CITY POLICE COURT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26170, 5 June 1946, Page 8

CITY POLICE COURT

Tuesday, June 4 (Before Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M.)

Desertion Charge. Dismissed

The shipping manager of the Shell Oil Company at Napier, local agents of the British Restraint, proceeded against Sydney Millar Harvey, a cabin boy. aged 18, on a charge of deserting the tanker at Napier, Mr F. M. Hanan appeared for the prosecution, and Mr A G. Neill for the accused, who pleaded not guilty.—Mr Hanan said that offences of this kind were regarded as serious, as endangering the whole organisation of the shipping industry. Harvey had signed on the tanker in Dunedin on February 6. The ship was under British articles, and Harvey had discussed and arranged for his engagement with the local superintendent " of mercantile marine. The accused was a minor and the consent of his parents had to be obtained. Harvey had left the vessel at Napier and come back to Dunedin. The ship was now in the Pacific, and consequently her captain could not be called to give evidence.— Captain Guy Miller Simpson, Superintendent of Merchantile Marine in Dunedin described the signing on of the accused. The articles were with the captain of the tanker, end he did not have a copy of them. He had a departmental record of the engagement of the accused, however.—Mr Neill contended during the cross-examina-tion of the witness, that the provisions of the Shipping Act had not been fully observed and said that the articles must be produced—Constable Clark said that he had arrested the accused on May 7 at his home in King street. The accused said that he had left the tanker at Napier because he was dissatisfied with the treatment he had received from the officers.—The magi-tr-te said that this was a criminal charge and must be clearly proved. U would be quite improper to convict without the production of the articles. The charge would be dismissed.