CARGO PILLAGING.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16841, 22 May 1920, Page 10

CARGO PILLAGING.

EVTL E-AC'IIES AIiAEMENO PivOPOETIONS. (feoii or p. own cokrespondent.) SYDNEY, May 11. ■Reccnt reports from New Zealand about the soricus pillaging of cargo have directed attention to tho matter here, and re con t enquiries show that, while the evil has been serious for years past, it has now attained proportions which call for a prompt and drastto remedy. Large importing firms hero state that it is now practically impossible to obtain, shipmoats from cither. America or Europe without losing a largo quantity of tho goods by pillage. The following losses by ono iinu in tho last three months are typical:—From New York, 3 cases of silk goods, £2oo; London, one caso of drosses broached, £65; NewYork, 2 cases silk landed empty, £404; New York, various silk goods and men's wear taken, £'73; London, caso of mixed drapery nearly empty, £1271 London, case of woollen goods emptied, £75; London, cases of silk goods and blouses pillaged, £121; and pillaging fnom ten other shipments from London and America, to tho extent of some £1100. This firm lost £GOOO worth of goods last year by pillaging, but this year the loss promises to be much heavier. It is said that pillaging has increased by leapa and bounds sinco tho war ended, when tho strict system of survoillance of shipping was withdrawn. Pillaging seems to go on everywhere —at the place of packing, at the port of shipment, at any suitable placo en route, and at tho port of discharge. Casas from America recently delivered at one warehouse were found full of bricks, identified as having been made in Chicago through which city the cases had passed. Others, apparently, had rifled in San Francisco. But the pillaging on the Australian coasts is very bad indeed. It is crude thieving here, howevor, whereas the robberies abroad s?om to be tho work of a skilled international gang. These criminals broach tho cases very cleverly. Tho nails are carefully withdrawn from tho boards, tho latter are slipped out from the binding iron, tho zinc is cut, tho goods aro removed, something of equal, weight is put in their placo. ana the boards aro slipped back_ aud the nails returned, so that it is impossible to dotoct the work of the gang. Tho most careful enquiry fails to disclose where this work is generally done. The matter is now so serious—it is reckoned that the losses of Sydney firms alone run into £200,000 per year—that steps aro being taken by the associated importers and the shipping companies to establish a regular patrol service. The idea is to keep shipments under constant surveillance, from the time they leave tho warehouse to the moment of dclivci-y. They may be regarded, as • fairly safe once they are in tho ship's hold —although the entrances to the holds would have to be watched—but while they are in coarse of being moved , anywhere they would nover be out of sight. .... The American Consul here is taking vigorous steps to deal with the evil on the American sido, as it threatens to seriously affect the trade of the United States with Australia.