PILLAGING IN AUSTRALIA

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 August 1942, Page 6

PILLAGING IN AUSTRALIA

WIDESPREAD THEFTS

(N.Z.P.A. Special Australian Correspondent)

SYDNEY, August 9. An organised “pillage ring,” with “fences” to dispose of stolen gooas and with its own elaborately organised transport, is believed to be working in Australia. It is suspected of being responsible for the systematic theft of goods, including Army stores, from wharves and warehouses. In the past two months, more than 30 men have been convicted of pillaging cargo on the Sydney waterfront. Property worth hunderds of pounds has been recovered from the thieves.

In May it was estimated that cargo pilaging this year would cost shipping companies in Australia £200.000. Since then rationing has come into force and, together with acute shortages in many non-rationed commodities, has given an incentive for increased looting. “Black markets ’ are the favourite disposal ground for pilfered goods. On a Sydney wharf recently 100 empty cartons were all that was left of a consignment of shoes. Footwear manufacturers endeavour to beat the pillagers by never putting a matching pair of shoes in the one carton — leaving the consignee to sort out the muddle. But this time the pillagers beat the consignor. They lifted the whole consignment. One shipping company has just paid a claim of £132 for women’s underwear which had been taken. Items in short supply, such as women’s pyjamas, corsets, stockings, and linens, disappear- in large quantities. Men’s clothing, especially overcoats and other garments with high coupon rating, are a favoured line by pilferers. Cigarettes frequently go astray. One afternoon 70,000 cigarettes were received on a Sydney wharf to be shipped to retailers. Next morning the empty case which had contained the cigarettes was foithd floating on the harbour. Among the commonest entries in shipping companies’ claim books are those which record the losses of cigarettes in lots of 2000 to 4000. Much tobacco is also lost. Often a whole case disappears. A. recent claim for tobacco missing from a consignment was for more than £3OO. Beer, whisky, gin, and rum are usually taken by the bottle after a case has been “accidentally” broached. But sometimes a whole case is missing. . . A recent cargo of potatoes from Tasmania was 400 bags short. Potatoes at that time were priced at £• 1 a bag * An indication of the extent to which pilfering has grown on Australia’s waterfront is given by the cost per ton of.cargo of pillage claims paid by one large inter-State shipping company. Over the same three months of each year, the cost was: 1938, 2.226 d; 1939, 6.322 d: 1940, 3.821 d; 1941, 8.557 d; 1942, 11.133 d. Proposals for a Commonwealth drive against pillages, with heavily increased penalties, will be one of ti'ie subjects discussed at a conference of State Premiers this month. Some of the goods which have gone astray have been vitally needed for the war effort. Much was intended for use by troops at far-off operational bases. It will be suggested that pillaging be regarded as looting,and thus become subject to drastic penalties under the National Security Regulations.'