CONDUCT ON SHIPS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1035, 26 January 1911, Page 6

CONDUCT ON SHIPS.

allegations about immigrants. ',! ' :Weee;thet-justified ■ ■■ . ißy .Telcnraph-Prcss Association.) ... Christchurch, January 25. • ;A young man, , who is now resident 1 in Christchurch,. and who arrived, from tho Old Country by the. Itotorua, was seiu to-day relative to allegations mado by a ilr. Smith eoricerning , the conduct of the Women, immigrants on tho liotorVia. ■lie expressed his surpriso that Mr. Smith should have made such an extraordinary attack-on some ; of his .fellow passengers.. The; women, and girls on board, ho said,,.vfere,just:.ordinary peoplo —iftitner better 'nor'worse—and ho was at a loss to' understand' lio'w theii- ; innocent tun of '■ the.'sort, conimou on shipboard could bp described as looseness, friendships were easily :iriade on ii''long sea "voyage, and ail the passengers seemed to get on .well with one another. ■ He was quite! satisfied that thero was uono of tho open immorality or looseness which had been suggested.- . ■• ■ lie .described the medical inspection'to which the emigrants were subjected bpfore- leaving: the-'Olcl Country.. As the passengers passed 'aboaid the , ..packet they iWer'e. observed by .two doctors; and, if any showed signs of illness,*-'he or" she was 'uhlored to stand asidn further ex* am'nation. The. doctors apgeareaxo u) sdtisfied if a man or woman'had tho appearance of sound health. ~Every child, however, was taken below packet, and thoroughly examined by the doctors. ■ Going-aboard .the. Uotorua.-the passengers had again to pass under"'the eye of. a doctor.''■';■■•■' '■' ' - "■ ;''■ ■ ; The young man was very strongly of opinion -that far-too riiuchrhad been made of the exuberance, and,., lightheadedness which: nitiifally develop on a sea voyage on which; young people, are constantly being 'thrown' together,- and on which they have'to be,, to a largo extent, their own entertainers. He considered that a very , v tho.. young women'-wlo 7 Urnm- but' by .the nasty-Havour. about.tlie. allegations. A lady," connectedwith'an employment, office'v.which deals, very largely with female labour) saidvtliat several of the Scotch-girls -who irjived by tho.Rotprua had called upon her a few days'ago. She was very much impressed with them, and.formed a high opimon.of their.honesty and. straightforwardiiess..'.They'made no suggestion had,been anything untoward on-',the -voyagevout, but ; natiirally enough,' tie subje.ct clid.-'.nof. arise. The .lady_:;was,..howeyer,;; ; yery strongly .of opinion,':. from - previous' experience of' immigrants, that, more card should : be' taken, in the selection of-'tho girls- rwho were sent out here: Tho production of a certificate' seemed", to.', bo ■ quite. sufficient' .at Home, and no'steps were taken to-certify to its genuineness. .It was undeniable; that, in the past," som'e .'of the immigrants-had been -of a class-,-which the country would not have'willingly received had it linown their l true characters.'"'. ~! '.-.-' ■'. ' ■