THE UNION SHIPPING COMPANY.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1229, 20 December 1882, Page 2

THE UNION SHIPPING COMPANY.

]to the editor.] Sir,—Referring to “Passenger’s” letter, which appeared in your issue of yesterday, I can only say that in all my travelling experience I never did witness such an audacious piece of impertinence as that beheld by me on bcaVd the Union S.S. Company Rotomahana, on her late trip from Napier to Gisborne. Well and truly might “Passenger” give vent to his thoughts in your columns in condemnation of the acts of the officials who ordered gentlemen who were seated at the public table to remove from their seats, as the seats were en* gaged frbm Dunedin by others. As my fellow passenger remarked, rather than cause any disturbance or inconvenience any ladies who were seated at another table, we,, of course, removed, but owing to the number of passengers who were to De accommodated I, in company with . others-, was obliged to go in the Background, or in other words, to an inferior table to that we left, as the food was scarce and indifferent, the accommodation insufficient, and the attendance, to say the least of it, bad. One gentleman who sat beside me and who did not use strong ale or tea asked on three separate occasions for a drink of water for dinner, and eventually had to finish his dinner (such as it was) without liquid of any descriptiau whatever, although having frequently asked for it. Now Sir, I do not wish that the captain of the said steamer should in any way be blamed for such usurpation of authority but I would wish to know if any such authority was invested in any of the lads attendant, as to order one or more of the passengers from the public table of a public passenger boat to make mom for another of the public who paid the same fare as the man removed. Then again another and serious cause of complaint was sleeping accommodation which was quite inadequate for the number of passengers on board. I think it is only just and proper that companies should be compelled to carry only a limited number of passengers such as stage and hackney coaches at'e, and should be subject to a heavy penalty for any nonfulfilment of the Act. I also think the Police should be specially instructed to examine eaeh steamer on arrival and departure from each port.—l am, &c., Another Passenger-.