A "DUMMY CAPTAIN."

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue LXXIV, 5 August 1919, Page 4

A "DUMMY CAPTAIN."

PECULIAR SHIPPING CASE IN

AUCKLAND

An allegation of dummyism is manning a vessel was involved in charges heard at the Auckland Police Court against a seaman named Edward Donovan, that on April 1 he fraudently engaged himself to serve on the Akaroa for the purpose of enabling the ship to clear, and not for purpose of the whole voyage, and that, being master of the Akaroa, he caried Peter Petersen and H. Booth on board without having entered into an agreement. Mr Selwyn Mays, for the Marine Department, stated that the Akaroa was owned by the Parker-Lamb Timber Co., and was used for towing rafts of kauri logs from the East Coast beaches and ports to the company's mill at Auckland. Petersen, a man with special qualifications as a raftsman, and a master mariner, had for a long time been in charge of the steamer, but on account of his German parentage and birth the Merchant Service Guild had objected to his being kept in charge of the steamer Eventually, after much agitation, the Minister of Marine had insisted on Petersen being removed from command. That, counsel stated, was obviously the reason for the present breaches of the Shipping and Seamen* Act. On April 1 Donovan was signed °" as master of the ship, being a man who had a master's certificate, acquired by long service and efficiency in the river limit trade. Other member* of the crew were also signed on, but Booth and Petersen, who were also"on board, did not enter into an agreement that same day. When the Akaroa went to coal from the Glenehr the ship was navigated by Petersen, and the nominal master, Donovan, was doing work of an. ordinary seaman, a nd the same thing was noticed again when the Akaroa coaled at Onerahi wharf. Inquiries were made, and it was found that on April 19 Petersen had tried to sign himself on as an ordinary seaman, and when the question of his membership with the Union was raised, he was signed on as "boy." After further inquiries were made, Donovan made a written admission that had been asked if he would ship as "sailing master" with Petersen, at £20 a month, and he had agreed. "Sailing master,'' counsel: stated, was a polite term for "dummy master." Donovan admitted that Petersen was in reality in charge of the ship, though he signed on as "boy." Mr Moody, for Donovan, stated that he had been approached ana tempted with the wage*. He was an illiterateman, and had been used as a tool by the others.

Defendant was fined £5, and 28s costs for entering himself as master, and 20s and 28s costs on each of the other two charges.