COMPLAINTS OF PASSENGERS BY THE IONIC.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3843, 10 November 1883, Page 3

COMPLAINTS OF PASSENGERS BY THE IONIC.

Wellington, This day

A number of the third-class passengers by the lonic have made complaints as to the accommodation, food and sanitary arrangements of the vessel. The complaints arc that the closets arc insufficient and indecent ; that the port-holes could not be opened even in the finest weather ; that except to hospital patients no fresh meat was issued during the voyage, and that the salt meat was so bad as to be unfit for use ; that the crew interfered with and used bad language to them ; that they were subjected to annoying restrictions owing to Government immigrants being aboard ; that certain officers were disobliging ; that proper lights were not provided ; and til at the ship was insufficiently found in boats in case of an accident. They admitted satisfaction with the conduct of tho captain and most of the officers. Tho authorities of the New Zealand Shipping Company havenot received any complaints from tho third-class passengers by tho lonic, and none were made when the health officer mustered the passengers on arrival and asked if there were any complaints. Dr. Rouse, of Lyttelton, who was in charge of the Government immigrants on board, denies that tho third-class passengers had any grounds of complaint, and says the food was excellent. Several of the passengers themselves write to tho morning paper to tho .same effect. The company will probably ask the Government to make a full enquiry.