£300 AWARDED GREASER

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28414, 22 October 1957, Page 9

£300 AWARDED GREASER

Claim Against Engineer

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON. October. 21.

Damages at £3OO have been awarded against the third engineer of the Maori, in favour of one of the ship's greasers as a result of an incident aboard the ship. The damages were awarded by Mr W. J. Kemp, a Wellington, barrister, who was appointed arbitrator for the case.

The special arbitration aros»» after a dispute developed between the Union Steam Ship Company, owners of the Maori, and the New Zealand Seamen’s Union, which led to the sailing of the Maori on the night of September 2 being cancelled. The third engineer had earlier faced a charge of assault, the Magistrate dismissing the charge, saying that there was a doubt as to what the true position was. The union then demanded the officer’s dismissal.

In his decision, announced today, the arbitrator finds that the third engineer, Bruce Falconer Pigou, did strike Francis Stewart Sinclair, and that Sinclair provoked the action.

The arbitrator also found that Pigou caused injuries to Sinclair as a result of the incident, and that Sinclair was entitled to recover damages against Pigou.

Having considered all these matters, he awarded £3OO for general and special damages to be paid to Sinclair by Pigou.

Pigou was. in addition, ordered to pay Sinclair £42 for his cost of the arbitration.