Auckland Not Guilty

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 132, 25 August 1927, Page 10

Auckland Not Guilty

Pillaging of Cargoes

Ingenious Operations Abroad

THREE hundred years ago the gentleman who preyed upon the merchantmen of the sea was called a pirate, and flew the Jolly Roger at the masthead. To-day he is a cargo pillager, and his operations are less spectacular, but quite as effective.

JfIGURES cabled from England yesterday stated that startling pillaging was carried out on Australian and New Zealand freight services, but Auckland importers and maritime officials discredit the implication that the bulk of the booty is lifted at ports at this end. On the contrary, they state that there is evidence of extensive operations by ingenious operators overseas. “Not five per cent, of the pillaged goods is stolen at New Zealand ports,”

was the confident assertion of a shipping man. CONTINENTAL LINES Choice Continental lines are the favourite prey of the pillagers, and all the evidence leads to the belief that at least 60 per cent, of the thieving is done abroad before the cargo is stowed in the ship. Recently an Auckland firm took delivery of two large cases of fabrics. In one case not a shred of the original freight was left. Worth £l3O, it had disappeared completely, though

before it was opened the case revealed no sign of interference. From the other case eleven rolls of crepe de chine, out of a total of siteen, had disappeared. The experience of the Auckland Customs officials leads them to suspect that well-organised and clever gangs, working on a big scale, are opening New Zealand-bound cases before they leave England. Further, it is almost invariably Continental goods, shipped to England through Antwerp, that are stolen, and it is therefore believed that mucn of the pillaging occurs at the Belgian port. THOROUGH INVESTIGATION These conclusions are not based on conjecture. Every case of cargo pillaging is investigated by the Customs officials, who are entitled to claim duty from the ship if there are indications that the thefts were executed on board. Where the cases show no sign of interference, and it is clear that the job was done before the cargo was loaded on to the ship, the Customs Department foregoes the duty. The investigators divide the cases of pillaging into two classes, neat and rough. The neat pillaging is attributed to overseas operators, and the rough class, relatively rare, to lightfingered mariners or acquisitive watersiders. The cruder work is done on the voyage, or in a secluded corner while the cargo is being unloaded. Thus a pair of boots may disappear from a damaged crate, or a case of whisky fall “accidentally,” so that a bottle may be extracted. But the fallings of thirsty toilers are widely recognised, and the supervision is strengthened when whisky is handled. So light, however, is the volume of the crude pillaging, that observers in Auckland regard yesterday’s cable as an unwarranted slur on New Zealand waterside workers. In the wharf sheds the supervision is such that only rare cases can occur, and Auckland has had no wholesale maritime thieving since a fclever gang, which altered the shipping documents and effected the disappearance of whole cases, was convicted 16 years ago. ARTISTIC BROACHING There exists ample proof that today’s instanegs usually happen overseas. The broaching is done artistically, so that cases made of tongued and grooved timber are opened without leaving a mark. Some Auckland importers have suffered so much that they have been compelled to change the marks on their cases, and silk is now disguised as nails or machinery, or some other less attractive merchandise.