MANUKA WRECK PILLAGERS

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 83, 2 January 1930, Page 18

MANUKA WRECK PILLAGERS

REPLY TO POLICE COMMISSIONER

Replying to the statement (published on Tuesday) by the Police Commissioner on the subject of alleged pillaging from the Manuka wreck, Mr. Murray Fuller states: —

“It is notable that the Commissioner of Police does not mention pictures in his report. Evidently works of art by the most prominent artists of the present day—valued at £4OO, £5OO, and £BOO each, are not considered ‘of any value.’ To prove that there has not been proper supervision, or organised collection of flotsam, I have to report that I have recovered 12 pictures, valued at nearly £2OOO, from the wreck. Three of these are in the possession of the local police constable and the others I recovered myself from people living in the district who were unauthorised to remove anything from the beaches. In fairness to Constable Dark, at Owaka, I wish to stale that he knew of the whereabouts of some of the pictures; the others I recovered entirely through my own efforts in making myself and my quest known to the settlers, fishermen, and sawmillers,”

“The fact remains that had I not gone to the scene of the wreck and personally searched at great trouble, and expense, some of the pictures would never have been in my possession. I stayed at Papatowai for four days—from last Monday till Friday. Papatowai is at the south end of one of the longest beaches where a great amount of cargo has come ashore, and it is seven miles from the scene of tlie wreck by the eoast and twenty miles from the scene of tlie wreck (where the Customs officer is stationed), and Owaka, by road. I patrolled both the Papatowai and Tautuku beaches every day. In company with other visitors I saw three carts being filled with flotsam —mostly flour, linen, deck chairs, blankets, and other articles. This occurred both last Wednesday and Thursday. I also saw on the Tautuku beach a green trunk that had been opened, the name Chalmers was on the lid.” “With reference to the report that suit-cases had been rifled. Mr. Lawson, a resident near tlie Tautuku beach, told me tliat he had recovered suit-cases from the sea, and drawn them above higliwater mark to send to the police, and when he returned they had been ‘ripped open’ (to use his own term) and nil the goods removed. Apart from specified cases that I have mentioned it is quite evident that if there had been proper supervision from tlie day after (lie wreck until the present time, great quantities of cargo would have been collected for the rightful owners. Some will now be difficult to trace and other articles will never be found.”