The Exodus.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5189, 9 April 1888, Page 2

The Exodus.

FALSE STATEMENTS,

THE WAIRARAPA AFFAIR.

INTERESTED PERSONS WORKING

THE WIRES,

[SPECIAL to daily teleoeaph.]

[OWN CORRESPONDENT. —BY TELEQRATH.J

Dunedin, This day. The Star says :—" A special telegram sent to us by our Inveroargill correspondent is, wo regret to find, very misleading. It was stated that the Wainuapa loft the Bluff yesterday for Melbourne full of and that of 400 on board very few indeed were booked at Invercargill, with the cvi« dent desire of making it appear that tho bulk of the passengers were from Dunedin Jfl and north ports. On enquiry in the proper j| quarter wo find that tho steamer cud not / carry more than 150 passengers, of whom nine saloon and thirty-two steerage were booked at Dunedin, and twenty-six saloon and sixty-six steerage passengers wero booked at northern ports. It was anticipated that there would be a rush for steerage berths, and to meet it auxiliary steerage accommodation was provided for thirty passengers, but it was not required, as thera was only one person who needed it. Tho statement that cargo had to bo shut out on account of the press of passengers is equally incorrect, the facts being that the fillip can take 750 tons, that sho had 420 tons on leaving tho Bluff, ■ that space for 300 tons was reserved for cargo awaiting shipment at Hobart, and that all the cargo offering at New Zealand porta was shipped. Wo have heard a great deal s of late about the number of people who aro leaving the colony for Victoria, and from the facts that havo come to', our knowledge, a suspicion crosses our mind that interested persons aro manipulating tho wires and using the newspapers in order to make it appear that our population is fast leaviug us,