TRAVELLERS INCONVENIENCED.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1416, 17 April 1912, Page 5

TRAVELLERS INCONVENIENCED.

Sir,—After having observed' the result of the Union Company's utter lack of good management during the holiday season, and having been one of the ninny sufferers through it, I would like to point out one factor that would tend to bring a littlo order out of the hopeless chaos. It seems that-the'company cannot bo trusted to carry only the licensed number of passengers on its boats, therefore the Customs authorities send an officer to check the number at tho boat's side. For some unknown reason the company issues tickets for passages on its boats far in excels of the boats' carrying capacities, and tho Customs authorities, of course, allow only the licensed number of passengers on board; as a consequence a number of innocent peoplo are put to endless inconvenience through being turned away at the last minute. Having paid for a ticket and booked a berth 6n a certain boat, the holder of the ticket naturally expects, and is certainly entitled to, a passage on that boat. However, the company and tho Customs authorities do not recognise this, and act according to theii own lights. Xow, I would suggest that the Customs authorities send their representative to the Union Company's officeand keep a check on the number of tickets issued. There would then be no need for the public to be turned, away at tho time of tho boat's sailing. Why do not the owners of the boats carrying cargo between Wellington, Nelson, Blenheim, Picton, and West Coast towns tako a turn at carrying passengers, and give- the Union Company something to think about? A little wholesome compotition might help to bring the company to its bearings.—l am, etc., A SUFFERER. fOn tho above letter being shown to Mr. W. A. Kennedy, local manager-of, the Union Steam Ship Company, he stated that the wholo trouble is caused by holders of return tickets not presenting their second half at tho office of the company, and thus obtaining berths. Regarding the latter' pnrt of our correspondent's letter, it is a fact that vessels other than theso belonging to the Union Company do carry passengers to the places mentioned.] . .