CARGO PILLAGING

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 11 August 1942, Page 4

CARGO PILLAGING

CASES INCREASING LOSSES IN CHRISTCHURCH Christchurch, Aug. 9. Working with skill and ingenuity, and displaying an uncanny knowledge of where the most valuable goods are to be found, pilferers operating among cargoes are on the increase. One firm opened a case of wool hose to find that 18 dozen of the 25 dozen pairs originally packed were missing. The case had been handled by the pilferers in an expert manner. The stockings were contained in cardboard boxes with a stout, metal-strapped wooden case. To a cursory glance the case appeared never to have been opened.

MANY INSURANCE CLAIMS

Mr H. S. Williams manager of Ross and Glendining, Limited, who owned the case, said pilfering was increasing rapidly. It was noticeable with both overseas and intercolonial cargoesAlmost every shipment brought to light new instances and insurance companies were becoming worried about the number of claims being made. Other recent losses by the same firm included 40 pairs of children's shoes during June, and 20 dozen pairs of women’s silk hose last month. The difficulty of replacing the goods made the thefts more serious. A representative of Sargood. Son and Ewen, Limited, said that in the last three months his firm had lost women's hosiery valued at £250 through this cause. In one instance the entire contents of a case of hosiery were taken, totalling 40 dozen pairs.

ON AN ORGANISED BASIS

Another warehouseman said that in 30 years’ experience he had not come across a wave of pilfering as serious as at the present time. He expressed the opinion that it was being carried out on an organised basis. The goods in many cases would be fairly bulky to handle and co-operation from a large number of men would be necessary to get them away from where they were stored. Carrying firms say that it is not only in overseas cargoes that pilfering takes place. One man said that he had often loaded such goods as locally-made chocolates or packages of cigarettes which had travelled between Wellington and Christchurch, which had received attention from pilferers —P.A.