Cargo Pillaging By
p. 29 · Read in the full issue
Sea-Going Gangs
PAPEETfe, Nov. 27. rE Worshipful Guild of Cargo Broachers on the Sydney wharves, is a band of mere adolescent amateurs, compared with the Were-Wolves of the sea-lanes.
The Sydney Guild graciously leaves some merchandise in the cases for the consignee; the Were-Wolves do not.
A fortnight ago, a ship turned up here bearing 900 refugee Jews, bound for Aus tralia, and some cargo for Papeete. The cargo was placed ashore, and the ship departed. After the usual formalities, the consignees began to open the cases.
Instead of wines, perfumes and textiles, they found coal-clinkers (from the ship’s furnaces) tightly packed with old India rubber floor mats.
The exterior of the cases exhibited no mark of chisels or other prying instru ments. The job was worthy of the highest traditional standards of the Sydney Guild Apparently the Were-Wolves took their plunder ashore, by night, at the several ports-of-call, and disposed of it at black market prices.
During the war, a similar band worked through the South Pacific, from San Francisco. In this case, the victim was Uncle Sam.
The Rev. J. W. Paton Gillan, who has been a missionary in the New Hebrides since 1932, will retire shortly from his station in Tangoa, South Santo, and will reside in Australia. He is a member of the well-known Paton missionary family which has contributed so much to the establishment of good order in the New Hebrides.