ON THE MAKURA

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 140, 10 December 1918, Page 7

ON THE MAKURA

EXPERIENCES ON THE

SHIP

QUARANTINING AN "APPALLING

BLUNDER"

"A SELFISH AND CALLOUS CITY."

(BI TELKOKAPH.—SPECIAL TO THB POST.)

AUCKLAND, This Day.

One of the Auckland- passengers, in stating the ftory of his experiences on the Mafcura, says: "Briefly the opinion on the ship was that Auckland had mado up its mind to quarantine the Makura, farrly or unfairly ; that we were to suffer for the blunder of the Niagara, and that Auckland generally, and its Mayor in particular, had on account of its recent sufferings lost its balance. . .* It was an appalliug. blunder to quarantine the ship and confine 520 passengers and crew on board. It was difficult to record the feelings of those on board from day to day, because there was always hope that some ray of reason would come from the shore, sAs time went on the ideas of responsibility for our position underwent some change. The newspapers, smoking-room arguments, and other influences led to a more general acceptance of the facts regarding. Hha Health Department's incapacity. Then came the announcement that the Auckland importers wanted th«ir fruit landed, and this fact was quoted all over the ship as evidence of the selfishness and callousness of the city. "A little later came-news of Auckland's appreciation of Dr. Frengley's efforts in the epidemic, and this was at once seised upon as a sign that Auckland was proud of Dr. Frengley for having quarantined the Makura, and left her passengers and crew to any fate that might be theirs. All tiiis may read as rather grotesque, but by this time nervous tension* due to our confinement and uncertainty as to the future, had set- in.* STEWARDS GO ON STRIKE. "The stewards' .strike, which upset tho ship on the Friday, may be traced to this nervousness. All evidence available to the passengers and crew of the Makura indicated that the influenza we had on board was of a very mild type. Most of the patients walked on to the steamer brought td> transfer them to Motuihi. A number of them wentjWithout overcoats on a chilly night at -eight o'clock, to the astonishment of the onlookers from the ship. The stewards felt that some at any rate of their number had been moved for a trfling cause, and 1 they believed that two or three passengers who had kept to their cabins were as ill and as likely to spread infection as some of the stewards who had been'taken to the hospital. One of the aggrieved stewards put their case in this way: 'The Health Department is making the Makura suffer for the Niagara, and they are making up the number they need from the ship's company. Let the passengers have a turn.' "The whole of the stewards stood on that ground.' On .Friday morning, when tha doctors' launch came to take patients. to Motuihi, Captain Crawford and Dr. Hughes reasoned with them, but they refused to waive their objections, .and declared that not another steward or stewardess would go ashore unless the sick passengers went also. ■ . VOLUNTEER WAITERS. ! "Owing to the stewards' strike, lunch and dinner on Friday - were interesting and memorable occasions. The strike developed just before lunch. A shift of willing waiters was at once organised, and the meal was' well and cheerfully served. In the afternoon all the passengers met, and there was a rush of volunteers for waiting and pantry, work. The organisation was very efficient and the work ofj the first shift was well done, but before dinner was over! the strike had come to an end. Dr. Valintine came on board just before dinner. He interview the stewards, and gave them ■an assurance that if any passengers developed influenza they would be sent ashore^ This satisfied- the stewards, who at once took up their work. "The New Zealand party reached Motuihi about one o'clock on Saturday, and sat down to lunch an hour later. They were delighted with the provision made for them by the Union Company, 1 which had a capable staff on the island ■under the direction *of Captain Foster. There is not the slightest doubt that had the New Zealand passengers- been sent to Motuihi' early last week there ■would have been no complaint of any kind from them. - . PASSENGERS AS "COALIES." "Sufficient coal was taken on board the Makura last week to last until Sydney was reached. The coal hulk was sent to the quarantine station on Thursday afternoon fop' the purpose of coal"ing. The vessel's baskets were filled on the hulk by labour from the city, and handled on the Malrura by volunteer workers. > These included many firstclass -passengers, kmong them being Brigadier-General <C. H. Brand, and many oblier officers of the Australian Forces, all of whom entered with great enthusiasm into the work of coaling the ship. The passengers worked in shifts, and there was keen, competition among them to see who' could handle tbe most iCoaHn the Shortest time. The work,of coaling was continued on Friday arid Saturday, and the opinion of the men on the hulk was that the amateur coalers on board had done their part of the coaling operation' most expeditiously."