A STOWAWAY

Hokitika Guardian, 13 July 1929, Page 2

A STOWAWAY

GIVEN A CHANCE TO PAY FINE. DUNEDIN, July 10. A stowaway arrived at Port Chalmers this morning from Pont Kembla in the steamer Kaiwarra. When brought before Mr A. Cable, J.P., at the Magistrate’s Court, he said that his name was William Fliillips, and that he belonged to Dunedin, where he liad worked before going to Australia. Having been out of work for some time he thought he would have a better chance of obtaining employment if lie returned to his own country. He liad offered to work in the ship, hut the captain would not permit it. Nevertheless he had done a little to help the ship’s “peggy.” He pleaded guilty to the charge of travelling in the steamer without obtaining permission to do so, and to a further charge of not paying his fare, which was £6 10s secondclass.

Captain Stewart, master of the Kaiwarra, said that the ship sailed from Port Kembla at 10 p.m. on July 4th., and the following moaning, when she was 100 miles from land, the accused came out of the bunkers. He offered to work, but that was not permitted, for if stowaways were allowed to work their passage the ship would be full of them every trip and they would become a nuisance.

The Bench decided that on the first charge the accused should be convicted and discharged. On the second charge lie was convicted and fined the amount of the fare, in default one weeks’ imprisonment. As the accused had impressed the Bench as a likely man to obtain work, lie was allowed 24 hours in which to pay the fine.