ORDERS REFUSED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19698, 2 August 1938, Page 14

ORDERS REFUSED

SHIP'S ENGINEER CHARGED SEQUEL TO INJURY , ARTICLES CANCELLED ONE MONTH'S GAOL (Per Pruss Association.) AUCKLAND, this day. An engineer's refusal to obey orders on "board ship, was described in, the Police Court when Edward George Simey, fourth engineer in the Albyn Line steamer Thistlegarth, at present berthed at Chelsea, appeared on-sum-mons before Mr. C. R. Orr Walker, S.M., in answer to charges of wilful neglect of duty an of disobedience to orders between June 1 and July 2. Mr. Cocker prosecuted on behalf of the company and Mr. Bryce Hart appeared for the accused, who pleaded not guilty to the charges. After evidence had been heard, however, the plea was withdrawn in favour of a plea of guilty. Mr. Cocker said the accused sailed us fourth engineer in the Thistlegarth when she left Cardiff on February 8. Trouble arose toward the end of April because he had refused to do duty apart from his watches in the engine room. On April 27 he had suffered an accident to his hand, which was sufficient to prevent him from working for a short period. "When the ship was in port at Java toward the end of May," Mr Cocker continued, "the captain had the accused examined by a doctor who certified him 75 per cent fit for light work. The accused, however, objected to obeying orders, and on July 1 he refused point blank to do any work at all.' He has since done nothing on the ship." As the Thistlegrath was not scheduled to reach England before the end of November, Mr. Cocker submitted, it would be inimical to discipline and to organisation, if the accused was permitted to remain in the ship. The company was prepared to pay, all the expenses involved in sending the accused back to England if the magistrate would grant the cancellation of the accused's articles. Evidence that the accused had acted in the manner described by Mr Cocker was given by William Stavely, master of the Thistlegarth. Not only had the accused refused to obey orders, witness said, but he had fraternised with the seamen in a manner unbecoming to an officer. After further evidence had been given by the chief engineer in the ship, Mr. Hart said the accused desired to plead guilty to the charges. 'He has been at sea for over two years," said Mr. Hart, and has excellent credentials. His extraordinary case and his actions must have arisen from his state of mind caused by the accident he suffered." Stating that he could not see why the accused should not have shown some desire to do light work in the ship after he had recovered from his injury, the magistrate said the accused's actions had been contrary to all the rules of discipline. The accused was sentenced to a month's imprisonment and his articles were cancelled. The magistrate ordered him to be released when arrangements had been made by the Superintendent of Marine to repatriate him to a suitable port in Sunderland, England.