587 Migrants Stranded

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31084, 13 June 1966, Page 1

587 Migrants Stranded

(From the London correspondent of “The Press”) LONDON, June 12. including 587 migrants, with sea passages booked to New Zealand, have been stranded by the seamen’s strike. The biggest number of bookings is in the Southern Cross, which was to have sailed on June 8. About 750 passengers booked for the Dominion in this ship include 260 Government-assisted immigrants. About 100 of the 460 passengers booked on the Rangitane transferred to an earlier

ship. The Rangitane, which was to have sailed three weeks ago on May 20, is now being filled by passengers Eiiis“ u ” Rua.

The Rangitane will probably be able to sail a week after settlement of the strike. The Ruahine, which carries 310 passengers, was due to sail on June 17 but will now sail after the Rangitane. So

far 80 passengers have transferred bookings from the Ruahine to the Rangitane. “We would not want to send both ships out together.’’ said an official of the New Zealand Shipping Company. The Rangitoto. which can carry 462 passengers, is not due at London from Auckland until July 3.

The P. and O. liner Canberra, which was due to have sailed for Auckland on May 31, has 231 ordinary passeng-

New Zealand. So far there have been only nine cancellations. The Orsova, also strikebound, has only about two dozen passengers for New Zealand.

The Canberra will be able to sail three days after settlement of the strike. An official at New Zealand House said any approaches about hardship suffered by migrants would be considered on their merits. Sympathetic consideration would be given to transport by other means.