AN UGLY INCIDENT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26198, 8 July 1946, Page 5

AN UGLY INCIDENT

MONTEREY’S DEPARTURE CREW PELT OFFICIALS (Rec. 10 p.m.) SYDNEY, July 7. Missiles, including potatoes, eggs, and catapult pellets, were directed from the Monterey at police, Customs and press launches before the liner Monterey left port yesterday. Before the vessel left the wharf rotten eggs and electric globes were thrown in an ugly incident when officials were confiscating cartons of cigarettes which had been flung ashore to the crowd. Uncollected fines imposed on members of the crew for attempting to smuggle cigarettes and other articles were paid on board after a “ tarpaulin muster." When the seamen flung cartons of cigarettes from the top deck, men and women dropped their streamers to dive for the packets, but those who found them were ordered to hand them over to Customs officials. The vessel then moved out in the stream, and it was there that the police, Customs and press launches were pelted. A number of the Monterey’s crew complained that in Sydney they were fined £ls for the same offence that in Auckland during the vessel's visit there brought a fine of only £3.