£600 Worth of Silk Lost on Board Arawa

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 400, 14 July 1928, Page 1

£6OO Worth of Silk Lost on Board Arawa

INGENIOUS PILLAGING MOST EXTENSIVE IN N.Z. Pillaging on the Arawa during her voyage from London to New Zealand is said to be easily the most extensive recorded in New Zealand. Silk materials valued at about £6OO disappeared. When the liner reached Auckland, silk valued at £BOO was missing, but S 4 rolls, at a value of £2OO, were found at midnight on Wednesday by Detective-Sergeant McHugh and Mr. R. Forman, acting-marine superintendent for the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company. They ripped away wooden casing covering the insulation pipes hidden against the ship’s side beneath tons of coal in the stokehold, and found the rolls of material. A further search of the Arawa !*• Detective Tricklebank and two wharf police, after the vessel arrived at Wellington from Auckland yesterday, resulted in the discovery of three sacks of cloths and silks buried in the coal in the stokehold. FIVE CASES MISSING Twenty-two cases were on board when the Arawa left London, but only 17 were found on arrival. Zinc-lined and sealed with solder, the boxes are fastened with patent iron clips which cannot be replaced intact after tampering. Each case requires two men to move it. How the cargo hold was entered is not known and the manner in which the goods disappeared is considered remarkable. It is thought likely that the work was done between midnight and 4 a.m. From samples in the office of the importers, it is obvious that half of the rolls recovered, many of which were badly damaged, came from one case and the remainder from another. That the thieves worked with amazing coolness and daring on the run to New Zealand is shown by the fact that both ends of several rolls were covered with cloth tied with tape. Protected from coal dust, the rolls were battened down and buried. The importers say that, although there is the safeguard of insurance, thg monetary loss was exceeded by the inconvenience. It will be impossible to land more material from London within four months.