A Ship Barber's Stock.

Waikato Argus, Volume XXVII, Issue 4182, 27 August 1909, Page 2

A Ship Barber's Stock.

By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. In the Magistrate's Court before ' Mr W. G. Riddell, S.M., Charles Maurer, who was remanded from Monday, as the result of the Customs search on Saturday of the R.M.S. Tongariro, was charged with having knowingly harboured uncustomed goods liable for duty. The articles seized consisted of 11 overcoats, 65 ostrich feathers, and 10 dress pieces, valued in all at £7l. The defendant, for whom Mr Fitzgibbon appeared, pleaded not guilty. Mr C. S. Nixon, Collector of Customs, conducted the prosecution. He stated that the defendant was the barber of the vessel, which had been searched on a pre-

vious occasion about a month ago. The Act dealing with the particular offence allowed a penalty of three times the value of the goods. A penalty of £IOO, however, was all that was asked. Alfred Bacon, of the Customs staff, gave evidence that he searched the Tongariro on Saturday morning in company with two other officials. He asked defendant if he had anything further than that which he had declared. Defendant answerd, "Yea I, have some ostrich feathers." The store room was then searched, and in an :'. i pack witness found some dress pieces. In two parcels placed behind some barrels were found 11 overcoats. The defendant admitted that he owned the goods. Witness then asked the whereabouts of the ostrich feathers. He replied, "In my shop." They were subsequently found in a pillow. Witness had much trouble in finding the goods. Owen Jones, who assisted the previous witness in the search, stated that when the defendant admitted that he possessed some ostrichsfeathers witness held the key of the room in which the feathers were locked. In outlining the case for the defence, Mr Fitzgibbon remarked that the case was one of importance to ships' barbers. The stock-in-trade of these barbers was an extensive one, and comprised various articles. All the goods seized were included in his printed circular for the information' of customers. He had declared his stock as worth £SO. It was to be

regretted that the storekeeper, for whose arrest a warrant was issued, could not be found. It was he who had taken the goods and placed them in the store.

Charles Maurer, the defendant, stated that this was his sixth voyage to New Zealand. All the goods seized were in his possession when the vessel .visited Wellington a few weeks previously. He had given them since to the storekeeper Pine, to place in the store during the time his barber's shop was being painted. Witness assessed the value of the goods at £2B 6s 6d.

William Graham, engineer, and Julian Moffat, an officer on the Tongariro gave evidence in support of defendant.

Mr Riddell said it appeared to him that the case was a very serious and suspicious one, although be was not prepared to say that defendant did knowingly harbour uncustomed goods. No evidence had been submitted by the prosecution proving the true value of the goods seized. There was a big discrepancy in the respective values placemen them. The Customs had assessed them at £7l and defendant at £2B 6s 6d. Defendant had not conformed with the Customs requirements when making his declaration. There was not sufficient, evidence, however, to warrant the Court in convicting him, and the case must be dismissed, the goods to be returned to defendant. On the application [of Mr Nixon a charge againsi, the storekeeper, nam- | ed William John Pine, of having harboured uncustomed goods the value of £34 5s was withdrawn by leave of the Court. A warrant had been taken out for Pine's arrest,, but he had not been apprehended. J&

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