PILLAGING CARGO

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 74, 27 March 1918, Page 7

PILLAGING CARGO

A SERIOUS OFFiaiCE. SHIP'S OFFICER REBUKED. (By Telesraph.—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCII, Tuesday* As a result of a raid yesterday in the seamen's quarters of au oversea vessel John Marshall, Frederick Edward Elkin.l and Walter Tull were charged at ibytteltou to-day with stealing goods valued at £3 1(5/, the property of the New lioaJand Shipping Company. Each man pleaded guilty to taking possession ot the goods, but denied having broken into the cargo. In the course of evidence an ollicer ol the ship stated that he had Beard ot very few cases of pillaging on vessels while on the New Zealand coast. He did not consider the present offence a very serious one, and he hoped that the Bench would not imprison the men, as there was a shortage of seamen. A fine of £5 and costs wae imposed on each accused. The Bench remarked that the offence was a very serious one. The articles had been stolen with the full knowledge that they belonged to somebody else, and it was surprising that a ship'e officer -should treat the offence so lightly. It was certainly the wrong method of helping the authorities in preventing the pillaging of cargo.