SERIES OF THEFTS

Hokitika Guardian, 21 March 1940, Page 5

SERIES OF THEFTS

SEQUEL TO MASS JOB

DISMISSAL?

(Per Press Association—Copyright).

CHRISTCHURCH, March 21.

Allegations owervt tuade*«hy Mr A. R. Blank to-day that after the relief works at the' Waitikeri golf links had been closed down by Hon. R. Semple on Tuesday, the foreman’s office was raided, and all the books, records and files relating to the operation of the job were stolen. The raid took place after dark, and the office was forcibly hioxen open. Other allegations made by Mr Blank relatea to the destruction of tools and equipment, wilful damage to motor trucks, and thefts of petrol. The (Joss to the club through tlie activities of the men responsible ran into several hundreds of pounds he declared.

Interviewed to-day, Mr Blank said that on four different occasions police had been called on to investigate thefts of petrol. < On one occasion a 40-gallcn drum had been stolen, and altogether some hundreds of gallons had been unlawfully removed from a shed. On each occasion that the theft was reported, it was found that the doors of the shed had been forced open, and the job appeared to have been done by men who knew the “run of the ropes” and the contents of the shed.

Wilful damage has been done to trucks owned by the club. Three of these had been purchased, and two were now permanently out of commission, because of damage that had been done to them. Just recently a crank handle was thrown into the radiator of the remaining truck, doing £l3 in damage. A man, when spoken to about this (incident, replied: “It was a pity it did not cost £26.” In six months £BO had been spent in repairing damage-

Mr Blank added that there had been constant trouble with the men, and when a man was threatened with dismissal for unsatisfactory work, go-slow methods were adopted by his mates. Recently, eight men were warned for not pulling their weight, and this resulted in a stop-work meeting which lasted from 8 a.m. to 10.30 a.m.