"FAREWELLING THE FERRY."

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1009, 27 December 1910, Page 4

"FAREWELLING THE FERRY."

BARRIERS STOWED AWAY. On the occasion of the departure of tho Maori and Monowai for Lyttelton on Friday evening, the precaution had been taken to eTcct barricades on the wharves, and, these had tho effect of keeping the crowds of sightseers in tolerable check, and affording passengers tolerably easy access to their steamers. It appeared .that a needed lesson had been taught to/and learned by, the' authorities, but the scent) when the Jlaori again left for tho south last evening dissipated this idea. Of barriers there were none, and the unfortunate passengers—especially tho ladies —who had any impediments, and the holiday-making paterfamilias, with his charges, were sorely harassed, having to push and shove their way through a douse crowd to the ticket office on the gangway. It is said that such a crowd of spectators was not anticipated by the Harbour Board officials, but such an excuse proved a' comfortless answer t6 the many cpmplaiuts which were made. The Union Company's staff did what they could to relieve tho situation, by placing gangways parallel with the ticket office, thus affording a passage-way by which intending passengers could,, with some degree of comfort, obtain .their tickets;, but it was the trouble and annoyance of getting to this passage-way and then on 1 enierpng to get to the gangway, about which tho complaints were made.