A SHIPPING COMPLAINT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2751, 20 April 1916, Page 6

A SHIPPING COMPLAINT

FERRY PASSENGERS LEFT

BEHIND.

Complaints were mado at the Dominion Office last evening concerning the arrangements made by the Union Company for receiving passengers by the Maori for Lyttelton. It is stated that several passengers who had taken out their tickets oh Tuesday, and had had berths assigned them, were refused a passage'by the ferry steamer when they presented thomselves at the gangway shortly before sailing 1 time last evening, .the reason given being that the ship was fuli. One of those so treated' was Major A. A. Corrigan, Officer in Charge of the Wellington Area Group, who intejvled leaving for " Lyttelton' last evening 'to be present on behalf of the Defence Department on the arrival of the Dlimaroa with wounded soldiers to-day. Major Corrigan states that ho" hai tickets taken out on Tuesday for himself, and other Defence officers, and lie produced the tickets, with the berths marked on them. On,arrival at toe ship shortly before the advertised timo of sailing he was refused a passage, the reason, assigned being that the vessel was full. Major Corrigan states that although, he had a, tickot and a berth, and was refused a passage, tickets were still being sold at the ticket office on the wharf when he went down to the vessel. The company's Explanation. An, official of the Union' Company, j when approached with regard to the j above complaint, stated ■ that at rush '• time's like Saster and Christmas a good deal of confusion was inevitable. At. five o'clock last ' evening the book-' ings for the M.vjri were 90 short.of tho ship's full complement. • Instructions were issued to the wharf ticket box not to issue more than 50 tickets, and it is claimed that that number was no"V issued. At 7.30 p.m. there were- still 1 one hundred to go aboard before the lull complement—7o9—was reached. There was at that time room on board for all those holding tickets, and to whom Berths had Been allotted previously. The Customs officials declared the ship "full" at twenty minutes to eight, at which time there was, the official claimed, quite a number to' whom tickets had heen issued still standing on the wharf, and who had made no attempt to board the ship. It was also pointed out that at rush times people holding tickets should hoard tho shij> a reasonable period before tho time of departure.