PILLAGING OF CARGO.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1374, 27 February 1912, Page 4

PILLAGING OF CARGO.

COMMENTS BY A JUDGE. Tho waterside worker, Kund Kdingbrets Bergman, who was recently committed for trial 011 a charge of stealing a number of hats from the steamer Malieno, was placed ill the dock at tho Auckland Supremo Court, before Mr. Justice Edwards, 011 l'riday. Ho was indicted oil two counts: (1) of stealing GO hats from the steamer, and (2) of receiving four liats, knowing them to have been .stolen. Tho Hon. J. A. Tole, K.C.. appeared for the Crown, nnd Mr. J. li. Heed (instructed by Mr. Hall Skelton) appeared for tho accused. Sir. Keed said that not having seen the indictment ho had not been awaro of the first count in regard to tho GO ha(.s. He lmd advised accused to plead guilty to the theft of the four hats. Mr. Tole: Tho inference from the fact that tho four, hat* wero found in his possession is that he was concerned in tho theft of the whole of the hats. His Honour: Not necessarily, Mr. Tole. The theft of such a large number of hats as (ill would seem to suggest a-"Hat Company, Ltd." It was agreed to amend tho indictment by substituting four hats for liG in the first count. . Accused then pleaded guilty. Mr; Heed, in asking for the consideration of the Court, said the prisoner had informed him that ho picked up (he four liats amongst the coal in tho steamer. The ease of liats was loose when it arrived, and lie did not know who stole tho 10inainder. Mr. Tola said that tho loss occasioned by tho wharf thefts ran into thousands oi' pounds every year, and it was very difficult to bring the ofleucts homo to tho per ]>etra tors. It was a remurkablo thing that something had been found to bo missing from every vessel on which the prisoner had l>cen employed. His Honour: Of course I have 110 evidence of it. Mr. Tole: It is a very significant thing, your Honour. Mr. Heed: This man has been regularly employed by the Union Company, and about 50 or GO others are similarly employed. Probably they wero nearly all 011'tho vessels 011 which (his man was employed. Mr. Tola: These thefts aro continually going on. His Honour said that although, according to the probation oflicor'c; report, the offence was tho prisoner's first, it was not nil offence that could be met by probation. If the prisoner had stolen four hate from a shop he might or might not havo admitted him to probation. "Hut, under no circumstances," said his Honour, "whilst things remain as they are iii Auckland at the present; time, will any person found guilty oi ov admitting theft from a vessel be admitted to probation. These scandalous (holts have become notorious throughout the Dominion. They cause a piVat loss, not only to (ho owners of the cargo, but also to the shipowners, Ihe /alter, I believe, being generally tho losers. The consequence is Ihat'the public have (0 pay indirectly lor this organised system of pillaging, for of course- ship-owners nnd importers in fixing their charges, must (alio all risks and costs into consideration. 1 feel confident Ihnt there is no waterside worker who does not know that, if he commits an offence of this kind lie will be most severely punished, necessarily it must be so. The more oll'enees and the more convictions there are, the moro severe will be (he penalty. In the present instance I could impose a sentence of U years' imprisonment, but of courso I do not propose to do that." A sentence of 0110 year's imprisonment with hard labour was passed,