FIREMEN’S SPREE.

Gisborne Times, Volume IX, Issue 846, 21 March 1903, Page 3

FIREMEN’S SPREE.

AND THE CONSEQUENCES,

Per Press Association Wellington, last nigl

Two firemen of the Haupiri, Thomas Jones and Charles Mulligan, wore charged at tho Magistrate’s Court to-day with having absontod themselves without leave within twenty-four hours from tho time of tho sailing of the vessel from Picton on 17th March. It was stated that as the two men wore not at their posts at ten o’clock, the advertised hour of sailing, search was made, and they were found in a state of intoxication. As they wore unfit for work tho steamer was delayed for four hours, and the passongors and mails for Auckland and other Northern ports arrived in Wellington too late to catch the Manawatu train. Until recently, counsol stated, it had been the practico of masters, under a clause in their articles, to deduct from tho wages of seamen or firemen two days’ pay for impropor absence, but tho Minister of Marine, in his good judgment, had thought fit to insist that tho clauso giving masters such power should be excised from ships’ articles Deductions could now only bo made by a Magistrate, and this involved something well nigh impossible. Defendants, who admitted having boon drunk on tho night in question, deposed that having done their eight hours' work they had received permission from the second engineer to go | on shore. Tho Magistrate resorved judg moot until Monday.