MORE STOWAWAYS

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 147, 18 March 1931, Page 6

MORE STOWAWAYS

Arrivals from Australia looking for work Police Court Business Only the payment of £7/10/- each, their fare from Sydney, will save from one month’s imprisonment John Graham, aged 28, pneumatic driller ; John William Gill, aged 23, farm labourer; Sydney James Stone, aged.3l, pictorial’ artist, and lan McAllen, aged 27, mechanic, who admitted in the Police Court yesterday stowing away on the Marama. Senior-Sergeant Edwards said the men went on board the Marama at Sydney with visitors’ passes and shortly after the vessel cleared the heads they reported to the officers. They had no money and could not.pay their fares. One accused said money was coming to him from Australia, but it had not arrived. They said they had come to New Zealand to find employment, notwithstanding the, fact that there were already thousands of unemployed in the Dominion. The four accused had spent a week in gaol on remand. “It seems to me I would be doing the best thing for you and the country by ordering you to pay the fare of £7/10/- each or to serve one month’s imprisonment,” said Mr. W. H. Woodward, S.M. “Obviously when you have served the term of imprisonment the debt will no longer remain.” Irish Blood “Irish, I suppose?” asked the magistrate of Maurice O’Neil, seaman, aged 38, who was fined £2, in default fourteen days’ imprisonment, for fighting in Vivian Street. . . _ ■ “The Irish blood stirring in me, I suppose,” said accused. The magistrate: You have a bad record for fighting drunkenness. What are you going to do? Drop it? Accused: Yes, I suppose I had better drop it, your Worship, It is the only way out. Senior-Sergeant Edwards said, accused had been in New Zealand only a short time, but already he had 37 or 38 convictions, including several for fighting. Inciting Against Police Impressing upon accused that such incitement against the police could not be allowed, the magistrate sentenced George O’Brien, aged 31, labourer, to one month’s imprisonment for using obscene language in Vivian Street. Evidence was given that accused was standing in a crowd of seamen who were watching the fight between O’Neil, the previous accused, and another man. Two constables arrived on the scene, and accused directed his language against them. Had he continued he would have roused the crowd against the police, so one constable arrested him. While the constable was so engaged the other party to the fight that had been in progress escaped. “Interference with the police at a time like this might lead to serious consequences,” said Senior-Sergeant Edwards.