CARGO BROACHING.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1953, 9 January 1914, Page 6

CARGO BROACHING.

DISAPPEARING IN AUCKLAND. GOOD EFFECT OF NEW UNION. 03* TelyrrcnU-Pras* Awoelatloa.) Auckland, January 8. Until recently the-number of cases of cargo pillaging reported to the police every week generally numbered fromten to twenty. Since the new waterside workers commenced operations two months ago not one cbbo of pillaging has been_ reported. This information was obtained to-day as a result of inquiry made among tho water '• police, stevedores, and shipping companies. Detective Gourley, who attends to waterfront complaints, said that for a long time previous to the recent strike the waterfront police had had to. deal with what was practically an organised system of'thieving. The wharves had to be watched continuously, but in spite of this large quantities of goods disappeared. Bottled liquors, articles of clothing, and boots always found favour in the eyes of the thieves, and in spite of the closest supervision some of them contrived to get away with these goods. They preyed particularly upon the property of boot importers. Cases which contain boots have a distinctive and the watorsidor would' know when one was burst open "accidentally" that it would not contain ploughs, pianos, or anything that could not be readily carried off. Dete;tive Gourlay said that although severe punishment was meted out to the thieves when they were discovered, the crime was peculiarly difficult to detect, and only comparatively few men systematically pillaged cargo, but a very largo number wero "in the know." The latter, however, would never give the police' or the stevedores any assistance, and in recent ; years - tho Practice had grown to largo dimensions. The police have been pleased to notice, added'the detective, that tho now union was determined to discourage this class of crime. Although it was so' difficult tp lay pillagers by the heels, their identity was we'll known, and theso suspects were among the men who were being refused membership in tho new union. The result was a total disappearance of cargo broaching from the_ Auckland waterfront. The union officials had.signified'thoir readiness to act with the police in discouraging the objectionable practice, and as they had exceptional opportunities of getting'information, and had power to eject undesirable .'persons from the union at anytime, the': police hoped that in the future cargo pillaging would be reduced to a minimum. The membership list of the union is ..now always open to the police, an ■ innovation that will assist in safeguarding tho interests of importers."'