THE SAN FRANCISCO ROUTE.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9606, 22 December 1896, Page 6

THE SAN FRANCISCO ROUTE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THK PRESS. Sin, —My attention has been drawn to a letter published in your issue of Bth inst., in which the writer, Mr E. M. Macdonald, makes serious charges against the Union Company's San Francisco route to England. Mr Macdonald states that he booked a firstclafs passage from Christchureh to Englaud, via America —" which was supposed to cover ordinary first-class accommodation by sea aud land to his destination" ; but that at New York £5 was "extorted" from him before he was permitted to take possession of a berth on the Cunard Company's steamer Campania, which he considered his through ticket entitled him to. He also makes it a grievance that he had to pay extra for securing a seat in the railway train —was further mulct in a heavy charge for sleeping accommodation, and that while in the train he was charged outrageously for food. These are serious charges against the American route, and with your permission I shall reply to them, first of all stating that Mr Macdonald's is the first complaint of the kind that has been put before v«, although we have booked many thousands of passengers on exactly the same terms.

It is the case that some three years ago Mr Macdonald was booked by U3 and was supplied with a ticket which entitled him to first class travel to England via America, including a £20 berth on any steamer crossing the Atlantic from New York. On his return to New Zealand Mr Macdonald represented that, in New York, he had been compelled to pay £5 extra for a berth in the Cunard Line steamship Campania, and this amount he claimed to be refunded under threat of publishing his wrongs through the columns of the Press or suing for the amount. Mr Macdonald's story was something quite new to us, and we suggested lo him that if he had been compelled to pay £5 extra in New York, it must have been because he wished to travel in higher-priced accommodation (saloon accommodation on the Atlantic steamers ranges from £10 to £50), or that probably he crossed in the spring or early summer when the steamers are crowded with passengers proceeding to Europe and berths are not always procurable at short notice. Mr Macdonald would not listen, however, to any surmises, but demanded his £5. Naturally we declined to pay it, but expressed ourselves quite agreeable to forward his complaint to the Cunard Company, and ask an explanation. We did so, and received a very full reply, which stated that Mr Macdonald had travelled in the Campania in the very height of the season, 19th May. that the steamer wa. already nearly lull when Mr Macdonald applied for a passage, and that a £25 berth was the lowest accommodation then available ; that he had raised no objection to the extra chax-ge at the time; that he had no just cause for complaint, and that they could not for a moment entertain his claim for a refund of any part of the sum he had paid them. We at once forwarded a copy of the Cunard Company's reply to Mr Macdonald, who refused to accept che explanation, and threatened an action for the recovery of £5. As presumably he has been advised he has no claim, he has put his first threat into effect, and ventilated his grievance through the Press.

As to Mr Macdonald's complaint regarding sleeping accommodation on the train, and outrageous charges for food, the American Railway Companies cater for all sorts and conditions of people. Mr Macdonald's ticket gave him first-clas. transport across America, but he apparently considered it should have provided hioi with bed and board. Passengers who do not break their journey, but spend their in the train, have naturally to pay for sleeping accommodation. In all American transcontinental mail trains the sleeping berth at night is exclusively the seat of the passenger during the day, and the total cost of a berth, which accommodates two persons, for the entire journey from San - Francisco to New York, a distance of 3231 miles, is £4 2s. As to the _ " outrageous charges for food," it is entirely a matter of personal taste and choice how a passenger dines. Meals are served on board the train in all tho style of a first class hotel, and the passenger can order what he likes from a liberal carle, at so much per dish, or he can dine tabic d'hote at a charge ranging from 3s to 4s, according as he pleases.

I regret very much that Mr Macdonald's experience of the American route should have been so exceptional; but that it was exceptional is, I think, sufficiently evident from the fact that, as I have already said, his is the first complaint of the kind placed before us, although we have carried on the San Francisco service for over ton years, and it is admitted to be, of all routes to Europe, the most interesting and delightful to travel, affording as it does such pleasing variety of scene, such choice of overland journeys and such frequent opportunity of intercourse with other peoples, while at the same time it is from New Zealand by far the roost speedy.—Yours,.&c.,

F. W. Whitson, Secretary,: Union Steamship Company of N.Z., Limited. Dunedin, 21st December, 1896.