ON THE MAKURA.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 December 1918, Page 6

ON THE MAKURA.

i a EXPERIENCES ON THE SHIP, | QUARANTINING AN "APPALLING BLUNDER." . ' A SELFISH AND CALLOUS CITY." Auckland, This Day. One of the Auckland passengers, in stating the story of his experiences on the Makura, s<iya: "Briefly the opinion on the ship was that Auckland had made up its mind to quarantine the Makura, fairly or unfairly; that we wera to suffer for the blunder of the Niagara, and that Auckland generally, and its Mayor in particular, had on account of Its recent buiT,-i inga lost its balance. . . It was an appalling blunder to quarantine the ship ard confine 520 passengers and aew on board. , It was difficult to record the feeiings of those on board from day to day, because there was always hope thai; some ray of reason would come from the shore. As time went on the ideas of responsibility for our position underwent some change. The newspapers, smoking-room arguments, and other influences led to a mote general acceptance of the facts regarding the Health Department's incapacity. Then came the announcement that the Auckland importers wanted their fruit landed, and this fact was quoted all over the ship &b evidence of the selfishness and callousness of the city. "A little later came news of Auckland's appreciation of Dr. Frengley's efforts in the epidemic, and this was at. once seized upon as a sign that Auckland was proud of Dr. Pfengley for having quarantined the Makura, and left Jier passengers and crew to any fate that might be theirs. All this may Tead as rather grotesque, but. by this time nervous tension, due to our confinement: and uncertainty as to the future, ha'd set in.

STEWARDS GO ON STRIKE. "The stewards' strike, which upset the whip on the Friday, may be traced to- this nervousness. .'All evidence available to the passengers and crew of the Makura' indicated that the influenza we had r on boaPd was of . a very: mild type. Most, of the- patients walked on to the eteamer brought to transfer them to Motuihi. A number of them went without overcoats on a chilly night at eight o'clock, to the astonishment of the onlookers from the ship. The stewards felt that some at any rate of their number had been moved for a trifling cauße, and they believed, that two pr three passengers who bad kept to their cabins Were as ill ani as likely to spread infection as some of the stewards who had been taken to the hospital. One of the aggrieved stewards put their case in this way: 'The Health Department i» making the Makura suffer for the Niagara, and iliey are making up the number they reed from the ship's company. Let thj passengers have a turn. "The whole of the stewards stood on that ground. On Friday nrorning, when the doctors' launch came to take patients to Motuihi, Captain Crawford and Dr. Hughes reasoned with them, but they refused to waive their objections, and declared that not another steward or stewardess would go ashore unless the sick passenger.' went also. VOLUNTEER WAITERS. "Owing to the stewards' strike, lunch and dinner on Friday were interesting and memorable occasions. The strike developed just before lunch. A shift of willing waiteis was at once organised, and the meal was well and cheerfully served. In th" afternoon all the passengers met, and there was a rush of volunteers for waiting and pantry work. The organisation was very efficient and the worjf of the first shift was well done, but before dinner was over the strike had come to an end. Dr. Valintine came on boa/d just before dinner. He interviewed the stewards, and gave them an assurance that if any passengers developed influenza they would be sent ashore. This satisfied the stewards, who at once took uo their work. "The New Zealand party reached Motuihi about one o'clock on Staurday, and sat down to lunch an hour later. They were delighted with the provision made for then; by the Union Company, •which had a capable staff on the island! und»r the direction of Captain Poster. There is not the slightest doubt that liad the New Zealand passengers been sent to Motuihi early last week there would have been no complaint of any kind fronj, thc/n. PASSENGERS AS "COALIES." /"Sufficient coal was taken on board '"the Makura last week to last until Sydney was readied. The coal hulk was sent to the quarantine station on Thursday afternoon tor the purpose of coaling. The vessel's baskets were filled on the hulk by labour from the city, and handled on the Makura by volunteer 'workers. These included many firstclass passengers, among them being Brigadier-Generr.l C. H. Bragd, and many other officers of the Australian Forces, all of whom entered with great enthusiasm into the. work of coaling the shin. The passengers worked in Bhifts, and there was keen competition among them to see who could handle the most coal in the shortest time. The work of coaling was continued on Friday and Saturday, and the opinion of the men on the hulk was that the amateur coalers or. board had done their part of the coaling operation mosi, expeditiously."