AN IRISH IMMIGRANT:

NZ Truth, Issue 138, 8 February 1908, Page 7

AN IRISH IMMIGRANT:

• ma HER SYDNEY SORROWS STATED. The Noble No.dde'utscher Lloyd ! It Heartlessly Ejects m Sydney the Woman and Her Children ; Although They Hold Through Tickets to New Zealand. " Truth" Takes a Timely Hand ; and Straightway Says Its Say. (From Sydney r, L_uth."j The Norddeutscher Lloyd Steamship Company is a very enterprising company ; it issues literature of a decidedly interesting character, but it can hardly be said that it is overburdened with bowels of compassion. What causes us to con>e to this conclusion is a story told to us last Monday by a respectable Irish mother, who, With, her' four children, called at this office to tell us of the extraordinary and entirely unexpected position m. which she found herself. She was accompanied, not only by her children, but by another wdman m a somewhat similar position to herself. The two ladies were brought to this office by a resident of Sydney, who thought "Truth" should he made acquainted with the peculiar position m which the ladles were placed. The Irishwoman to whom we have referred, who was m appearance a MOST RESPECTABLE WOMAN, had a brother living at Timaru, New Zealand, aMr O'Connor. She determined, to leave the Old Country and to join her brother, and, for this purpose, she paid, she says, no less a sum- than £60 for herself and, children for her passage by the Norddeutscher Lloyd Company's steamers trom London, to Wellingtdh, m New Zealand. This company does not, however, go to New. Zealand ; but arrangements are made with a local company. She arrived m Sydney by the ' Scharnhorst last Friday week, the 17th inst. She was to have gotie on to New Zealand thehext day by one of the Union Company's boats. When, however, she sought to do this she was told that there was no room for her on the boat. About a dozen other passengers were, we . arc informed, told the same thing.: She was also told that she could not stay) on .the Scharnhorst, and that sho s would have to obtain hoard and l.odg' ing for herself and her children, at her own expense, somewhere m Sydney,' until Saturday, 25th inst., when she could leave by Huddart. Parker's j.boat, the Winvmera. Now, the unfortunate woman had never contemplated the possibility of finding herself placed" In such a position for so long a time during any portion of her voyage. She had net made provision for any such contingency. She was utterly at a loss to know what to do. Not only had she herpelf to maintain during the- long, unexpected delay, but she also had to provide for four* children. She appealed to the Norddeutscher Lloyd people, but they told her that THEY COULD DO NOTHING for her, and that they recognised no responsibility m the matter. Greatly distressed, she- appealed to some of tbe bystanders, and by one of them was advised to seek admission to one of the institutions conducted by the Salvation Army. Thither . she and another evicted lady passenger went ; .but on their arrival tbev found t,hat they had to pay tbe Salvation Army just as if tbe "Harmv" enterprises did not float under the banner of charHv. Then she and tbe other lady passenger, whom we have mentioned, came to us, brine: brought hither by a good Sn'mnr'tan. wbn no doubt, remembered what had been done by us

m similar cases that had come under our notice. The case appeared to us to be eminently one for the attention of the New Zealand Government Agent, and also one about which we should have something to say to the Norddeutscher Lloyd. We suggested that she should first go to the New Zealand Government Office and \ state her case. She went and was accompanied by the other lady passenger whoni we have mentioned — a young woman who had been on a Cook's tour from Auckland to London, and was now on her return to join her husband. The New Zealand offices are. m C4eorge-street ; and occupy a decidedly central position. They are also attractive, and a good advertisement for New Zealand. It appears, however, that no provision is made by the New Zealand Government for such a case as We have mentioned. The Government Agent stated this to THE EVICTED PASSENGERS * and suggested to the woman whose brother was m Timaru that she should cable to him, acquainting him of her position m Sydney. The woman, however, declared that she had not the means of cabling, and the case appearing such a hard one, the Government Agent then put his hand into his own pocket arid paid the Cost of a cablegram to the woman's brother m Timaru. Up to Thursday afternoon, however, no reply had been received from- him, although there appears to be no doubt of his existence, his name appearing m the New Zealand Directory. It appears probable that he is temporarily absent from Timaru. In the meantime, the woman and children are left depending upon the Salvation Army, and should the "Harmy" happeh to insist upon their pound of flesh, it is difficult to say what might happen. After having inquired of the New Zealand Government Agent, we decided to make inquiries of the -NOrddeutscher Lloyd Company. We did so, aiid found that the company was already, seized of the facts, but considered that there Was neither legal Obligation nor ihoral obligation oh the part ofthe company to maintain the passengers who had been unable to find accommodation on the Union Company's boat. It was pointed out, that, printed on each ticket Were the words : "Passengers must maintain themselves while awaiting transhipment." And this made it clear, the Norddeutscher people contended, that there was NO LEGAL LIABILITY on the company's •part. Furthermore, the N.D.L. said, m the ordinary : course of events the vessel would have arrived, not on Friday, but on Monday, and the passengers would then, m any case, have had to wait until the following Saturday before getting a boat for New Zealand, m which case the passengers would have had to wait m Sydney four clear days instead of seven clear .days. The representative of the N.D.L. points out that the woman lias thus to wait only three clear days longer than would have been the case had the boat arrived on tho Monday, as was expected. Furthermore, he . states that the company sends passengers from Sydney to Wellington at a charge of only £l, whereas the ordinary iare from Sydney to Wellington is £3 15s. It occurred to us that the amount paid by the woman (£6o} for herself and- her children from London to New Zealand was somewhat large; but It appears that children over. 12 years of age aire charged the full fare, and as two of the children appear to be about 14 years of age, this might account for so larger a sum as £60 having been expended m the payment Of the third-class fares of the woman and her children. "'on the Norddeutscher Lloyd people are, no doubt, the best judges of their own business ; hut it appears to us that there was, if not a legal obligation, AT LEAST A MORAL OBLIGATION On their part to see that the woman and her {children did not suffer because of her unexpected detention m Sydney, so far aWiay from her relatives and friends. We all have our responsibilities, not merely as goldgetters, but also as members of society. If by the conduct, carelessness, or callousness of any member of society, a woman is reduced to such straits as may injuriously affect other members of society-, the person guilty Of the carelessness or ! callousness- is morally, and m some cases legally, tesponsible. Who could tell what might happen to that respectable MOTHER OF FOUR CHILDREN whetf she found herself evicted . from the Scharnhorst, and turned with her children /into the streets of Sydney ? If, any 1 harm came to her or her children, or to anybody' else through them, society,, as well, as the poor woman herself, Would suffer, aud the company whose methods of business had contributed to this Suffering would be blameworthy. It is said that there is "no sentiment m busihess," but even sentiment may sometimes pay a business man ; and we are Of .opinion that if the Norddeutscher Lloyd people had recognised a moral responsibility m the case of that woman and her children, and had s guaranteed their board bill at some cheap boarding-house until the Wimnvera left for New Zealand, .it would have paid the Norddeutscher Lloyd people. ' IF Il*i_E TRUE that there is no, legal liability on the part of these people, then the sooner the law is altered so as to make them legally liable m such a case the better. With regard to the other lady passenger that we have mentioned, it does "not appear that any blame is attachable to the Cook's Tourist people. They state that they are merely agents, and although they arrange tours the comnany carrying tbe tourists is responsible. This passenger left on Wednesday, on the ZealaTidia, for Auckland, at which city she will join her husband, to whom she will no doubt narrate all the incidents of her tour to the Old Land, and her feeling of irritation at being detained m Sydney longer than her nurse could conveniently stand, or than a wife lona-ing to aeain hebold her husband could calmly endure.