SHIP DESERTERS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1360, 10 February 1912, Page 4

SHIP DESERTERS.

THE OLD, OLD REASON. Lately a large number of men hnvc come before Hie Magistrate's Court in Wellington charged with deserting, or absenting themselves withont leave, from Home and foreign vessels. This morning, Detective Mason will bring forward two more. This officer has been particularly active (hiring the last few months in bringing alleged deserters and absentees to hook. Naturally the temptation is the higher rate of pay on New Zealand vessels. Men sign on in England for tho round trip at £i 10s. or so per month, and find when (hoy get here that men iu similar positions on the New Zealand boats are getting about double that amount. The general idea is to desert, disappear. , and subsequently join a New Zealand trailer. It costs the owners of the oceangoors .E-10 to replace each man for the trip Home. Tho distinction between nn absentee and a deserter is that a man is only absent without loivo if he has not been away for more than 12 hours, nud has not'given evidence of intention to desert; and a deserter is one who has exceeded the VI hour.'-.' limit, or has made it apparent that he has no intention of roVuvniiig to his ship. The Court here ha? been writing down n month's imprisonment as the penalty in :i good many ensi>s, but if the vcswl the sailor deserts leaves \ew Zealand Ijel'ore the expiry of his term he is alwnys put on board. In a few instances lnti'ly the men hiivo not been airested 1,11 iiflor (he vi'-sel has Milled, and (hen they li-ws had (o serve the full sentence.