TROUBLESOME SEAMEN

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 55, 8 March 1929, Page 11

TROUBLESOME SEAMEN

REFUSE DUTY ON KIA ORA

SE.VT TO GAOL FOR A MONTH

When three seamen —John Williams, George Watson, and James Scott—were brought before Mr. I<\ K. Hunt, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court on Tuesday on a charge of having been absent from the Shaw, Savill liner Kia Ora without permission the previous day, they wore fined.and sentenced to seven days' imprisonment, and ordered to be placed on their ship should she be sailing before the expiration of the sentence. The- Kia Ora was ready to sail this morning, and the three men were taken down to her. However, they refused to turn to; accordingly warrants were issued for their arrest, with the result that they appeared again in the Magistrate's Court to-day, charged with being guilty of wilful disobedience of a lawful command. They pleaded guilty, "with provocation." John S. Swan, of the Shaw, Savill Company, said that the Kia Ora sailed from Wellington this morning. Williams, Watson, and Scott wre brought ; clown to the boat at (5.43 a.m., but refused, to return to work, stating that they would sooner be in gaol than on the ship. Witness came ashore, for warrants and then went out to the Kia Ora in the stream and the men were arrested. , When asked by the Magistrate (Mr. Hunt) if they had anything to say the accused spoke freely. Scott said he had had trouble with" the engineer. One of the other accused said the ship was not fit to go to sea with "that engineer.''

Mr. H. F. O'Leary, who appeared for the shipping company, said there had been no complaints" from other members of the crew. As a matter of fact the other men on the ship appeared to be glad to get rid of the three accused.

"When your Worship sentenced them the other day," added Mr. O'Leary, "I believe one of them openly declared he had no intention of working on the ship." Mr. Hunt: "I know. And now they come back here and make complaints about an officer of the ship." If they had a complaint to make they should have made it in the proper quarter. Seamen were very carefully protected. r

This is deliberate," said Mr. Hunt to the accused. "One of you told me the other day you would not work. A month's imprisonment for each of you."

One of the accused from the dock: .But this hasn't been proved proper

The Magistrate: "That's enough; stand down." b '

Mr. Hunt said he thought the accused should bo deported at the expiration o.t their sentence. "They are no good kicking about here," he added