New Zealand Seaman Puts His Foot In It

Chronicle (Levin), 17 February 1948, Page 3

New Zealand Seaman Puts His Foot In It

( N.Z.P.A. — Reuter .

C02)2JTioJit)

'Received .Mo'nday, 7.0 p.m. ' ' ' LONHON, Feb. 16. A N ew Zealand seaman signing himself "l.BtW. ", wlio wrote to tlie Hull Haily Mail stating tlxat ke proposed to tell liia friends in -New Zealand to stop sending food parcels to .Britain because when lie arrived in Hull, 110 steps were taken to expedite the unloading of food supplies from his ship, has drawn a torrent of renionstrance upon his head. On two successive days after his letter appeared, the correspondence columns of the newspaper were entirely devoted to angry letters by readers contradicting the New Zealander's statement. The newspaper even thought the controversy of sufficient importance to devote a leading article to it, stating that the New Zealander had obviously formed too hasty a judgment. Several correspondents quot,ed British ration scales and invited the New Zealander to live with any working class family and experience their conditions at ffrst hand. Others pointed out that Hull was the third port of the United 'Kingdom and that the total food supplies for ten million people in the eastern areas of England passed through its wharf stores. One writer, who said he had recently returned from New Zealand, said he hoped other New'Zealanders who w-ere making magnificent efforts to help Britain, would not be misled by I.B.W. 's mistaken impressions. "I tliink he will ffnd his ship will be discharged and- loaded again a lot quicker than ships are loaded in Auckland, Napier and Wellington," he said. "A New Zealand woman living in the Hull district wrote saying the seaman 's letter made her ashamed. Other correspondents said tjiey didn't want food, parcels if. they were to be regarded as charity. Another asked the New Zealander if he had forgotten Britain had paid for the food iif his ship.