GAOL FOR DESERTERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 April 1946, Page 6

GAOL FOR DESERTERS

BRITISH SEAMEN ARRESTED AT GREYMOUTH SERIOUS POSITION ARISING The serious increase in the number of British sailors deserting at New Zealand ports was emphasised in the Greymouth Magistrate’s Court this morning, when two firemen members of the crew of the British ship, S.S. Raranga, appeared on charges of being absent without leave or sufficient excuse at Lyttelton on April 17. The two men, William Henry Nash, aged 28, and William Alfred Reginald Morris, aged 24, both of Wales, pleaded guilty and were sentenced to one week’s imprisonment and ordered to forfeit two days’ pay. Messrs J. M. Bunt and M. J. Fogarty J.P’s. were on the bench. 30 Deserters from One Ship.

Senior Sergeant G. H. L. Holt said that the two men had applied yesterday for work at Greymouth. Both had been quite frank in saying that they were deserters from a ship. Enquiries revealed that warrants had been issued for their arrest and, accordingly, they had been apprehended by Constable Jones yesterday afternoon. The Raranga had now left New Zealand and, apparently, the men 'were not wanted back on the ship. The shipping companies regarded the desertion of British seamen in New Zealand ports very seriously, added the Senior Sergeant. It had been reported that 30 men from one ship had recently deserted at Wellington, while in the present case 16 members had left with the accused. A serious holdup in the shipment of food to Britain was likely to be brought about by these desertions.

Mr. P. J. McLean, appearing on behalf of the Shaw Savill Line, pressed for the imposition of a severe penalty. With the large number of desertions taking place many British ships had had to get New Zealand crews. A desire to settle down in New Zealand was advanced as the reason for his action by the accused, Nash, who added that there were good opportunities in the country for young men willing to work, and he and his friend were both willing. Complaint about Conditions.

“The conditions on the ship were terrible,” he went on. “I don’t think I could have lasted out the journey working down below on this particular ship. Men were always being carried out and there were always complaints concerning the food and the outward journey. Even when we were in a port we were not allowed a day off and we had to take it ourselves.”

Mr. Bunt said that he presumed that there were official ways for dealing with complaints of that sort. The conditions did not justify the action of the accused.

The other accused, Morris, also complained about the conditions aboard the ship, indicating that he did not think he could have lasted out the homeward journey.

SEVEN SEAMEN SENTENCED AT WELLINGTON (P.A.) WELLINGTON, April 24. “We can’t have this sort of thing,” said Mr. A. M. Goulding S.M. to-day when dealing with one of seven men who had admitted deserting their ships, “fi. lot of men have the idea that they can get to New Zealand this way and then leave their ships.”

The men were each sentenced to one month’s imprisonment.