FORFEITED TO THE CROWN

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 13 June 1933, Page 7

FORFEITED TO THE CROWN

SILVER FOUND ON SHIP

COIN OF £727 VALUE

FOUR MEN CHARGED IN COURT

TOTAL OF £l5O IN FINES

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, June 13. Silver coin, to tlie value of £727 seized when the WanganeJLla was raided last Thursday was forfeited to the Crown to-day and fines totalling £l5O were imposed on four men charged with attempting to export the money from New Zealand.

James Freeston, a steward, was charged with attempting to export coin valued at £252 11s; the ship’s barber, Henry -Morgan, was charged with exporting a quantity valued at £229 6s; the fourth -officer, Dougla-si J. Strath, was charged with respect to coin valued at £26 8s 6d and James Boyne, seaman, with respect to coin valued at £2O 18s 6d. The accused pleaded guilty. The Crown prosecutoi’, Mr Macassey, asked for the maximum of £SO penalties on Freeston and Morgan and these were imposed. Strath and Boyne were each fined £25. On behalf of the defendants it was stated that a-s a result of the offences all had lost their employment. A feature of the proceedings was the production of a large belt containing £l7O worth of silver alleged to have been used by Freeston to carry _ooin on t-o the ship. Boyne had £25 in silver hidden in a gumboot. Silver produced and valued at £l7B and remaining unclaimed is stated to have 'been found in a cabin occupied by two ladies. Freeston is stated to have been seen leaving this -cabin when the ship was raided. Mr. Maca-ssey sa-id the Treasury desired him to -{joint out that the cases were very serious as they meant deleting the silver coinage and people taking out the silver were making a profit of 25 per cent. If the- traffic were not stopped business would he further handicapped and great loss and inconvenience would result. Coin was being exported to make the 25 per cent, profit out of the exchange and as the surplus exchange was purchased by the Government under the Banks Indemnity Exchange Act, the profit was made at the direct expense of the New Zealand taxpayer. It was desirqd to make an example in all cases.