SEA TRAVELLING IN WAR TIME

Taranaki Daily News, 11 July 1918, Page 5

SEA TRAVELLING IN WAR TIME

WIMMERA PASSENGER'S PERTIN.' ENT REMARKS. Received July 10, 9 p.m. Sydney, July 10. Mr. W. F. Sedgebeer, a Wimme'ra survivor, in a press interview, expressed th« opinion that only persons having legiti- : mate business should be allowed to travel either on the Australian coast or across the Pacific in war time. On his trip both to New Zealand and returning to AustraUa the majority of saloon passengers were old men, women and children. Quite a number of the passengers were going to New Zealand to sec whether Desert Gold or Biplane was the faster animal. He considered it little short of scandalous that persons unable to look after themselves in the event of accident should be allowed to travel on the sea when their only object was pleasure. In view of the experiences on the Wimmera he suggests that all exits of a ship should be lighted similar to those of a theatre, as, under existing conditions, as soon as the engine-room is flooded the ship is thrown into darkness; also that as soon aa the vessel reaches its destination the lifeboats should be thoroughly overhauled. He alleges that the boat he had taken to when the aQciflenjt, happened carried no chocolate, ana the water was yery brack:ish. Valuable time was lost in knocking off the wooden covers from the lifeboats. He always understood that the covers had to be removed as soon as the ship sailed. » Mr. Sedgebeer made a complaint in respect to the treatment the passenger* ! received in Auckland at the hands of officials.—Press Association.