Liner’s Passengers Had To Wait For Luggage

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30960, 17 January 1966, Page 12

Liner’s Passengers Had To Wait For Luggage

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, Jan. 16. Passengers from the liner Flavia who had to leave their luggage in the Customs shed on Friday night and pick it up this morning had no cause for complaint, a spokesman for the agents said yesterday. Mr E. A. Shaw, shipping manager for Atlantic and Pacific Travel, Auckland, Ltd., agents for the Flavia, said that luggage was unloaded as usual, subject to meal breaks between five and six o’clock. “There were just the normal delays,” he said, “and unfortunate circumstances meant unloading late into the night.” The Flavia was supposed to arrive at 7 a.m. but because of weather and other delays did not berth until 4 p.m.— nine hours late.

“If a ship arrives at four o'clock, we can’t unload it by

five,” said Captain F. Baay, of Auckland Shipping Services, Ltd.

The eight and a half hours’ loading and unloading time re. quired by the Flavia was normal, Captain Baay said, “and if the ship arrives in the morning, discharging must go on all day. “Not all luggage belonging to a passenger is ever cleared the same day,” the captain pointed out. Mr Shaw also said there were 369 passengers disembarking, of whom over 70 were immigrants. “These immigrants bring everything but the kitchen sink, including some huge cases, so naturally these go to the bottom and take a while to be unloaded.’’

Mr Shaw said it was just a matter of luck.