CARGO THIEVING

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 25, 29 July 1926, Page 12

CARGO THIEVING

PREVALENCE AT LYTTELTON

TOURTEEN YBABSA POSMMIB PENALTY.

(By T«l«graph.—Pwu Auociatioal

CHRISTCHDKGH, 27ft Jife, Thefts of articles from broached or damaged cargo in ships at Lyttelton «!rt growing more serious, according to •tatements made in the Magistrate's Court to-day, when two watersiderswere sent to gaol. Thomas Bates (aged 44) pleaded guflty to stealing a woman's costume valued Bt £1 19s 6d, the property of the Shaw, Savill, and Albion Co., at Lyttelton on 27th July.- Chief Detective T. Gibwn said that the accused was a watersider, working on the Tainui. He carried ashore the article that he was charged with •tealmg. It was pillaged, but the poliea did not say that he stole it; merely that he carried it off the ship. The chief detective pointed but that accused could have been charged under the Crimea Act, under which a penalty of. 14 years' imprisonment was possible. • Things were so bad at. Lyttelton that the police intended to do so in future.

The. accused was sentenced to ■.■ two months' imprisonment •with hard labour. The other watersider, Frederick Wells (aged 25) was charged with the theft- »t Lyttelton on 19th July of two electric irons valued at £3 10s, the property o£ the Union Steam Ship Company, and with stealing at Lyttelton on 18th April five and a half pairs of stockings and three women's garters valued at £1 7s 9d, the property of the Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company. .

The Magistrate said that in this case there was some evidence of systematic thieving.on the part of accused. On the first charge he was sentenced to two months' imprisonment, and on the second to one month, the sentences to b« cumulative. "His wife and family can b« looked after by the Charitable Aid Board and social workers if necessary."