CARGO PILLAGING

Grey River Argus, 19 August 1942, Page 4

CARGO PILLAGING

AT N.Z. PORTS

Alarming Increase

P.A. CHRISTCHURCH, Aug. 18. Afore severe penalties for pillaging offences, with stricter supervision of goods throughout New Zealand, was suggested by members of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce at . a special meeting held to discuss an increase in the pillaging of cargo in recent months. Instances of the pillaging both of-New Zealand and overseas goods were given by representatives of various Christchurch firms... The meeting decided to ask the Associated Chambers to approach Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, Minister-in-Charge of _ the Police, and to point out the position was desperately urgent, and ask for severe penalties and stricter supervision. ' , The President of the Chamber. Mr C. S. Hammond, said that pilaging had assumed alarming proportions. It concerned the whole of New Zealand. It seemed to have developed into an organised effort. A representative of a wholesale warehouse firm said that they had had 26 cases of pillaging in eight months. Mr D. S. Dott. of Miller’s. Ltd., said his firm had had five cases of pillaging in the last ten days of goods, manufactured in New Zealnd. Mr G. H. McLean. District Traffic Manager of the Railway Dept., said that a lot of'pillaging went on in Wellington for which Christchurch and Lvttelton were blamed. The present overseas shipping system put a lot of goods for the South Island at Wellington. where the goods la v for weeks in the Harbour Board’s stores. Inter-Island goods also lav for a long time in sheds there. The representative of another firm said that in three months they lost £257 worth of goods. All of the consignments except one were from overseas ships. The maioritv wer#> silk hosiery. His shipping clerk considered that the trans-shipment from Wellington v/as largely to blame, i The representative of Beath and Company said that in the last six months his firm had claims for pillaging totalling £627. The large"" was one of £l7B for hosiery, 'All were consignments from overseas boats. In ten cases of hosiery landed in one instance, three cases of silk stockings were nillaged. Seven cases of woollen hose were left.