THE SHIPPING OCTOPUS.

NZ Truth, Issue 474, 18 July 1914, Page 5

THE SHIPPING OCTOPUS.

Monopolistic Extortion, Scarcity of Bunks but Plenty of Bugs. Racing Men Rampagious. The Union Steam Shipping Co.. that huge octopus which bus Its tentacles flrmly suckered on every nctlvity In the Dominion, is onco more the object of loud-voiced execration from the travelling public. This Umo the racing men aro the victims of the company's cheeae- paring policy and the many methods by which it serves Us patrons, who, willy-nilly, are compelled to accept whatever old thing In 'the way of a ship or accommodation it llkc« to offer. However, us the interests of the racing world aro aa wide and deep m their ramifications aa those of the "monster" it Is to bo hoped that the horae-lovenj will not bo content with a grumble, but will make strenuous efforts to have things remedied. The latest CAUSE FOR CUUSING is the Eaat Coast run from GJsborne to Napier and "vlcw-ver.su" for which the greedy, grasping corporation has the colossal cheek to charge £1 17/---for a return ticket-- sovou shlllin-a would bo much nearer ihe mark. As If to show lus contempt for tho public and to further rub it In, it has pluced that old tub, the Tarawera, on the run. Last week tho culmination of discomfort was reached. A raco crowd was proceeding from Napier to Glsborno and per force it .had to accommodate itself aa beat it could on tho nnolenl weary wanderer qf tho Heas. In the main, racing men ura a cleanly living, comfort-loving lot of blokes, and like thing?? done decently und Jn order. It is alleged that after paying ihelr thlrty-aoven robcrto v time, they were disgusted to llnd a disgraceful shortage of budding, every nook and cranny m the* ship THICKLY POPULATED BY BUGS and all around everything that could be conceived m the way of dirt. Tin 1 language u»ed, as regards the oelupuH and U» ways, was very strong and \ forcible — "Truth" 1« xorry X rannot print some of lv Tho Kiluon acctmimu- j dutlon waa far inferior to thut ofTVn-d m the Hteenige on othor runs. Thi- ! one bright spot wan the unwearying j endeavor of chief athwart O'Brien to J make things u« comfortable a» pos- j Hible under very trying clrcum.-mwct*. J Tho pwuwnger*. through "Truth" wish to hand him mil a hourly voto of thanks for hi* care for their comfort. This paper Ima dono lt« duty m calling public attention to the tltegrnceful stale of affairs und c«n only hop« that iU racing frtanUa will curry 'hi matter further, \