TWO BOLD DESERTERS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1883, 17 October 1913, Page 8

TWO BOLD DESERTERS.

$ GO TO LAW TO RECOVER WAGES. (By Teloirrapli.—Pre6B Association.) Auckland, October 16.' Two deserters from the battleship New Zealand apepared in the rolo of plaintiffs at the Magistrate's Court today, when Edward Waterson and Malvin Reid claimed £16 10s. each from a farmer for work alleged to have/been done. Both plaintiffs informed His Worship that they were quite penniless. Waterson said that ho Sad been, a first-class stoker on the battleship After leaving tho ship he went to Penrose, whore he worked for a contractor for £2 14s. a week. The foreman knew that they were deserters, and advised them to move further away. They were introduced to defendant, who said that ho had three or four months' work for them if they wished to take it. As they did not know what they vrere worth as farm labourers, if was -decided that they should go on for a week's trial, and the matter of wages, would bo discussed later. There had never been any suggestion tuat thoy should receive nothing but their keep. They were arrested oil September 20. The other plaintiff, who had been a petty officer on tho Dreadnought, gave evidence on similar lines. Their solicitor incidentally remarked that the men had not themselves conceived the idea of deserting. Thoy had been taken off by a man who said that li& could get them work at £2 14s. a week and keep for tho time that they had lived at his house. •His Worship said, if'such were the case, tho authorities should certainly make inquiries, with a view to a prosecution. Seeing that tho plaintiffs were deserters, the question arose as to whether he should allow them to recover in such a oase. It was against p'ublio policy to enforce a contract which was itself illegal. In enforcing such a contract the Court would evidently bo aiding and assisting the law condemned His Worship adjourned the case until Monday, to enable counsel to prepare to argue the point.