ERRING SEAMEN

Evening Star, Issue 19078, 22 October 1925, Page 1

ERRING SEAMEN

TWO MORE SENTENCED FOUR WEEKS’ IMPRISONMENT. Very little time was occupied in disposing of another pair of disobedient seamen in the Police Court this morning. . The men wore R. Walker and B. Howe, of the Hororata, and they pleaded guilty to wilful disobedience of a lawful command. They were each sentenced to four weeks’ imprisonment. Mr A. N. Haggitt, prosecuting on behalf of the New Zealand Shipping Company, said that the cases were on precisely the same footing as those dealt with yesterday. The men had had their opportunity to return to the ship, and had in common with the rest signed the undertaking in Wellington. The only difference was that the two present defendants refused duty yesterday, whereas the others had refused on Tuesday. The defendant Walker said he and Howe had signed on the understanding that the rest of the crew wore going hack to the ship. When called for duty yesterday they found that their mates were not there, and on being told that the places of the others were to be filled by free labor they had refused to work. Tho Magistrate (Mr Bartholomew) : That’s candid enough. You refused work because the old crew wore not there P Walker: Yes, sir. The Magistrate: Well, there is no use in discussing the matter any further. It is clear enough. Each of you is sentenced to four weeks’ imprisonment with hard labor.

THE RARANGA MEN FURTHER REMAND GRANTED. J. Mnssell and A. Sprigott, seamen on the Raranga, pleaded not guilty to a charge of desertion. Mr A. C. Hanlon, prosecuting on behalf of the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company, said that the ship from which the men wore alleged to have deserted was at present in Lyttelton, and the question now_ arose as to which was the more convenient place for the trial— Lyttelton or Dunedin. He had telegraphed to the general manager of the company asking whether he preferred to have the men sent to Lyttelton or to send a responsible officer here to give evidence. No reply had yet been received, and he asked that a further remand till to-morrow he granted. If the men were to he sent to Lyttelton for trial he took it that tho company won Id have to pay their fares. Defendants said that they had no intention of'deserting the ship. Mr Hanlon: In that case all they needed to do was to report to the local office of the company. Defendant Mussel!: “We wasn’t wise to that.” Defendants were remanded till tomorrow.