Cargo Pillagers Favour Rationed Or Scarce Goods

Taranaki Daily News, 25 August 1942, Page 4

Cargo Pillagers Favour Rationed Or Scarce Goods

Press Assn.

Six cases quoted by firms at Christchurch.

Christchurch, Last Night.

Six cases of pillaging of goods valued at a total sum of £1234 have been submitted to the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce by business firms at Christchurch as the result of a meeting held to discuss the increase in cargo pillaging. These cases and four others in which the value of the stolen goods was_ not given will be passed on to the Associated Chambers of Commerce, which have been asked to approach the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, and ask for severe penalties for pillaging offences. The cases submitted by the firms reveal that pillagers have been taking in many cases goods either rationed or in _ short suply. Silk either rationed or in short supply. Silk stockings, kmitting wool and needles, hot-water bags, household linen and tea have all been taken from overseas and New Zealand shipments. A firm which had claims totalling £627 lost mending wool, children's clothing, stockings, and one case of 15 pairs of sheets. Another firm's £257 worth _ of losses in three months includes silk stockings, cotton, tape, knitting .ite^gles," pipes, hair combs, manicure sets, gumboots and cardigans. Forty pounds of knitting wool, dress material and children's clothing was pillaged from another firm's goods. Liquor, tobacco, eggs and chemists' supplies were also pillaged in recent months. One firm reported that it had lost £114 worth of beer and spirits since October, including eight dozen bottles of liquor. Other cases include nearly 10 dozen eggs consigned to the North Island, 201b of tea and tobacco, 500 cigarettes, £12 worth of chemists' supplies, including 25 hot-water bags, pots of cold cream and 41b of senna leaves. A firm of 'booksellers has given an example of the deliberation with which the pillagers work. The firm lost 28 dictionaries from cases in June. Early this month it lost 100 books from cases which showed no signs of having been opened. There were 88 books from one firm, all novels and general literature. Although there were three or six copies of certain titles, the pillagers did not take more than one of each. The landed value of the books was approximately £16.