MARINE FALCON

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26242, 28 August 1946, Page 4

MARINE FALCON

CONDITIONS ON SHIP

ROTARY GOVERNOR’S DEFENCE

“ENJOYED THE JOURNEY”

Conditions on the American transport Marine Falcon, of which strongly critical reports have recently been cabled from Sydney, are defended by Mr Blair Tennent, of Palmerston Nortlj, who was a passenger on the ship and is at present visiting Dunedin for the dental conference. Passengers who were interviewed in Sydney alleged that conditions on the ship were “ filthy and disgusting.” They described the voyage as a nightmare, and also criticised the behaviour of the crew. Mr Tennent, who was returning from a visit to the United States as governor of Rotary District No. 52, stated that he had booked to fly back to New Zealand on a plane leaving on July 12. This, however, was one of the first grounded, and the first available means of transport was by the Marine Falcon. “The position relating to shipping in the United States, as in England, was that all the luxury liners were used to the utmost for the conveyance of troops,” Mr Tennent said. The Mariposa, Monterey, Aorangi, and other ships on the Pacific run had operated continually throughout the war, and were now laid up for complete overhaulEmergency Accommodation

To enable people to travel on uhgent business between both countries the American War Service Administration had made available what emergency transport was 3 possible, he added, ana the only transport available was a certain class of troopship of which the Marine Falcon was one. “The Matson Company was asked 1o take over this ship five days before she sailed from San Francisco for New Zealand," Mr Tennent said, “and I think that in the circumstances the company did a very good job in providing the accommodation that it dm. There were approximately 65G passengers on board, including a number of young children, and a fair proportion of these were under five years of age. The company provided a supply of toys for the use of these children and room for these children to play.” « There were certainly not many deck chairs, as these were in short supply in the United States,” Mr Tennent continued, but Captain Eastman allowed the pasesngers to take chairs from the dining room on to the deck. Deck stewards were provided to assist the passengers, and they did a good job, deck games, being made available. There was a large lounge on the ship in which he had seen as many as 100 people playing cards. Cabin accommodation was by no means of the same standard as that on the Mariposa or Monterey, Mr Tennent added. Most of the cabins on the top deck had 12 passengers in them. The next deck had dormitories, each with 32 passengers, and the lower deck had as many as 150 passengers. There were sufficient conveniences, he said, but they lacked adequate privacy. Congested but Clean

“The ship as a'whole was kept quite clean,” he said. The dormitory he was in, one with 32 passengers, had two stewards allotted to it, and their duties kept them in this cabin all the time. Accommodation was certainly congested, but it was clean. The passengers had the run of the whole ship, and no restrictionos were placed on them in any way. Mr Tennent said that all the passengers were told when they purchased their tickets that emergency accommodation .would be provided, and it was not to be compared with pre-war travel. The highest fare charged to New Zealand was 260 dollars, or approximately £BS compared with £ll4 on the Mariposa.

"Captain Eastman impressed me as a. very fine captain, and he took an interest in the needs of the passengers,” Mr Tennent said. "In fact, in the circumstances, he did all that could be reasonably expected of him. The majority of the passengers accepted everything in good part, and I personally enjoyed every minute of the journey.”