. Myore stilted that he had I.,w\* :<;<-<l. which he had pot off the Victoria. I'hv lag wan s.-arehed. and at the liott >m of it witness found, am.hi.' t'.ie senips. tivn bottles Jof p.ekle*. In \lv.-:~- po.K.-I nu nearly a pound of butter, and M\er» nai<i he h.id been given thive thiusrs by men <m Ixiard tlic ship Myers hud a poultry farm at '"rev l.ynn. alid had hecn a wharf labourer prim to the -tnkc. . .l.ihn MfKiniK.n. h seaman, who had i.een over :IO years at sea. staid that, it ttj* the invariable rule for the .-ail'T- to 'consider wb.it »a» left over from their aliouanee of food to boion<: t« them personally. and t.. it t.. people at the different port-, lie -aid he jtave Myers li,.' two bottle* ..f pickl.-s. one of which U'loii'iei! to hiniself. having been boujjht in Uuue.lm. He »)•<• »» him serups from the table for his fowl-. As to the ~,.»■* food, witness said that th. -hip's artiel.'. -ad they were t.. he allowed ■•■iUllicielit without ua»te" but in the case of ,mv trouble ihev wnulil have to rely ..11 the Hoard of Trade scale. Two other ,-camm rroliorJt.-d McKinuon. and 11 liriiiiun stated that he gave Myers the butter and -ome -,r,ips from the tire men < fi.Vsir. The butter, h,- said, hud had >o:iv tea leaves spilt over it. and was poiti i_' to be thrown uwey in »".v

His Worship -tated that it seemed to be recognised by the -ailors as nautical lavv that what »n left over Trotii their allowance belonged to them. That mipht be !-., where there was a lixeu scale, hut when they w<.re i.impi,\ supplieir from the ship's -tor.s. with what they wanted, tin- surplus belonged to the ship. In tin- case there v.a- ,-onsiderabie doubt about wliether there wa- a fl\eu scale, and on the evidelic- it -eemed cer tain th<' irew j_-ave away what they thoujr'lt was theirs to give. Consei|uent!v the ehargos against Mvers would lie .iiwnissed, but he »-.uited "to have it made clear to seamen, that if they were supplied with their food from the ship's -t..re- without any li\ed oealft, what wis over belniißed to the phip. just the same a- thnt lcit over from the pas.-eng'-rs' table-..