COSTLY FRUIT.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17472, 5 June 1922, Page 11

COSTLY FRUIT.

ELEVEN liEMONS AND ORANGES COST £4, i A waterside worker named Ernest | CarJhtun, lor wliom Mr H. 1?. CLeary fcp- | poured, v&s bxougM befoid Mr IE 1 * K< Hub 4, S.M., at tba Wellington Polioo Court on ■Wednesday on a charge of having stolen six lemons and five oranges, valued at 4a 6d, tiie property oi the Union Steam Ship Com-

pony. ' Senior Sergeant Lander stated that 'Frisco oranges and iruit were being unloaded from the b.s. Tahiti, and the accused had helped himself. 'Frisio oranges wer& usually packed in solid cases, and there was not the same chance of cases becoming broken as was the case with Island fruit. :

Mr O'Leary, who appeared for the accused, eaid that even cases of 'Frisco fruit occaasionally become broken. A basket of loose fruit had been brought out of the Jiold of the vessel on the Saturday. It would be more tluin human to refrain from taking' fruit which was lying about, and' whioh the men knew would go bad if not used'. This man, if convicted, would not be able to obtain employment on the I wharf for at least twelve months. His Worship: Is that true. I know of men whom I have finsd who have been back working on the wharf within a few weeks. The Magistrate aaid that the Courts of the country had made it a rule to inflict imprisonment for cargo broaching, but he thought he couldi make a distinction* in the case of the taking of 2s worth of fruit. "Is there anything known against this man?" asked the Magistrate. "He was convicted and fined £5 in 1M6," replied Senior Sergeant Lander. "It wo.s only £3, your Worship," corrected the accused. "Oh, well, we will make it £i this time," finally decided his Worship.