PILFERING IN WELLINGTON.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8467, 18 June 1907, Page 5

PILFERING IN WELLINGTON.

That pilfering is still carried on in Wellington was amply proved by the results of enquiries made by a Post representative. The representatives of three of the largest shipping concerns in New Zealand were questioned, and the reply received from each party was the same—that thieving is still going on. Tha manager of the first shipping company called on declared emphatically "that the thief was doing a big business, in proof of which he produced a voluminous bundle of correspondence which consisted solely of claims for moderate sums on account of thefts. The items claimed for comprised tobacco, sweets, fancy silk, jewellery, ladies' wearing apparel, goloshes, boots, medicine, cigars, pipes, cartridges, Scott's emulsion, sardines, schnapps, tea, soap, and other miscellaneous articles. These goods were extracted from packages in spite of every precaution having been taken by shippers. The representative of the second company admitted that his firm was bearing the cross as cheerfully as it could. He was of opinion that the thieving at this end was of a petty nature. The big hauls were nnde in the English docks. He had seen some smart work done at Home. For instance, a piece of wood had been chiselled out of a . case and put back so carefully after the goods had been extracted that the tampering could only be noticed on the closest scrutiny. At Wellington men did not have the time to do the fine work of this kind. Claims for small losses were always being received by his company. "We have done everything in our power to put a stop to pilfering," concluded the shipping representative, "but it is difficult to catch a man in the act, and when a case is brought before the Court the fine is so reasonable that it does not act as a deterrent to others. If the magistrates would adopt strong measures thieving would fe minimised if not stopped altogether."