HUGE LOSSES

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 10812, 31 January 1921, Page 6

HUGE LOSSES

CARGO PILLACINC SPECIAL POLICE FORCE ESTABLISHED IN' LONDON. DOCKERS GRATIFIED. Bv Telegraph Press Assn. —Copyright Australian ami N.Z. cable Association. LONDON, January 28. Lord Inehoape's letter, outlining; the kisses suffered in the skipping business, his recalled attention to tho serious pilfering v o! overseas cargoes, which, it is estimated, causes a loss to London alone of over three millions a year. The Australian Press Association is informed th.it oho shipowners’ losses in the A ustraiian trade frequently amount to £2OOO per ship per voyage* One company recently showed that its pilfering losses were at the rate of £250,000 per annum. The owmirs are unable to allocate the chief leakages, as to whether they are due to shipping houses’ packers, the railways, the British dockers, or the Australian wharf labourers. They point out that pilfering by crews is negligible, and is easily distinguished Irom the expert work done prior to * shipment, when pilfered cuees are repacked, and cannot be detected. London shipowners, in view of the heavy claims, have recently established, mt a cost of £'35,000 per annum, a special plain clothes police force, to work on the London docks. The members <rf the feme belong to the port notice, but the shipowners pay the en- . fire coot of their special work aboard ehipn. Mr Gosling, of the Dockers’ Cnion, approved of the scheme prior to its inauguration, declaring that any S connect of removing the stigma on the ockew mas welcome. The force is not expected to begin to show results immediately, but already the increasing prosecutions give promise of success. The dockers have raised, no difficulties. The Australian owners are gratified, and the Overseas Committee has adopted a similar scheme for tho Australian port*. SENTENCED FOR THEFT PILFERING IN BLACK SEA SERVICE. (Received January 29, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, January 28. At the Old Bailey, a stevedore was sentenced to twelve months’ hard labour for pilfering from a Canard liner in the Thames. Two ship’s firemen were sentenced to four months’, and :• third to six months’ on a charge of receanring stolen goods. It was stated that pilfering* in the Black Sea service during the last twelve months amounted to ever £20,000.