SHIPPING.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16210, 13 May 1918, Page 9

SHIPPING.

PORT OF LYTTELTON.

ARRIVED—May 1L Maori (7 a.m.), from Wellington. Putiki (8.30 a.m.), from 'JL'arakohe. Calm (9.10 a-m.}, from £>unedin. John (9.25 a-m.), from Oainaru. Storm 11.30 p.m.), from. Dunedin. May 12. Kahika (12.5 a.m.), from Greymouth. Mararoa (8.45 a.m.), from Wellington. Invercargill (1.5 p.m.), ixom Wellington. Wootton (1.15 p.m.), from Wellington. Defender (5.45 p.m.), from Wellington.

SAILED—May 11. Corinna (1.15 p.m.), for Nelson. Rosamond (5.35 p-m.), for Timaru. Maori (.8 p.m.), tor Wellington. Putiki (10 p.m.), for Timaru. John (10.15 p.m.), for Wellington. Calm (11.50 p-m.), Utc Wellington. SHIPPING NOTES. The collier Kahika, with a full load of coal from the West Coast, arrived at Lyttetton late on Saturday night. Mr G. A. Ritson, fourth engineer of _ the Maori, has signed off the vessel's articles. Mr W. Cooney has joined tho Pateona as assistant purser. The Rosamond arrived here on Saturday on a special trip, with general cargo trorn Wellington, and sailed in the evening for Timaru.

Captain Hanning, who brought the Huia to Wellington, has returned to Dunedin to take command of tho auxiliary- schooner Gisborne. Mr M. Bennett has joined the Mapourika as assistant purser. ' Sailors and firemen who before the war were paid £6 a month now are receiving £12 a month, with a bonus of £6 for hazardous trips through submarine infested waters, according to the report of the Seamen's Church Institute of New York. The institute during 1917 received £106,692 from seamen for sate keeping. Less money goes for beer and whisky, the report states, for the seamen "are taking to soda water and soft drinks." There were 276,124 sales over the institute's soda water counter in 1917.

The Commission of Enquiry into waterside accidents will begin its sitting at Auckland on Wednesday next. The Minister of Marine (the Hon. T. M. Wilted), who will preside, will leave Wellington lor the .North to-day. PASSENGERS FOR AUSTRALIA. The following passengers have left New Zealand for -Australia:—Saloon: Messrs Simm, Ahino, A. R. Millard, nrittain, J. Fork, N. Wood, Larkin, S. .'l'urner, Mayman, Phillips, Salmond, M. J>. Whelan, Relph, Beckurll, P. Newbury, C. Dennett, lteid, McGeorge, Hooton, O. Smith, ftaivcaxrow, Copeman (2), Sullivan, Flowerdow, Hare, Baker, Hird, Stuart, A. TayloT, Jamieeon, Q. Smith, D. Houston, Moir, Holland, G. A. Attwood, A. Dimdore, I/akin, Silver, E. Crosby, Sir William Cullen, Mesd&mee C. Bennett, Beid and infant, McGeorge, C. F. Brown, Mayman, Lakin, Neville, Smith, Collins, Sullivan, A. E. Stacer, J. M. Doolon, Kclley, Hird, Fitzgerald, Carson and. infant, Ponder, Scott, S. Petersson, E. Crosby, Lady Cullen, Misses Cullen, Mills, Tribearon, W. C. Bowon, Fawoett, Mills, Murphy, Rodda, Tabor, Shard, Lucas, O'Keefe, Mayman, Meyer, H. Norton, M. Johnston, Munro, It. Kiley, O'Colley F. E. Hyland, K. M.' and G. McKenzie, and Gorman; II steerage. PROTECTION OF SHIPPING. The following letter has been received by the New Zealand Shipowners' Federation from Captain Hall-Thompson, Naval Adviser, Wellington:—"Will you please note that all ships' boats when the ships to which they belong are alongside any guarded wharf in New Zealand should be hoisted unless actually in use. No boat ehould ba allowed to lie alongside a ship at a guarded wharf unless some responsible person is in the boat. It is requested that all companies and ships attached to your organisation should be informed to this effect. The above also applies to all hulks when lying alongside guarded wharves or ships at guarded wharves. It has lwcn found that the presence of boats alongside their parent ships has been the cause of persons irregUr larly entering and leaving guarded wharves, and the restnajtions quoted have therefore to be put in force." ■ PLEA FOB SEAMEN. ALLEGED INJUSTICE. A general charge of unjust treatment of seamen under the War Regulations was made to the Minister of Justice (the Hon. T. M. Wilford) ■at Wellington on Saturday by » deputation of the beamen's Union. The secretary (Air W. T. Young) said th»* a sentence of six months' imprisonment nad bnen imposed on a William Dunn, by Mr McCarthy, S.M. It seemed to him that the sentence was a most vicious one. The charge was that the man etationed. at a ship's gangway at Timaru and Lytteßon had left the vessel when he ahould have remained on guard. "The chargc had been padoed in an effort to magnifv the offence, declared Mr Young. I Resolutions hid been adopted emphatically I protesting against tha arresting of seamen. I with or without warrant, on all kinds of pettifogging charges. They were rushed before the Court at short notice, without an opportunity to engage counsel., Tk« re

evidence that the police had prevented seamen from obtaining counsel. Dunn was sentenced on 22nd March. He was hurriedly brought before tho Court, and was not defended. If he bad been charged under the Shipping and Seamen Act the penalty for each offence could have been only fourtoan days' imprisonment—a total, of twenty-eight days for the two convictions — or a forfeiture of four days' pay. But tho charge hud been brought under tho War Regulations, under which a convicted person was liable to a term of twelve months' imprisonment. Tho ship in question was a transport, which had a military guard in accordance with regulations. This military guard required passes from any persons who sought accesa to such a vessel. That was the first line of defence, and the second lino was another military guard on board. Dunn's presence at the gangway was an unimportant detail. His absence did not interfere with the effective guarding of the ship. Therefore the Minister was requested to help in granting a remission of tho sentence. With regard to the other point—the treatment of seamen generally—it was felt strong' ly that men of the mercantile marine, who had proved their solid value to the community, should havo much better conditions. The union alßo objected to the discretionary power granted to masters of ships, who had tho option of receiving- sentenced men on board or allowing them to servo a term in gaoL MR YOUNG CHALLENGED. The Minister replied that he could not believe that seamen were not allowed opportunities to engage counsel. If Mr Young would supply details, with names, he would place the matter immediately before the Commissioner of Police, and the persons responsible would be dealt with. Mr Young; I can't supply names, but I stand to it. Mr Wiford: You are . not prepared to prove it? Mr Young: I haven't records of tho cases, but there was my own case. The Minister said that he did not think that Duna could have been prosecuted under tho Shipping Act. That would be practicable in peace times, but this was a time of war. Dunn wae a guard on an oversea vessel. This was a most important duty, for negliganoo might mean that a malcontent, or an enemy of the country, would have an opportunity to do mischief. The report on the case at Timaru stated that Dunn's desertion of his post had been a serious matter, for it was not known whether undesirables had gained acoess to the vessel in his absence. The facts at Lyttolton were similar, and Dunn had also acted similarly at Wellington, when he received another chanco. Ho could not see, in war time, under war conditions, that the sentence was savage. It was difficult to reconcile the facte with Mr Young's statements. He could not soe that tho deputation had adduced evidenco which would warrant interference with tho sentence. When ever the 6eamen had complaints about alleged injustice, he would bo pleased to learn them, but in this case hp would make no effort on Dunn's behalf. There were cases in whicli remission might be granted, but this was not one of them. SHIPPING TELEGRAMS. AUCKLAND, May 12. irived yesterday, Mapourika, from Wellington. The Monowai, from south, is arriving tonight.