A CAPTAIN DISMISSED.

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 10082, 21 September 1918, Page 11

A CAPTAIN DISMISSED.

EFFECTIVE OBJECTION BY MERCHANT SURVICE GUILD. Press Association. AUCKLAND, September 20. As tho result of a protest by the Merchant Service Guild," Messrs Parker, Lamb ami Co., timber dealers, have decided to dismiss the master of one of the company's steamers oil its return to Auckland. This decision has been reached at the request of the ActingPrime .-.Minister, to whom the Merchant Service Guild communicated the following resolution, adopted id a. general meeting at Wellington on Septembor 9th-.-" Failing Captain Petersen, master of tho Akaroa, being removed rroni his position within fourteen days, members of tire .Merchant Servitei-Guild will come ashore , from - their ships until such time as the man is-removed.'. Iho notice would havo expired next MonMr Lamb, interviewed, said ■■ Captain Petersen had been in the employ of tho firm for years. After the outbreak ot the war. there was agitation m regard to him, ami as a- consequence- Mr/Lamb had asked him as to his nationality. Petersen told him he was born an Schleswig, but had left there for -«ew Zealand when ho was eight years old. The Germans .had confiscated all. bis father's property, and he had no lovo at all for them. Ho became a naturalised British subject several years bet'oro the Avar, and was married to an Auckland woman, and had ;i family. in view of the opposition to tho firm's 'employment, of the man. becuuso of his German origin, it was eventually decided to dismiss him. That was done, said Mr Lamb, and Captain Petersen obtained employment as 'master of a fishing trawler, a fact that wa3 never tho subject of comment. Mr Lamb added that some time afterwards he was approached by the police, and told that they had made further inquiries, and considered they had done the...man an injustice by their'former attitude. Thoy asked him to employ him again when opportunity arose. A few months later thero was' an opening, and tho firm again took Petersen into ■ its employ. Prior to doing soy Mr Lamb said, ho saw Superintendent Kiely, of the'police, who told him there was nothing against Petersen, and that the firm would bo doing right in taking him on again. Tho polico authorities' in Auckland state that the attitude they took up with TCgard to the case, after very closo inquiry, was that nothing could bo ascertained to justify them in recommending the Parker-Lamb Company not to take Petersen into their employ again. Complaints were made of alleged disloyal statements by the man, but only by ono engineer who was temporarily relieving on tho same boat, and the polico could not: obtain, any corroboration of that allegation. Tho matter Ms investigated, but nothing was learned which would have given tho police any chance of successfully prosecuting Petersen. ' . ■