FAILURE TO OBEY COMMANDS.

Southland Times, Issue 24537, 11 September 1941, Page 6

FAILURE TO OBEY COMMANDS.

EIGHT SEAMEN SENT TO PRISON

(P.A.) AUCKLAND, September 10. Eight men arrested on a Greek-owned ship of Panamanian registry appeared before Mr F. K. Hunt S.M, to answer charges of failing to obey lawful commands while in safe harbour. The accused included two men who _ had not previously been charged, while six others who were convicted on Monday and ordered to come up for sentence were dealt with. Mr T. R. Holmden appeared for the accused, who denied the offence, and Mr T. Henry for the ship’s agerfts, Watkin and Wallis. The Consul for Panama, Senor Quiros Y Quiros, also attended. . The master of the vessel, Eleftenos Georgacopoulos, said he was a former naval officer.- He had engaged the eight men at different ports. A settlement of the wages dispute, which was the original, cause of the trouble, had been arranged, but when he had summoned the eight accused for duty they refused. He had given his orders in the presence of witnesses. “I provided the money the men asked for as advances on their wages, but they demanded American money,” the witness said. “Their delegate approached me yesterday and agreed to take a month’s wages in full settlement, but the remainder of them refused to abide by this agreement.’ Counsel for the accused said the arrangement had been for payment in Australian, New Zealand, New Caledonian or American money. He now understood they demanded payment in American money and in cash. “Nobody trusts the captain,” said one of the accused at this point. “He says he has no American money, but I have seen it myself.” The captain explained that he had about 1000 dollars in American money. He was sure the accused would not work if put back on the ship. The agents wanted them detained at Auckland and would put up the money to pay for their deportation. A sentence of one month’s imprisonment was imposed and an order was made for the men to be deported on the first available ship.