ON BOARD THE FLORA

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2477, 16 April 1909, Page 6

ON BOARD THE FLORA

[To The Editor.]

Sir, —'Knowing that your columns are always open in the interests of the public to expose maltreatment of all.kinds, 1 have no hesitation in asking you to insert the following. .On Monday, the Union Steamship Company’s Flora arrived in the roadstead about 4 p.m... with a number of passengers, consisting mostly of ladies advanced in years, young Avomen, Ad children. Tlie Lunch, ostensibly to convey the pssen--ors to tlie shore, left the wharf at id,out 7 p.m. The passengers were not put on to the Avharf till nearly 3 a.m. the following morning. While on board the Flora, one of the lady passengers asked the official responsible for their protracted detention the cause of it, arid he replied “You are only ordinary Coast passengers.” Now, Mr. Editor, 1 fail to grasp ivhat thir. means. Is j- intended to- convey that human beings from the Coast ports are looked on by the officers of the Union Company as co many sheep' -and cattle ? Ir such be the case, it is time the residents or the Coast looked elsewhere _ than to the Union Company for their convenience, and to receive that common civility which they reasonably might expect. — 1 am, etc.,