THE MACQUARIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3101, 20 August 1913, Page 8

THE MACQUARIES.

AN INHOSPITABLE LOCALITY. In conversation last week with a Daily Times reporter, Mr W. Beloher, secretary of the lociai branch of the New Zealand] Federated Union of Seamen, made some severe strictures on those responsible for taking men down to the MacTuarics to be employed there in securing oil, and not making sufficient provision io convey further supplies of food, clothing, etc., to them. Mr Belcher, who has worked at the Macquaries, and has a vivid recollection of the hardships endured by the men living < n the main island, spoke more particularly of the recent failure of the Rachel Cohen to get to the island with stores. The Rachel Cohen, it should be mentioned, was chartered by the secretary of Dr. Mawson's Antarctic expedition for the Maweon wireless party at the Maoqnaries, but Mr Hatch, lessee of the islands, reserved the right to ship stores, coal, and casks for oil gatherers there. “The same old etor\ r over and over again,” said Mr Belcher. “Men taken down to one of the most bleak and inhospitable places on earth and left there without sufficient provisions, to shift for thenit-eivue as beet they may on the resources of the island, which mainly amount to penguins and rabbits —when the latter can be naught. There have boon one or two tragedies in connection with these same Macquaries,” continued Mr Belcher, “ and the worst perhaps was that of the loss of die Fakanui, which was sent to succour the men ''ho were left destitute on the ma.ji island. Some years ago the Gratitude left her bones there, and the Jessie Nkv:l was jdeo wrecked there not so long ago. and the same old disregard for human life and comfort seems to coni. line. The Macquaries have by some means or other fallen into the hands of Mr Hatch, of Invercargill. At one time they used to ho operated from Now Zealand, but it was subsequently discovered that they were under the control of the Tasmanian Government, and Mr Hatch came to the decision to transfer his headquarters to Hobart. Again the services of the New Zealand Government steamer Tutanekai lias had to ho asked for to render aid to the poor unfortunates beyond the confines of civilisation, seeing that the Rachel Cohen was unable to land lor stores at the island as a r< suit of had weather. “ That there is a bit of money to lie made out of the products of (he Macquaries is beyond question,” said Mr Belcher, “ but it is for the Government which controls the island to see that, adequate provision is made in the way of compelling th e proprietary to provide a vessel which, can communicate at the proper time with the jni-ty working there. It is a deplorable thing that almost every year the same sad state of affairs occurs, and it is only those who have experience of this southern portion