ON SHIP WITHOUT PERMIT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 24 January 1942, Page 5

ON SHIP WITHOUT PERMIT

TAXI DRIVERS FINED Wellington, This Day. How a constable had noticed a taxi i which had taken a fare to an overseas ; ship remaining alongside the ship fori a long time, and how he had found it j empty and had gone on board the ship to find the driver in the chief steward’s cabin, was told in the Magistrate’s Court, Wellington, yesterday. The driver, Joseph Paltridge, pleaded guilty to a charge of boarding a ship without a permit. Counsel for Paltridge, Mr A. D. Sievwright, stated that Paltridge and the chief steward of the ship had been ship-mates together, and had not met l'or two years. On the steward’s invitation Paltridge went on board to talk over old times. “People ought to realise that they have no right to go on without a permit,” said the magistrate, Mr Stout,, in fining Paltridge £2 and costs. Pleading not guilty to an identical charge, Leonard Allen Lawer, also a taxidriver, said that his fare was a passenger on an overseas ship. When they got to the ship his fare did not pay, but went on board to get the money. Previously fares had done this and had not returned, though he had waited a long time. To the magistrate’s remark that he had been on the ship a long time, Lawer replied that it was only while his fare rummaged round and borrowed the money. “If you couldn’t collect the fare you should have gone to the police and got a permit to go on board,” said the magistrate, fining Lawer £2 and i costs.—P.A.