NO WAITING

Evening Post, Issue 20, 23 July 1935, Page 11

NO WAITING

MARAMA SLIPS IN

BEATS THE AUTHORITIES

For some months the practice adopted by the port health officer, the Customs authorities, representatives of the Police and Tourist Departments, and the Press has been to go out in the Janie Seddon and board incoming overseas passenger liners, without the ships dropping anchor, in the harbour. Sometimes, as Robert Burns wrote,

"the best laid plans of mice and men gang aft agley." They certainly did this morning when the Marama stole a march on the little party the members of which had got up early to enable them to carry out their respective duties as expeditiously as possible. The Marama did not remain out in the harbour. She was taken up to her berth at the King's Wharf without waiting for the Janie Seddon. Visibility was not good on the harbour, round about 7 o'clock, and it was only just possible to pick out a faint outline of the Marama as she came up past Point Jerningham. Seven o'clock was the appointed time of departure of the Janie Seddon, and from her deck, at the wharf at which, she berths, it was not possible to keep a good eye on the movements of the Marama. In any event, probably no one bothered much what she was doing, it being taken for granted doubtless that she would wait for the Janie Seddon. After one false start, the Janie Seddon got under way. She usually steams to a point well down the harbour, and she was cutting smartly and merrily through the water, in the early morning light when someone, with a trace of consternation in his voice, pointed to the after-part of a ship, sliding into the King's Wharf. Was it the Marama? It was. Even a complete stranger "would have known it was from the look in the eyes of the Customs Boarding Inspector (Mr. E. E. Cotterill).

In quick time, and with the comment that if he ; had known the Marama was going to do that he would have stayed abed a little longer, Captain George X.lee had the Janie Seddpn on another course; she was headed for the outer end of the King's Wharf, and there the boarding party hoisted themselves on to the wharf, to wait until the gangway had been hoisted up to the Marama before they could carry out their work. It was rather fortunate that the tail end of the Marama was spied out as she was-moving up-to her berth. A minute or two later and it is just possible there mig:ht have been the spectacle-of those on the Janie Seddon searching for a ahip which a little while before had been seen lazily creeping up the harbour. The Marama was securely tied up shortly after 7 a.m. The Customs and other work was promptly carried out, and the passengers had breakfast before they landed.