SMUGGLING

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 334, 22 October 1908, Page 7

SMUGGLING

CHAEGE AGAINST A^i^-O^'AIISSIAN. .. (Bi - TELEUItAI'H—PHESS ASSOCIATION.) ChristcSiurch, October 21. The chief stoker of fI.M.S. Pioneer, John M'Donald Bower, was charged at the Lyttelton Police. Court to-day/ iwith having on October 3 unshipped from'H.M.S. Pioneer certain goods on which, being dutiable,' the fluty had not been paid or secured, to wit, one. pair of boots, valued at lis. ''' " r Mr. llussell, for the Crown, said that the charge had been brought"under the immediato direction of tho Minister for' Customs, not only because an offence Jiad been committed in this instance, but betauso a great deal of smuggling had been going on from the inen-o'-war. It was impossible to "distinguish between men in the service ships and others, or it would be impossible to enforce the law at all. It was, of coursc>,.a matter for much regret that such a crises" as this should ho brought up. The penalty provided was a fine of £100, or in the,discretion, of the Col-, lector one of three tittles the value of tho goods and the duty, and he asked for the latter ataount. John Hill described 'how he, as a'Customs officer, had met a group, pf about twenty men on the wharf, five of them "with parcels. He was not in the habit of carrying any evidence of his authority, and lie had some difficulty in getting the boots.- He had frequently had trouble with men-o'-warsmeu. The defenco was that the defendant had purchased the boots in Sydney just before leaving, and knowing his size liad not tried them on in the shop. -.They were tan boots, and to have worn them on board would have been a serious breach' of discipline. However, he had tried them on. and found them a perfect fit, and walked about a little in them. He was bringing them ashore to chango into tbem for the following day. It was absurd, Mr. Alpers said, to suppose that a man in a responsible position would risk the disgrace and punishment that would follow a conviction for the sake of the few shilling's he would save by evading the duty. Th o boots were inspected by the Bench, and it was decided that an offence had been committed. A fine of £2 os. 6d. (thrice the value of the boots and the duty) was imposod, with costs.