DUMPED IN THE HOLD.

NZ Truth, Issue 147, 11 April 1908, Page 4

DUMPED IN THE HOLD.

Strange Treatment of Third-

Class Passengers.

Yesterday, quite a number of third-class passengers "on the Union S.S. Company's vessel Waikare complained to "Truth" that the accommodation provided for them was simply disgraceful. A reporter from this journal was deputed to ascertain how things stood, and the fact was very apparent that the steerage passengers had good ground for complaint. The _'-;ual third-class accommodation was to be utilised for second-class passengers and tlie thirds were dumped out of their quarters and put down the hold of the vessel, where temporary bunks were erected. The shipping authorities' attention was directed to the matter, and, not strange to say, THEY FOUND NO FAULT m the arrangements made by the U.S.S. crowd. It seems, anyhow, that thirdclass passengers are no class at all on these boats and are treated as cattle. The bunks are erected m the hold, and a very powerful stench arose Irom something m the vicinity, and it' might have paid the Health authorities to have visited the place. If the shipping authorities were satisfied, "Truth" would like to know what they would consider unsatisfactory ? Perhaps if the Waikare wasn't a U.S.S. boat something would have been found unsatisfactory, and there would have been hell to pay. "Truth's" reporter saw some Chows pigging into some thirdclass stew or something. Anyhow, they seemed satisfied, just like the shipping people. _