SHAMEFUL OVERCROWDING.

NZ Truth, Issue 100, 18 May 1907, Page 5

SHAMEFUL OVERCROWDING.

WHAT ARE THE CUSTOMS

DOING?

The Union S.S. Co. tfie

Offenders.

Nothing is more certain 'than that there will foe on [these coasts a raaritirne disaster, the j Ipss 61 r % attending which will be dire anct appalling, and" -fihat i loss of life can, and will only te, ■ attributable to the criminal neglect of the Customs authorities and the grew? «6id-lust of the shipP* l^.. companies whose vessels ply betweea this and p&er New /Zealand, ports. indeed, it?.' has greatly surprised a number of people, even those of audfcioaii'ty, that the' cruel over-crowding of the Union Company's vessels at. Exhibition time did not form the subject of more tha-n one prosecution, because it is- useless to | deny that those same vessels were sh-amfully, over-packed with surging masses of humanity, and had there, been any. mishap at sea, either wreck or fire, nothing but pandc, -disorganisation, and cruel and frightful deaths must have followed. It seems top plainly apparent, .that this Union Shdppiag Company has a big pull somewhere, so much so that the Customs Officers are either afraid, or are too apathetic and REMISS IN THE DUTY they owe to the public. Lately there was a facfc me^tini? at Blenheim arid from Wellington fere went thither a large number ,of race-goers, and Whatever the reason, (race-goers, who ,pay through the nose for cvi eiy thing, are as a rule supplied with that sort of accommodation which m ordinary circumstances would not be provided a dog. The only boat (hat thte rich and -plutocratic and politically b,ossed Union do. put on for . the service between WelHngitpn ' and Picton .was that old tufa ithe Wainui.lts passenger accommodation is veiy_ limited, but tihat fact did not prevent Company's! servants cramming fully. <LOO men, women, and children into what at ordinary times might comfortably put up 40 or 50 human beings. This shamful sardinepackinw of human live stock on the Wai'hui seems to have been actually .Carried, on right under the. noses of the .... Customs ' authorities. Every berth was filled, women and children .were given.. the; state room, and on the cold wind and water. swept decks men were allowed to shift as fj|3st they oooilidi. The statet-room could not be locked, and the women and children, penned m .tibe.re were* visible to everybody on the .decks. To the unfortunate travellers huddled up on the declc, not a blanket or matrass was yffiven, and applications for such were unavailing, and of course sleep during the night was out of all question. To make matters, worse Picton was reached before daylight, arid under . our glorious Lioensing System it would have been a crime for any hotel-keeper to open up his establishment to give the ' traveller food and driitk, atid if x ever refreshmient was needed, those . WaitfuU pas-seiftgiers lan®w it; but to get' drink and food lief ore 6 a.m., is m this glorious. coUntry of ours COUNTED A CRIME, and .they had', therefore, to wait and wander about . f in tlje semi-darkness .till the train was ready 'to go to Blenheim. Not only were men m this plight, but there were women and children. The condition; of these unfortunates was. made -infinitely worse by reason of the fact that they had to get off. the boat, as ib had ,to continue its voyage. What would have been the result of any mishap on the voyage across the S/trai-ts nobody^ can > imagine with pleasant feelings, and ythe day will yet dawn when some ill-fated vessel, heavily awd .ovje'r-ladcn with human freight will mjfet. with some disaster.. Then, and only then j as it al,'ways is, will the l authorities awake to their responsibilities. Authority always awakens after there has been a sacrifice of/human life. ', • .