LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 134, 2 March 1920, Page 7

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

. SHIPOWNERS' BRITISH SAILORS' 1 F P'" Sir,—l read with much interest in the issue of your paper of February 1G the ietter written by Mr. E. Newman rp the Shecpowners' British Seamen's Fund. Having been an old sailor myself, and being engaged on the waterfront, also in. tercsted in snission work among tho sailors, I come in contact with large numbers of sailors who have' expressed the opinion that Wellington, the Empire City, and the leading port in New Zealand, should-not be so "absolutely behind the times as it is in the matter of provision for sailors finding suitable accommodation where men of their own calling congregate together, and where they can feci thoroughly at home whilst remaining temporarily ashore. In many cases a sailor is taken to hospital sick, and.as the ship sails without him ho frequently, when he conies out of hospital, has <to shift for himself, andsometimes gets into a lodging-house of questionable refute, often owing to scarcity of funds, and being a total stranger in tho place has to submit to this condition of things until he gets' another ship. I.have been long of the opinion that there is an absolute need in this port of an up-to-date sailors' hostel or "Jacks' palace" in which every provision will be made for tho sailors' social and spiritual welfare, on the' same lines aa one finds in ports such as London, Liverpool, New York, Montreal, and other large seaports of tho world. We | perhaps cannot hopo to have such commodious premises as those ports have, but should certainly have in Wellington a "Jacks' palace" or hostel, sufficiently large enough to cater for the needs of our British sailors. If the Wellington people should decide to provide a "Jacks' palace" in this port on similar lines to tho institution of that name ran by the British and Foreign Sailors' Society, fn London, I think that if a number of our citizens interested in the social.work among the sailors were to.form a committee with tho objecb of appealing for the necessary funds, Mr. Newman would fall in with the idea,' and recommend the contributors to devote a large proportion, if aot the whole, of the funds lieing collected towards the erection of an up-to-date institution. lam sura the fund would be augmented considerably by other residents of Wellington and the Adjacent provinces importing and. exporting through the port of Wellington, who would bo glad* of suoh an opportunity of erecting a permanent memorial here as a- thank offering for the sacrifices made and the hardships endured Jiy the sailors of our naval and merchant during the five years of the great war. I hope, Sir; that the Sheepowners' Sailors' Fund will not all be allowed to leave New Zealand -whilst we have the. urgent need, of such an institution inour midst, and I trust that the whole of the community'will give the m|atter sympathetic attention, and that a.'committee will soon be found working some-; what on the lines suggested. We remember that in the majority of cases the sailor is a total stranger in our midst, and fully ' appreciates what is done to. keep him out of the pitfalls and make his temporary stay in this port enjoyable and uplifting—l. am, etc.. ONE INTERESTED.