A CAPTAIN DISMISSED

Taranaki Daily News, 24 September 1918, Page 2

A CAPTAIN DISMISSED

EFFECTJVE OBJECTION BY MERCHANT SERVICE GUILD. Auckland, Sept. 20. As the result of a protest My the Merchant Service Guild, Messrs Parker, Lamb and Co., timber dealers, have decided to dismiss the master of one of the company's steamers on its return to Auckland. This decision lias been reached at the request of the Acting-Prime Minister, to whom the Merchant Service Guild communicated the following resolution, adopted at a general meeting at Wellington en September Uth:—"Failing Captain Petersen, master of the Akaroa, being removal from his position within fourteen days, members of the Merchant Service Guild will come ashore from their ships until such time as the man is removed." The notice would have expired next Monday. Mr Lamb, interviewed, said Cautain Petersen had boon in the employ of the firm for years. After the outbreak of the war. there was agitation in regard to him. and as a consequence Mr Lamb had asked him as to his nationality Petersen told him he was born in Schleswig, but had left there for New Zealand when he was eight years old. The Germans had eonfUeatcd all his father's property, and he hud no love at all for He became a naturalised British subject several year.-, before the war, and was ninri-i.d |,> iUI Auckland woman, and had a family la view of the opposition lo the. linn's employment of the man because of his German origin, it was eventually decide! in dismiss him. That wa- dune, --aid Captain Lamb, and Captain I'eier.-cn obtained employment as mndar of a ii-.aii":. trawler, a fact that was n-ver Hie subject 01" comment, [.ami) added, tb-ii some time afterwards he war, approached by the police, and told that they had made further enquiries, and "on-idei-ed they had done the man an iiijiKt'i-e by their former nl/titude. They a-'-ked him'lo employ him again when opportunity arose. •V few nioni.hsj biter there was an opening, and the (inn sixain look I'der-en inlo its employ Prior to doing so, Mr if.amb .said, he saw Superintendent Ivicly. 1 of the police, who I old iiii-i the're was mifhing ai-aiiiM rei-r-m. and Unit the linn w.mld he doing ri-.-lu in inking him I on again. 1 The police authorities in Auckland state that, the attitude ilicv took up j with regard to the ca«e. after very close 1 j Inqnirv.'was that nothing cn.ild be aseer | I tuned to justify them in recommending j the Parker-Lr.mb Company not to take | Petersen into (heir emph-i again. Onn-I olnints were made of alley -d dispoyal | by tin' master, 1 ul <viU- .by ; one engineer who wir- teiupei-arile relieving mi the same boat, and i'ae police could not obtain any corroboration of that allegation. The matter was investigated. but nothing was learned which would have given the police any chance of successfully prosecuting Petri-.-n