LAW TO BE ALTERED IN REGARD TO SHIP DESERTION IN N.Z.

Wanganui Chronicle, 2 November 1950, Page 5

LAW TO BE ALTERED IN REGARD TO SHIP DESERTION IN N.Z.

PARLIAMENT BLDGS., Last Night (PA). —During a debate on the estimates in the House of Representatives today, when the vote for the Department of Justice and Prisons was under consideration, the Minister of Justice (Mr. Webb) said that it was proposer" to amend the law in regard to punishment for ship desertion in New Zealand, and the Government would look for full co-operation from ship-own-ers to deal with a very difficult problem. Mr. F. Jones (Opp., St. Knda) said the ship deserters were not true criminals, and if that fact was recognised there was nothing in the department’s returns of criminal offences to sustain the recent exaggerated statement of a magistrate that immigrants were committing an unduly large number of crimes. M. Webb said the shipowners, the Federation of Labour and others had made representations to him on the treatment of ship deserters. Care must be taken to see that the criminal law was not used to enforce a civil contract. On the other hand, if the men were allowed to desert ships and stay in New Zealand they infringed the immigration law. An amendment tn the law now being prepared by the law drafting oilice would provide for uronaiion in the first instance for ship deserters, pending a ship becoming available Io lake them from New Zealand. First offenders would not be pul in gaol in the first place. “I (io not think that should be done,’’ said Mr. Webb The matter was difficult. At present deserters could lie put on an outgoing ship only nt the port where they had deserted the ships. A captain cou.’C reflux io take a man and there was no compulsion on the shipping company to lake the man back. However, said Mr. Webb, he had told the shipowners it wc-.s up to them Io co-operate when the law was amended, and they had pre mis. d licit help. Deserters would be tanen back in another ship of the company from which they deserted, and that should he helpful.