PORT BOWEN STOWAWAYS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21650, 21 May 1932, Page 15

PORT BOWEN STOWAWAYS

72 HOURS IN SHAFT TUNNEI. (From Ouk Own Correspondent.) LONDON, April 15. Despite the efforts made by the shipping companies trading with New Zealand, stowaways seem to evade the vigilance of those whose duty it is to seek them out before the vessels sail. A few days ago seven men who travelled by the Port Caroline without tickets were sentenced to 28 days’ hard labour, and two by the Port Melbourne were dealt with. Now, the Port Bowen brings another two. These men were brought before the East Ham Police Court within half an hour of the vessel’s arrival in dock. Their names were Richard Llewellyn Lucas aged 22, labourer, of Beachwood, Monmouthshire, and James Edward Mitchell, aged 22, labourer, of Kildhu Cottage, Glentanar, Aboyne, Aberdeen. They, are charged with secreting themselves on board the Port Bowen at Port Chalmers on February 18. Mr Francis Peregrine, prosecuting for the Commonwealth and Dominion Line, emphasised the seriousness of the offence from the ship owners’ point of view, particularly as this company had suffered on account of nine stowaways during one wepk. He also made special reference to the efficient part played by the officers of the court. The Port Bowen, lie said, arrived in dock at 10.10 a.m., and within two minutes the officers had boarded the ship and arrested the men. The prisoners were conveyed to the police station and charged, and they appeared in court within half-an-hour of the vessel’s arrival. Ho pointed it out as he wanted to give credit where it was due. It also showed that in England there could be no complaint of the delay caused by justice. With regard to the actual stowing away Mr Peregrine said that the men needed food, and when they got aboard they took the onportunity of discovering some of the anatomy of the ship. “They chose a place which must have been the most terrible place for them—down in the shaft tunnel, at the end of which all the bilge water runs.” The men apparently remained in this hiding place for 36 hours prior to the ship’s sailing, and they did not disclose themselves for a further 36 hours. SHIPPING COMPANY’S RESPONSIBILITY. Complications arose for the ship owners, as on arrival in this country these men, who had no passports, were deemed to be aliens. The Aberdonian went out to New Zealand on nomination and the other man under a Salvation- Army emigration scheme. Had either of them escaped, as did a stowaway on another vessel which arrived during the week, the shipping company would have been liable to a penalty of £IOO. A further danger wasthat if the men were unable to satisfy the aliens authorities that they were British subjects the shipping company would have to bear the expense of sending them back to their own country and of pro viding them with a sum of money. In favour of the men, Mr Peregrine pointed out that they had both worked hard and behaved properly on the voyage from New Zealand. NO WORK. Both men said they stowed away as they wore unable to get work'in New Zealand. Mitchell said ho had been unemployed since 1930, and as he had been living “ from door to door ” bo thought the only thing for him to do was to get back to his parents in England. Lucas said the second engineer on the Port Bowen had offered him a job as a trimmer, and it was pointed out that the vessel was due to sail about April 17. The chairman (Alderman H, B. Harper) said the Bench took as serious a view of these cases as the shipping companies, Conditions might be bad in New Zealand, but by coming to England stowaways were only adding to the unemployed. In view of the good character of the men the Bench would inflict a penalty of only £lO or 11 days’ imprisonment. In conclusion, Alderman Harper said the Bench wished to endorse the tribute paid to the officers of the court for their prompt action.