HIGH-WAGES LURE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23320, 13 April 1939, Page 13

HIGH-WAGES LURE

DOMINION CONDITIONS STOWAWAYS AND DESERTERS COMMENT MADE IN COURT "It might be good to have more population in the country, but we want to knoAV who we are getting," said Senior-Sergeant Calwell, when two stowaways appeared before Mr. C. R. Orr Walker, S.M., in the Police Court, yesterday. The accused were Thomas Kenneth Smith, fitter, aged 33, and Roland Guest, rigger, aged 32, and they were charged with stowing away on the Imperial Star at Brisbane on April 4. The Imperial Star arrived at Auckland on Saturday last and the two men were handed over to the police, said Mr. Calwell. They had worked for the four days of the voyage after they had been found. Smith said he could not obtain work in Australia and had heard conditions were good in New Zealand. The other man could not obtain a position in Sydney. Under Supervision

"Stowaways have been coming here very frequently lately," said Mr. Calwell. "The same applies to other ports in New Zealand." The Magistrate: Prospedts of good conditions here are attracting thein, I take it. Mr. Calwell: That is the reason most of them give. "These men may be all right," said the magistrate. "I hope they are. It might be a good thing to keep them under supervision for a period. They will be convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called on. They must report to the probation officer and must pay the shipping company £5."

Further references to unauthorised arrivals in the Dominion were made when two men were charged with ship desertion. The accused were Horace Spooner, fireman, aged 54, who was charged with deserting from the Maimoa on January 25, tfnd William Lionel Surrey, seaman, aged 21, who was charged with deserting from the Port Hunter on February 17. Increase in Desertions Mr. Calwell said Spooner had deserted at Lyttelton. He had since been working and gave himself up to the police. Mr. Calwell added that he wished to draw the Court's attention to the fact that ship desertion was becoming rather prevalent in New Zealand. Mr. Noble, who appeared for accused, said it was the poor conditions on some of the ships that caused men to desert. Accused was a decent man and had never been in trouble. Accused was fined £lO, or 14 days' imprisonment. Referring to the case of Surrey, the representative of the shipping company concerned, said the number of desertions in Now Zealand had increased this year. Higher wages in New Zealand made the men want to come ashore here.

The Rev. H. K. Vickery, port chaplain, said that if ever a boy had tried to get a ship Surrey had. He wanted a ship, but in the meantime had temporary work. Accused said he had deserted because of the poor conditions for the crew. The magistrate ordered accused to come up for sentence on April 26. In the meantime lief is to report daily to Mr. Vickery and is to leave by the first vessel available.

AUSTRALIAN TRADESMEN PASSAGE ON WANGANELLA [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION*] WELLINGTON, Wednesday Two men. both stated to be tradesmen. were charged in the Police Court to-day with stowing away in the Wancanella at Sydney. They were Harold Perch Clark, a plasterer, aged 52, and Allan Keith Charnock, a painter, aged 28. Each was fined £lO, in default six weeks' hard labour.