Penalises Thursday Is.

How the Navigation Act Penalises Thursday Is.

Residents Want Japanese Ships to Call.

From Our Own C»rrespondent

Thursday Is., Jan. 28.

SINCE the withdrawal of the E. & A. steamers from this port, owing to de viation of route, passengers have found it difficult at times to obtain travelling accommodation.

The A. & O. steamers, and the B.P. ships, as well as the coastal boat, make a regular monthly run, but only one of the B.P. steamers carries women passen gers, the other (a converted cargo steamer put on after the loss of the “Malabar”), having accommodation for only a limited number of males.

Another drawback is that, as time tables are at present arranged, all the steamers for South leave T.I. within a few days of one another, leaving a gap of a fortnight or three weeks before the next ship. The “Taiping” this month is a full ship, and the wires have been busy concerning passengers waiting to travel south, including children return ing to school.

It was announced first of all that there would be no accommodation for other than second-class passengers, and pos sibly not even that, no definite informa tion being available until the ship was within a couple of days of port. Com munication was then established with the Commonwealth authorities to ascer tain whether permission would be granted some waiting passengers to travel per the Japanese mail steamer, due within a few days.

The Japanese steamers call here monthly, and formerly carried passen gers to and from south, but under the provisions of the Navigation Act this privilege was withdrawn from them as well as from other overseas vessels not British-owned.

Following upon urgent representations, instructions were received locally for the A. & O. steamer to provide suitable ac commodation. A day before the steamer’s arrival, wireless messages were received stating that a case of smallpox was on board, and that there was every prob ability of the steamer having to proceed straight to Sydney in quarantine.

As over 20 people were anxiously awaiting information as to how they were to get away, there being no other steamers due with permission to carry passengers until the middle of February (and no airways service), the wires were again requisitioned, and permission sought for the Japanese steamer to con vey them when she calls in a few days.

On arrival at the anchorage on Janu ary 23, however, the Quarantine Officer pronounced the A. & O. ship clean, and a sigh of relief went up from the stranded ones.

It is time, however, that some definite steps were taken to have an alteration made in the Act permitting- Japanese steamers to carry passengers from here.

It will possibly be said that the stumb ling blocks are the rates of wages on these ships and the employment of col oured labour; but both the other lines employ coloured men and it would prob able be found that there is no very great difference in rates of pay.

Thursday Island residents, after the present experience, combined with the inconvenience of long waits between ships will now not be content until some better arrangements are made.