Strange Case Of The Missing

Bicycles

From a Correspondent Eddie WARD’S Fuzzy-Wuzzies, boongs, kanakas, or what-have-you from Papua are rapidly acquiring the principles of civilisation as exemplified by Australia’s waterside gentry of the light fingers, as one may judge from an episode in Mackay, Queensland, recently, when the Carpenter vessel “Suva,” manned by a crew of Port Moresby natives, was in port.

Now, Mackay is a city of bicycles, and it seems that some of the Fuzzy-Wuzzy crew, inspired by what they must have seen around the Australian waterfront in the matter of lifting other people’s prop erty, got the idea that some of them would definitely be de rigeur on the streets of the proposed Port Moresby model village. At all events, they “hoist ed” six bicycles from the streets of Mackay and pedalled them four miles out to the harbour and took them aboard the good ship “Suva.”

Inside 24 hours, the local gendarmerie descended on the ship and carted seven of the Fuzzy Wuzzy sailors off to gaol, and later the Moresbyites appeared in the Court of Petty Sessions to answer charges of bicycle stealing, etc.

Karadimi Gaci, Iburo Kaia, Kula Ralai, Kairi, Katari Irigia, and Kila Navu were charged with stealing bicycles, and Kila Kapu was charged with being in posses sion of a bicycle suspected of having been stolen.

After the court had had some difficulty in explaining to the men their right to trial by jury, if they so wished, all ac cused elected to be dealt with summarily and pleaded guilty.

Sub-Inspector G. J. Selby said that six machines had been recovered from the ship, two of them being damaged, one to the extent of £5/15/6 and the other of 12/6. It was due only to the fact that certain information was given to the police that the bicycles had been recover ed, otherwise they would have gone when the vessel sailed. He asked the court to inflict a penalty that would serve as a lesson to the offenders and also act as a deterrent.

The master of the “Suva” (Captain Rabone) said the men had been well be haved up to this juncture. They had been supplied by ANGAU, and while they had white officers they were well con trolled. Most of their pay was deferred pay, which they would draw in New Guinea. They had very little pocket money, but he would collect any fine that was imposed from the deferred pay Defendants were each fined £5, in de fault three months’ imprisonment in Townsville prison. In respect to the damaged bicycles they were ordered to make restitution in addition to the fine.

Mr. D. Butler, Suva manager for the Union Steam Ship Company, will shortly make a holiday visit to New Zealand J- Warren, of the Auckland branch of the company, will take over his duties’ in Suva during his absence.