Late Steamers

Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 574, 19 November 1902, Page 2

Late Steamers

(To the Editor of the Times.) Sib, —I dcßiro to onter u mild protest against the working of steamers for passengers at such unreasonable and inhuman hours as is proposed to work the Union Company’s steamer Waikare on Wednesday night. The Company's notice is, “The last launch, with passengers and mails, at midnight.” That means (if the steamer should be here, which is verj" doubtful, seeing she is to leave Auckland at midnight to-night) outward passengers must hang about the wharf, hail, rain, or whatever the weather may be, till midnight in the cold and without shelter; and tho incoming passengers be also subject to the discomfort and inconvenience of being up all night, and perhapo not get ashore until at least one o'clock in the morning, to find themselves dumped ashore—almost as lonely as on the Kings —hotels and boarding-houses closed, no vehicles obtainable, and not even a shed to shelter or put luggage in, and perhaps delicate women and children arnoDgst the passJ.'? <,eia- Purely, sir, this is not necessary, and I don’t desired on the part of the Company’s directors, whose poncy is tn consider the comfort ami convenience

of the travelling public. Ido not think bUott a thing would be tolerated in any other port, neither do I thinK it would ho attempted if it interfered with the passengers, as in the proposed ease. I remarked “ If the steamer should be here,”

for the reason that the Waikare is not like the Mararoa or Rotomahana, a fast boat, and leaving Auckland at midnight and arriving here at same time following night, will necessitate her going only half speed at the start and finish of the trip, --o that at best she cannot be expected here before, perhaps, two o’clock in the morning. So, sir, in face of such prospects would it not show moro consideration for the comfort and convenience of the travelling public for the boat to be put off until, say, six o’clock next morning, thus allowing both inward and outward bound passengers to have a reasonable night's rest ? I have travelled up and down the coast a deal, but have never known passengers to be subjected to such inconvenience as we are at Gisborne. I think, sir, it is only reasonable that the public should know definitely that the latest hour at which passengers can be landed hero should be the hour at which they can find accommodation at hotels and elsewhere. Much more could be said against the unreasonably late hours' of working, but Eurely the foregoing should be enough. Hoping to see the boat put off until, say, six o’clock next morning, in the interest of the travelling public, I am, etc.,

One of Them. fWe understand that the object is to try to keep the Waikare up to time-table dates. In a roadstead port like Gisborne, it is difficult to give satisfaction to every, one. We have previously received complaints from people arriving in the Bay after 1 a.in. that they were not protnntlv landed.— Ed.] j