SHIPPING MISMANAGEMENT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 646, 25 October 1909, Page 3

SHIPPING MISMANAGEMENT.

(Sir,— Although-1, travel a good deal about this country on,business, I 'regularly, receive a copy of Tji&, Dominion , from , a friend in Wellington, arid 'I have often been implied, with .the capable;maimer iii v;lnch von show /up' (Government incompetence and neglect,, coupled with .the fact .that .Ministers are continually gallivantingiround.the;country, instead o£ at-' ; tending 'to the work, of their departments. Beingl interested in shipping, a recent example of official njuddlement came under my notice some timo ago.' Whilst engaged on the business of my firm," I happened-to beiat Akaroa, and : as ono who' has seen, many British ''countries, and had . somo experienos of the .excitement 1 which prevails when .anything goes -wrong -with , a ship, I beg to say right here .that I. had ! not -up - till .ttan- seenrsuch- disgraceful - mismanagement; ..in connection with excursion boats-as occurred'down there. -The overcrowding was simply awful, arid I thought the ' Board of Trade surely could not have, a representative and responsible person there to prevent an- excessive number of passengers from going on board. Sure enough, I: noticed, that a , prosecutioh-.occiirred. a. few, months later, but, owing to the'action of the person'representing ■ the Board of Trade, tho Government "fell in. I was in Wellington on Labour Day; and I at once' received an explanation -of the cause of the trouble, for I noticed that the Government puts imere beardless- youths to see that- the boats are not overcrowded. J£ow, sir, as one who hhs often "gono'doivn into the sea'in ships-and known the perils , of- tho waters," I ' think thht this matter of.over-orowding on excursion boats is-of very 1 great , importance, but when I. noticed who were in charge of the arrangements here in the Empire.City, I won- ' .dered whether tho Hon.' Mr. Millar .takes that .-interest 7 -in shipping which ono would expect from hia ' reputation and-his previous career. Is' he concerned with', this matter anyway?—l .am, etc.,, . . S. I!. JENNINGS.