STEAMS FROM SYDNEY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17691, 28 January 1921, Page 6

STEAMS FROM SYDNEY.

ARRIVAL. OF THE TOFUA.

MANY STRANDED TRAVELLERS

The Tofua arrived yesterday from Sydney, being the first intercolonial vessel to reach Auckland since the stewards' strike began. She carried 300 passengers, including 172 steerage.

Among the passengers were a great many, including several immigrants, who had been delayed in Sydney as a result of the strike. The immigrant* especially were most grateful for the opportunity to get to New Zealand. Like ,other immigrants whose enforced stay in the Commonwealth proved most irksome the n3w arrivals, by reason of the consideration shown them by the New Zealand Government, have come to regard the Dominion as a "haven of rest " after the buffeting about they experienced from the time they left Britain, and their actions were truly demonstrative of the joy they felt at reaching their future home.

The inconvenience caused by the shipping, strike was mentioned by some of the passengers, who expressed the opinion that the strikers had done themselves incalculable harm by delaying the steamers in the manner they had. One passenger said : " The press and public in the Commonwealth denounced the strike in no uncertain terms, and it was obvious from the beginning that the strike was doomed to failure. The opinion when we left was that the strike had ended in the way that everyone expected it would, but the cost of the trouble had been very considerable to everyone affected by it." "We are glad to get home," said another passenger. " After all there is no place like New Zealand, and I will not be in a harry to leave it again for some time."

Temporary sleeping accommodation had to be arranced for a number of the male passengers in the ship's holds and in the smoking rooms and in other parts of the vessel. The passengers were made quite comfortable, and there were no incidents of any kind to mar the pleasure of those on board.