ON AN IMMIGRANT SHIP.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1399, 27 March 1912, Page 6

ON AN IMMIGRANT SHIP.

CHARGES OF LOOSE CONDUCT. '•'' EMPHATIC DENIALS. : STATEMENTS BY CAPTAIN, MATBON, ■, AND IMMIGRATION OFFICE!!. ' A complaint concerning the conduct of 6omo of the immigrants who arrived by the Athenic reached, us on Monday in the fihapo of a letter from Mr. 11. 0. Gil- , bcrt; who gavo his address as Knox {.'College, Dunedin. Accompanying his Jotter, Mr. Gilbert sent a declaration signed by eleven fellow-passengers "fully endorsing" his complaint. His letter, '■addressed to the Editor, reads as follows: —

i "Sir, —Will you kindly allow me spaoo •in your columns to bring before the notice of the reading public, a matter that j calls for the most immediate attention lof our Government. I speak of the improprieties and immorality that take tfplace on certain steamers bringing imjinigraiits to our country. As a native of [New Zealand, a. .1 one that npart from various periods of absMieo Ims spent thirty years of my life in ■tho Colony and Dominion, I may fairly Iclaim to have tho best interest of our Jand at heart. J know that our domes!tic servant problem has called for a , great-deal ..of attention, and that we are meeting its difficulties by granting as'sisted passages to girls from tho Old Country. Do the people from whom the I money for-"those "passages.is. drawn, know |the character of. some'..of,,; those upph Oi'houv it is expended? .• '

"I have just returned from n visit to the Mother Country, and had occasion to take a third-class passage out on. the s.s. (Atheuie. On that vessel wo had several hundreds of immigrants—by far tho larger part of them for New Zealand, 'land I speak first hand of that to which ll ;;.Tvish-, to draw- public' attention. lOn more than one occasion I Jiavo had in the Old Country opportunities for seeing the'results of crowding pncn an.d-w.omen together, in'•■■factories,' (artd the like, and know that its tendency lis to break down some of - the: delicate (reserve'' that very properly should exist i'between tho sexes, and to produce .that, 'greater freedom and even laxity that iu'stantly strikes a colonial visitor to the I Motherland. I have also, .scon, enough |of. the world to know tiiat many hundreds of passengers confined for several j.-weeks within the narrow limits of a !«ro\vded steamer cannot reasonably be 'expected to conduct themselves like a class in a Sunday school, nor is it desirj'ablo that they should; but, after, all duo i ellqwaiico has been made for these con- , «iderations, there were, during this trip, that can bo described only as hi reproach and a disgrace, and, among ■those chiefly concerned, were certain girls ".whose expenses to New Zealand had been largely met by tho people of .this country. "I may be told that these girls were, 'selected by our High Commissioner in London, and sent out by him under the tare of a responsible party; but grant* jng. all this, I say, without qualification, that unless there is in certain cases a jluucb-to-be-desired reform, som'o of those jto whom we aro offering assistance will ,'constituto a menace rather than a gain 110 our country. I would have it clearly •.Understood that I do not seek to cast rejections \ipon these new arrivals as a whole, nor to prejudice their prospects in the smallest degree.. Among, them there >re many—very many—(o whom woiniay jvell extend the heartiest welcome.' Neither would I imply that in the matter complained of iVew Zealand, immigrants, >w;ero/alone to blame; I state simply the facts, feeling that if thoso in authority tin such ships as the Athenic cannot copo with, this state~of things, our own people ehpuld, as it is they who.- will have 'ulti- , inately to suffer. It certainly- is a cause jfpi- siuvmo.that such a.ship as the one Jiiii question .should be in danger of becoming a happy hunting-ground for men 'in whom the first instincts of gentlemanly chivalry are dead, and to whose depraved j natures the opportunities presented by ! <ucrowded Bteamer seem to make a special appeal. If .the true state of affairs wer.i. ■ known, many respectable parents in tin ' Old Land would, I am convinced, ivith iall,its disadvantages, prefer rather to tkeep. their daughters at home, .than take ' the risk of sending them so far without | more adequate protection. For our own jeake, if wo are to'continue this policy of ■ bringing people into New Zealand, .it (seems to.me quite time that w-elhad.ir.ofß i stringent regulations; perhaps inthe first | instance at Home in the matter of selection, but most certainly on tho uteamers in transit.

'"In conclusion, Sir, I would say that nothing hut a keen sense of duty leads mo to give publicity to a matter at pace FO distasteful to myself, and so cisereditnblc'to those concerned; but what I have seen and heard during the last, seven, .weeks at sea lias convinced me that: in' SlusHce to the New Zealand public, such /•happenings should be made known. Trusting that you will ■ bring this matter 'forward,—l am' etc., H. G. GILBERT. k ' Knoi College, Dnnedin. > Statement by the Captain. ( 'A copy of the letter -(without the Writer's name) was handed • to Captain ■Kempson, of the sthenic, for comment, rite is inclined to think that tho general charge made is entirely without fonndn(lion. When about half-way across' from. ;t!iß Capo to Hobu'rt, a ' passenger had Icomo to hira and informed him that a JB'econd-class passenger was endeavouring to secure some of, tlie girls for immoral [Purposes in Sydney.' "I asked him," Captain Kempsou told our representative, "if (lib could ascertain tho name of tlie man, nnd was told that that couldbe easily jdone. ~"1 said," Captain Kempson continued, ".'come to mo ogain this evening or tomorrow morning," and let me know his name.' As tho informant did not turn nip that evening, or tho next morning, 1 iFont for him and asked him why he had hot come along, and ho said that perhaps jt would not bo advisable (o (ell the man's name. i """Then I said to him—'Do you mean to |eay that theso girls have (old you about the man's offer!'' .And lie replied 'Yes.'" 'I said.that one would,think, that tho girls -woiild'havo complained to the matron or married peoplo before speaking to a young man like him. Ho replied that he bad heard the story from a third person, and thought that ■something should be done. XT e' never made any chargo of immorality •—ho said that some of tho girls were guilty of unseemly conduct, and on my inquiring as to when'this uuseemly conduct took place I found that I he hour was S.ilO p.m., and tho place on'.the main deck, where nil the passengers were. There might be one or two of the girls a bit forward, and inclined'to .have a romp. People have such, different 'ideas as to '< what unseemly conduct is. I. made all tlie inquiry I could into the matter, and could find nothing to :bear. out the 'man's suspicions.; Ha asked me to prohibit the girls using .the fore-deck. As it is they are only allowed to use it during the day- , time. After (i p.m. a rope barricade is erected, and Hainan'is .stationed at it to Bee that no oiio goes forward. Tho foredeck—tho Athcnic is (lush-decked—is fully exposed and every part of it is in full view of ths' bridge. "The, girls. were under the control of a very competent matron, Miss I'eters, who fs confident (hat. there was nothing very wrong going on.. Anyhow I lie letter made no specific charges, and there was certainly nothing tit il üboiil the ship or its officers. Now and again we get people who have a qnter desire to pose as moralists—this one came from Dunedin." Full Inquity Made. Mr. Danbv, the Government Immigration Officer," was also interviewed as to whether any inquiry was made at Home as to the moral character of assisted immigrants. He says that there is a very complete system of inquiry, and alter a person did not hear for a month from tho office after making application fov a reduced fare. In that period full inquiries were mado as to the applicant's character and com* petence as a domestic-servant. On this occasion there were ISO girls, who came put under the supervision of Miss Josephine Peters, a middle-aged lady, who appeared to him to be higllly-q.inljfied for the position of matron, fie could hardly understand (here beinif grounds for a gpiv eral charge of immorality and lrapro-I-:.t„ ,r,-tl, .via* -P/Jprs m.charze. Then,

pretty crowded, and it is difficult to con' ceive how such things could be. 1 lie offieers, too, were "always round the decks when pn duty. The deck space-for-the third-class passengers wna curtailed "after ' (J p.m., mid at 10 p.m. all the girls had to retire, and the matron saw that they were all'in then- berths (and they were all in •six-berth cabins). _ • "I must confess," said Mr. Danby, '-that I think some persons have drawn wrong conclusions 011 slender evidence, and are grossly exaggerating the fun that girls of spirit may indulgo in without any serious Ilar.nl. Jn Miss I'oters's official report to the Department she says that tho behaviour of the girls was good. The Matron's Duties. In order to show the control under which assisted passengers were under, .ill". l)auby, handed our representative the instructions that were given 31 iss Peters 011 leaving London. The follou'ing are 11 lew excorp'ts from tlie same:— . "You are hereby appointed to the charge of tho single women domestic servants who have been granted reduced-rat© passages to Xew Zealand by the Hi£h Commissioner; and who are sailing by the s.s. Athenic from London on February 1. "These girls have been very carefully selected,-both as regards ;their character aud competence as domestic servants, and it is desired that you will take care ottheir general welfare on the voyage to New Zealand, exercising motherly supervision and influence over them. •' "You will endeavour to gain their confidence and goodwill so that they will cordially' conform to your request?, and that friction thereby may bo avoided. "Should, however, nnv of the girls refuse to submit to the arrangements which are made for their care and protection, nnd entirely in their best interests, you have the right of appeal to the captain il ! you consider such a course advisable. The captain.would, of course, deal with tlie matter at his> discretion. ;."It must'..be clearly understood that primarily tlio«oilieers of the ship are in charge of all passengers, and earo should he taken that no action or order of yours shall conflict in any way with the rules and regulations of the ship. "When two matrons are employed, one will be appointed as senior and the other junior, and it is expected that they will work in entire, harmony and unison on the voyage. They should so arrange that there is always one matron on-deck and one at tho table with the girls. ; "All the girls should be required to leave the!deck-ami retire to their cabins not. later than; 10 P.m. In the cases of deuces or concerts Being given you may make the hour of retirement later. .

"A Flat Contradiction."

"It's simply disgusting," was the comment made l:r Miss Peters-when shown the letter. "I don't know how anyone could write such a letter, and I give it a Hat contradiction. I know there was a list going round of some sort or another, but did not know exactly its character. I do 'know, however, that many of the people asked to sign.' it refused point blank, saying that they had seen nothing to complain of. . "All the girls who came out as assisted passengers under my caro behaved quite properly. There were' a couple of girls who were-inclined-to>bo rather gay, but thev left the- ship at Hobart. Occasionally a dance was held en board, and I permitted the girls to enjov themselves.. Indeed, had I not been matron I would have liked to have had a dance myself; but it was all quite propef'nnd very enjoyable."