"IMMIGRANTS."

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 5, 7 January 1937, Page 12

"IMMIGRANTS."

- SHIP DESERTERS. CANNOT-NQW BE DEPORTED. -MAGISTRATE'S COMMENT. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) .'.'•'- .;. r WELLINGTON, Wednesday. •, "It is certain-}' opening up the way to a form of imm ; gration that may become highly undesirable—however- that is; a- matter for the Legislature," said Mr. J. H. Luxford, S.M., in the Wellington Magistrate's .Court to-day, when a youth,. Stanley Cecil Wallace, was charged with deserting from the.steamer Hororata in December. Defendant was admitted to probation for months.

"Earlier in-the "day Mr. Luxford dealt in a similar way with David Alexander Leonard Thompson, stewards''boy, aged 18, who faced a similar charge.

;;Sub-Inspector DempseyVj said, there we're four, deserters -from ..'the --'Hororata at Wellington. P llc » a man aged 44, had not I'liecn-' traced., . ' ■-,';..

The magistrate said it seemed that boys were signing; on ill .England, and coming to New Zealand with the idea of finding new employment. Since the immigration regulations had been, uplifted ■there ,>yas. no power to deport these people. •-. ' ' -•■ . ': f-

Later anotlier case came before Mr. Luxford, when Alfred Sidney Goodman, waiter, aged 31, was charged with deserting from- the Eangitata on December 17. He pleaded guilt}'.-.;.. :'■'•:. I -

"I- have heard all round the coast that this is an ideal' country, .and. ,that- a working man gets good wages with the new awards," said defendant. "About li third of the crew were paid off, but when I asked to. be paid off they refused, so I left the ship." .>'.' ' :

The magistrate said this case was dif- I ferent from the others. "I do not like: sending a man to prison," he added, "butij adults must be punished for this type i of offence."

[.- A sentence of one month's imprisonment was imposed. : :