THEFTS FROM SHIPS

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25248, 29 July 1947, Page 3

THEFTS FROM SHIPS

SEAMEN SENT TO PRISON

“GRAVE OFFENCE AGAINST

WORKMATES” “These offences are of a very serious nature. Men aboard ships are in a position of trust, and their depredations are not only a crime against the people of New Zealand, since they, raise the cost of living for everyone, but they are also a grave offence against the members of their unions,” said Mr Justice Fleming when three seamen, who had pleaded guilty in the Magistrate’s Court to charges of theft, came up for sentence in the Supreme Court yesterday.

“When the thieves are not discovered, the waterside workers are blamed for most of the pillaging. I have no doubt that seamen and wharf labourers are, for tlie most part, recent, law-abiding men, but the actions of a few of their number are making the names .of seaman and wharf labourer something to be despised. Now that is deplorable,” said his Honour. “These offenders are hard to discover, for no one sees their depredations except their own mates, who do not like to give them away. The few bring the majority into reproach, with the community believing that seamen and wharf labourers connive at hiding the thefts. It may be that, because of a mistaken sense of loyalty, the decent majority of seamen and wharf labourers do not like to report their mates, but I am pleased to know the unions themselves are doing something to cleanse their ranks, and I trust it will not be long before the name seaman or wharf labourer is restored as one respected by the community.” Employment Lost When George Henry Trillo appeared for sentence on a charge of theft, his counsel, Mr G. C. Sandston, said that Trillo’s last conviction was 10 years ago. He was a member of the crew of the Karetu, and when he went back aboard the ship he took some of the loose tea lying on the floor of the hold. Trillo had a few drinks in at the time. The ship had a rough trip from Sydney and several cases of tea were smashed, the tea being spilled in the hold. It was some of this that Trillo took, and there was no suggestion that he had broken open a case. Trillo had a long war service, and was on the ship Limerick when it was torpedoed. “He will lose his livelihood under this charge because, under a recent rule, he will be dismissed from his union,” concluded counsel. But for what counsel had said he would have sentenced Trillo to two years’ imprisonment with hard labour, but he could not do less than sentence him to six months’ imprisonment with hard labour, said his Honour. Dennis Store, a fireman in the ship Samlamu, and Hugh Dunlop Davidson, a ship’s fireman, who appeared for sentence for theft of linen valued at £44 from a ship at Lyttelton, were each sentenced to six months’ imprisonment with hard labour.

His Honour said that the prisoners were lucky in following another prisoner with whom Jie had felt justified in being lenient, for he felt he could not sentence them to a longer ter in. Davidson had previously been convicted for deserting his ship and had ’ been convicted of being a rogue and a vagabond. This was Store’s first offence, but it was too serious a one to grant him probation.