RUNAWAY SAILORS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 24 April 1937, Page 19 (Supplement)

RUNAWAY SAILORS

EXPERIENCES IN EARLIER DAYS Extract from “Mail,” sth March, 18G6: —“Considerable difficulty is felt just now by the captains of vessels trading to this port, in preventing the men deserting them when their servces are most needed. Several sailors have been brought up and fined by the Resident Magistrate lately, for absenting themselves from their ships without license. Every disposition has been shown by the local bench to support the captains of the vessels, and the latter will only have to thank themselves if, by their inconsistency and misplaced lenity, they neutralise the efforts of the Magistrate and police. For instance, the police are much disgusted- to,day, with the conduct of the captain of the Dona Anita, who, after instructing them to arrest his runaway sailors, takes the first opportunity that presents itself to get them discharged from custody. The Resident Magistrate (Mr J. Poynter), gave the captain a bit of his mind, for his inconsistent conduct. The result of such vacillation on the part of captains of vessels, will be that the police will be slow to act on future occasions, and that the captains will have to hunt up the sailors themselves. Persons should not be hasty in setting the law in mo- J tion, but once having done so on suffi- j cient grounds, they cannot with im- j punity trifle with the officers whose duty it is to administer it.”