REPLY TO CRITICISM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26703, 24 February 1948, Page 6

REPLY TO CRITICISM

CONDITIONS ON RANGITATA STATEMENT BY COMPANY P.A. WELLINGTON, Feb. 23. A statement has been issued by the New Zealand Shipping Company replying to the recent criticism of conditions on board R.M.S. Rangitata when on its voyage to New Zealand. It points out that the Rangitata had been engaged on continuous war-time service as a troop transport since January, 1940, and with other ships of her kind is continuing to operate in more or less the same condition at the express request of the authorities to assist in carrying immigrants and in clearing the tremendous backlog of passengers prevented from leaving England due to the war.

“ These civilian transports are carrying more than twice the normal peace-time complement of passengers,” the company states, "and the office of the High Commissioner for New Zealand and the shipowners themselves leave intending passengers under no misconception regarding the fact that the transport conditions apply, as each passenger, whether immigrant or not, is required before booking to sign an acknowledgment of the fact that he is travelling under austerity conditions. ‘‘At the special request of the New Zealand Government the booking of a refitting berth for the Rangitata; made for her nearly two years beforehand at Clydebank, was cancelled and she has been maintained in commission,” ■the company adds. The report also contains statements from the commander, purser and chief steward and the ship’s surgeon on the conditions on her last voyage. The commander states that with the exception of Sundays and on two or three other occasions, due to bad Weather, etc., a daily inspection of the passenger accommodation, cabins, bathrooms and lavatories was made by the ship’s surgeon, the purser, the head steward and himself, and it was his earnest conviction that the bathrooms and lavatories were in an exceptionally good state of cleanliness. Every endeavour was made to keep the decks clean and reduce to a minimum any noise likely to disturb passengers. The report of the ship’s surgeon on the slight outbreak of impetigo states that the total number on board was 802 passengers, of whom 85 were children. ' The disease was diagnosed as soon as was medically practicable, and the prevention of its spread was sufficient evidence of the efforts and efficiency of the medical department considering the number of passengers carried.