MASTER MARINER DISMISSED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17426, 21 September 1918, Page 11

MASTER MARINER DISMISSED

OBJECTION TO NATIONALITY.' THREAT BY MERCHANT SERVICE GUILD. (Peb United Press Association.) AUCKLAND, September 20. As tho result of a protest by tho Merchant Service Guild, Messrs Parker, Lamb, and Co., timber dealers, have decided to dismiss tho master of one of the company's steamers on its return to Auckland. This decision li;is been reached at theurequest of the Acting Primo Minister, to whom tho Merchant Service Guild communicated tho following resolution, which was adopted at a. general meeting at Wellington on September 9:— Failing Captain Petersen, master of tho Akavoa, being removed from his position within. 14- days, tho members of tho Sorvice Guild will como ashoro from their ships until such time as he is removed. Tho notice would liavo expired next Monday. Mr Lamb, in tho course of an interview, said that Captain Petersen had been in the employ of his firm for, years. After the outbreak of war there was an agitation in regard to him. As a consequence, Mr L-amb askedi him as to his nationality. Captain Petersen told him that lie was born in iSchleswig, but had left there for New Zealand when he was eight yeais old. Tho Germans had confiscated all his father's property, and he had no love at all for them. Ho became a naturalised British subjeot several years before the war. Ho was married to an Auckland woman, and had a family. In view of the opposition to the firm's employment of the man bec,™so of his German origin, it was eventuality decided to dismiss him. That was done, said Mr Lamb, and Captain Petersen obtained employment as master of a fishing trawler. This was a fact that was "ever a subject of oomment. Mr Lamb added that some time afterwards he was approached by the police, and told that they had made further inquiries, and considered that they had done tho man an injustice by their former attitude. They asked him to employ him again when opportunity arose. A few months later there was an opening, and tho firm again took Captain Petersen into their employ. Prior to. doing so, Mr Lamb said Superintendent Kiely, of the Police Force, told him that there was nothing against Captain Petersen, and that tho firm would bo doing right in .taking 1 him on again. , Tilo IwI; c 0 authorities in Auckland state that the attitude they took up with regard to. the case, after very close inquiry, \vas. that nothing could be ascertained to .lustily them in reoommending Messrs 1 arker, Lamb, and Co. not to take Captain Petersen into their employ again. Complaints were made of alleged disloyal statements by the man, but only by one engineer, who was temporarily relieving on the same boat, and the police could not obtain any corroboration of tßat allegation iho matter was investigated, but nothing was learned which would have given the polios any chance of successfully prosecuting Captain Petersen. ? P ,