LOSS OF THE WAIRUNA

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16672, 17 October 1917, Page 6

LOSS OF THE WAIRUNA

EVIDENCE AT THE INQUIRY. J | CARGO AND SHIPPERS The following evidence heard at the m. quiry into the loss of the Wairuna was withheld from publication at the lima owing to censorship restrictions. The.vj restrictions have now been removed :— Charles Cornelius Plunket. Lloyd's sot. veyor. said he knew of the establishment of a military guard on the Queen's Wharf on the land side, but there was at present no difficulty in getting on to the wharf from the harbour side, and he thought precautions should be taken in this direction. He thought further precautions should ha taken to safeguard ships. He had gong on board vessels at times with a handbag but no attempt had ever been made to examine it, although he w?.s not known Ito all the sentries. He thought all pas senders' luggage, without respect of persons, should be examined. He thought that the persons of all passengers or'other? ai!ow t .j on the wharf orN>n the ship should be | searched. I Edward Stott, marine superintendent for the Union Steam Ship Compvy at the Port of Auckland, said the preea - :.ions now taken to safeguard vessels in p,rt uiuud-d the stationing of a man at the gangway iky and night. Care was aiso taken not to employ enemy aliens, either asr.-jre or afloat. Men engaged on snips had to be approved by the Government shipping master. He thought more caie shjjid be 1 shown by the military guard at the wha.f in the examination of parcels taken on to the wharf. He also thought that all car.;o should be packed under the supervision of a Government officer. He would impose the same conditions on passengers' luggage. The estimated value oi the ship was £125,000. Selection of Wharf Labour. Captain G. G. Robinson, assistant wharfinger for the Union Company at Auckland, said no examination wan madeof the cargo A sailor was on guard in each hold, but nothing else was done to prevent anv interference with the- cargo. He agreed with other witnesses that cargo should be loaded under supervision, and that passengers' luggage should be examined and the alleged owner identified. E. D. lies, assistant wharfinger for the Union Company, who was in charge of the coalincr of- the Wairuna on the last day, said the police notified the company of undesirables from time to time, and he kept the list. There were about 12 names on his list. Witness took no steps to identify a man with his registration card. A man could use another s card. Witness agreed that everything should be done to check the identity of workers. | H. E. Morrow, labour foreman for ths ! Union Company, said he engaged the labour for discharging the Wairuna'a cat go. He produced a list of his men. mist of whom he knew well. He wa* guided by police reports when selecting men. Some undesirables were still employed in loading carts. Occasionally wiv r.ess employed these men if he was short of labour, bat nope was employed on the Wairuna. Leonard A. Batcbelder, attorney for Gillespie and Sons, pum merchants, Auckland, who is an American, said his firm sent a large consignment of gum to New York by the Wairuna. Gum was always regarded as on« of the safest of cargo. No special precautions were taken when the gum was -| packed, but the firm's employees were old I and trusted servants. Casual labou# was j never used for packing gum, but was some- 1 times utilised for unloading carts. At ■ | night the premises were always carefully "j secured. Every employee was British. , Witness was not of British nationality. s Witness did not think anyone of enemy nationality should be allowed to export cargo from New Zealand, except under supervision. The firm's shipments were always insured in America. Question o! Nationality. Louis Arnoldson, a member and director of the firm of Lichtenstein, Arnoldson and Co., gum merchants, said his firm shipped gum by the Wairuna. It W3s consigned to the British Consul at New York, but the ultimate consignees were Klipstein and Co., New York. For a while this firm was on the British "black list.' Mr. Maya (representing the Marina Department): How many partners in you? firm are —None. Mr. Mays: What about Mr. Lichtenstein?—He is not an alien, *Mf! Mays-: Was he not bom in Memel? —No; lie was born in Russia. Mr. Mays : This book says differently, and it is apparently written by himself. (Listen to this: "Mr. Lichtenstein was born at Memel, in T orth Gerraanv, in 1874. He is a son of Dr. Joseph LichtenI stein, of that city, and was educated for the medical profession."—l can't help the book. He was born in Russia at a place cal'ed Kamel. | Witness went on to sayltjtlie members of the firm came from the lame town in Russia and were all related. Taking the New Zealand Encyclopedia to witness, Mr. Mays said, pointing to a paragraph • Who supplied 'this? —I don't know: the editor, T suppose. Mr. Mays: Did anybody else know all this!— Mr. Lichtenstein* might have known. I did not. Mr. Mays: He is your eotuin!— Russian Parentage Claimed. Max LSchtenutein, a member of the froe fi ™'- said his llrra sent euii by the Wairuna consigned to Klipstein and Co. He believed one member of that firm was of German birth. Witness was born in Russia, of Russian parentage. Mr. Mays: Have you ever rr.ade a statement to the contrary ?—l'll answer no questions as to what I said 20 years 6£C. Mr. Mays: Why?—l don't follow von. Mr. Mays: About 1902 did yen, make •he statements contained in this book?— ' Mr. Mays: Who did then?— editor, I suppose. Mr. Mays: How could he kr-ow this? How could be know that vour father was named Joseph?— Thai wa..' not hi* name. Mr. Mays: We; you educated for 'he medical profession' ■' s. Mays: i)iu you "desire to • < 'h» "ii'ld" in i903?—1 -.r out o\ Jtu> .= -. i-icape military seiuce. Mr. Mays: You went to the U.S.A.?— Yes. Mr. Mays: You visited Brisbane?— rever in my life. Witness:"But '■; this the Wairuna inquiry? Mr. Mays: Yes, we want to know if Germans shipped toods by the vessel. Witness said he denied 'absolutelv that anv of his firm was German He sunplied no information to the Encyclopedia, nor, so far as he knew, did his cousin. He could not say what person in New Zealand knew as much about him as was printed in the book. Witness had never been to Memel. Werner Langcunh, a gum merchant, sai.» he was carrying on the busies.-- former!.* conducted by his father Several li:<.'« of mm were shipped to New York bv ti >> Waimna. Witness did not ernriov'anybody of enemy nationality. So far a* packing was concerned, he l»ft it to h'< foreman, whom he trusted. Hie Custom* officers could inspect his store at anv time. L.R.Maxwell, gum merchant, expressed the view that better precautions shoal.l be taken in supervising i.h-.. loading of careo. He took no special precautions himself, as all were Britisher-: in his store. Assuming satisfactory precaution could ha a taken, he saw no objection to dividing tha cost between the ship, the shipper, the insurer, the consignee, and the Government.