VAGRANT SENT TO GAOL

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 December 1935, Page 2

VAGRANT SENT TO GAOL

ARRESTED AT SOUTH BEACH. Charged that, at South Beach, on December 13, he was deemed to be an idle and disorderly person, in that he had’ insufficient lawful visible means of support, James Moye, 54, appeared in the Magistrate’s Court, Greymouth, to-day, before Mr H. Morgan, S.M., and pleaded guilty. Sergeant J. Isbister said that Moye was described as a'labourer. For the past 12 months, he had been sleeping in an old hut adjoining Stratford and Blair’s sawmill at South Beach. His companion was arrested a few days ago, and sent to gaol. On the day his companion was arrested, Moye was Luring some old rubbish in the fireplace, and’ the hut was burnt down. Since then, he had been sleeping under some old iron in an adjoining paddock. He had not done any work for 12 months, and hud not made any application for work. He obtained food by begging from neighbours in the vicinity, and from boats which came into port. He had done no work for at least thirteen years. He was a man of anti-social habits, and openly said that he could live quite well without working. His presence in the vicinity of the sawmill had’ caused the management anxiety, as there had been four fires in the past 12 months. It was not said that Moye had caused the fires, but his presence in the vicinity was unwelcome. He had rather a long list of previous convictions, mostly for vagrancy. The S.M. (perusing the list): He seems to have been a vagrant for some years past. Moye said that the statement made by the Sergeant was not .altogether correct. His last conviction was in 1929. He had been doing navvying work at Karamea for three months after the earthquake. He had been on the dole in Westport, and had his dole book, although he admitted that he was behind with his levy payments. He did not have an opportunity of being registered' for work at Greymouth, as they told him to go back to Westport. He had done odd jobs. So far as the hut was concerned, he said that he had permission from the caretaker to use it. The hut was owned by the Perotti estate. Asked by the S.M. why he did not work, Moye said that he went to the Labour Buerau last week, and tried to get work on the aerodrome at Weheka, but was told that men could not be sent there unless a party of 12 was prepared to go. The S.M. said' that Moye could not be allowed to go on in the way he was living.

Moye stated that he had worked on a farm at Westport for six months, but was getting too old to go “on the cows.”

The S.M.:. I don’t want to send you to prison if there is any possibility of your getting work. Sergeant Isbister said that Moye had been a vagrant practically all his life, and had not worked. He was quite satisfied that, if accused had tried to get work, as he said he had, he could have done so long ago. There was no record at the Labour Bureau of any application from Moye, for work. Accused said that he had been to the Bureau on a couple of occasions, and he produced a form given to him in connection with his application to secure work at Weheka ? a week ago, He said that he was single',' -and that' went against him in his efforts to get work.

The S.M. said that the people in the South Beach locality were rather nervous about accused being there. He seemed to have been a vagrant for many years, and it was quite clear that he was an idle and disorderly person. He would be sentenced' to 14 days’ imprisonment, with hard labour. When he got out, he had better chase work as hard as he could, and get it. If he' came before the S.M. again, a more serious view of the case would be taken.