The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 1908. GISBORNE’S PASSENGER SERVICE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2137, 12 March 1908, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 1908. GISBORNE’S PASSENGER SERVICE.

The conditions which tlic steamship companies compel those utilising the port of Gisborne to accept are rapidly reaching a stage where,'they will prove to be unbearable. A little more than a week ago we had occasion to draw attention to this matter, and already there are several more instances of unfair treatment. The Zealandia, from the South on Saturday, arrived here several hour’s late, and the last launch for Auckland, instead of leaving at 10 o’clock as advertised, did not leave until 2 in the afternoon. Then came the case of the Waikare, due from Auckland on. Sunday, and although the delay caused in that instance was attributable to bad weather,-the fact remains tat a very similar s state of affairs has happened before when ti e weather was not a disturbing factor When those desiring to leave this port for the South got to the wharf at the advertised time of leaving,' namely, 5 p.m., they found that the launch would not leave until 6 on Monday morning. The inconvenience to business people, who are the chief users of the steamers, is very considerable. Thus a person who has relied upon getting into Wellington on Monday night, and had made important business arrangements on that basis, would have them tail with possibly disastrous results, and all those who had been depending on the mail service would likewise be disappointed through the AVaikare not catching Monday's express from Napier; AA'itli country people, however, the inconvenience is still more marked. One lias only to imagine a family leaving, say Patutalii, for the South. They drive ten miles into town prepared to catch the steamer, only to find that the launch does not leave until tlie following morning. The option then remains of trying to find a lodging place in a town, the hotels of which arc almost invariably crowded out, or driving through the wind and fain back to their homo for a few hours’ sleep, before making another start in tlie early hours of tlie morning in order to catch the G o’clock launch. The AVimmora, which arrived from Auckland, last night, provided another example of the sort of thing travellers to and from Gisborne have to put up with. Instead of arriving liero in the daytime, so that incoming passengers could be landed in daylight, and outward travellers despatched at a convenient hour, the steamer was delayed in Auckland so long that she -did not arrive in the Buy until after ten o’clock. The result was that passengers were not put ashore until after mndniglit, many of them in a strange town, and with not the remotest idea where to obtain lodgings. As the local liostelrics were full last night it is not pleasant to contemplate the plight of these travellers dumped on the wharf at midnight under such circumstances, and their remarks concerning Gisborne and its people would scarcely be of a complimentary nature. In the past we have suffered enough from our isolation, and it appears as though the steamship companies are determined that nothing shall be left undone which can he achieved to prejudice us in the eyes of the outside public. It is a recognised fact that commercial representatives in many instances avoid Gisborne as they would- the plague, and never come near until the stress of business competition makes an occasional visit absolutely compulsory. It is a common saying throughout the Dominion, “Oh, I never go to Gisborne unless I can help it; when you get there you never pan tell when you are likely to get out again!” and unfortunately the gibe appears t-o he justified. It is not too much to say that our progress up to the present lias been made in spite oi tin} steamship companies, for the disregard of the conveniences of the travelling public, as well as of local business interests, has been so marked as t-o very seriously retard the com--inerciaA development of tlie place. Hie position has recently become accentuated until it is now simply intolerable, but unless our business firms make protest, it is very evident that no improvement can be looked for. A bi-weekly service connecting us with the outside world is surely a poor tribute to the importance of the place, but when that service becomes so irregular as te destroy a great portion of its utility, it is surely time for the local community to take definite and prompt action. As we have mentioned before on many ot>

elisions, the only remedy for .(ho piesent state of affairs is lo form a thoroughly live Citizens’ League, which will represent the people in this and similar matters, and will take united action of such a kind as will .assure the district of fair play in its struggle for a foremost-place-amongst New Zealand towns. k