SERVICE ENDED

OLD PASSENGEE SHIP THE KAWAU'S LAST TRIP NORTHERN COMPANY'S FLEET After 40 years of service, mainly in the Hauraki Gulf trade, the Northern Company's passenger steamer Kawau completed her last voyage last evening on her return from Motutapu crowded with holiday-makers. One of the last of the company's passenger fleet, the Kawau, a wooden steamer of about 100 tons gross, has maintained a steady popularity through her long life. With the withdrawal of the Kawau only one passenger steamer' will now fly the flag of the Northern Company, the 150-ton vessel Hauiti, the sole remnant of what was at one time New Zealand's largest coastal passenger fleet, Other Methods oI Travel The past 20 years have seen a steady decrease in coastal travel, absorbed hy improved rail and road communica-, tions, and one by one the Northern Company's passenger services have been abandoned. Important services to be cancelled included the Aucklaiul-Tau-ranga in 1929, the Onehunga-New Plymouth in 1930, the Anckland-llussell in 1931, and the Auckland-Whangarei und Auckland-Thames last year. Built at Auckland in 1899, the Kawau for many years ran in the Mangawai trade under the Settlers' Company. When she was taken over by the Northern Company more than 30 years ago the Kawau still continued on this run, later being transferred to tho Matakana and Thames trades. In recent years she has served Matakana, Thames, Coromandel, Waiheke, and other parts of the Hauraki Gulf. The last master of the old steamer was Captain McDonald, who joined her recently. Probably her best-known master was Captain E. Olsen, who retired from the Kawau in 1931 after 22 years' service with the company, most of the time being spent in the one vessel. Amended Schedule As a result of the remoya! of the Kawau, the Haniti will take up her running, the Hauraki-Gulf passenger services being maintained on an altered schedule. The Hauiti will sail for the Great Barrier at midnight everv Tuesday. and for Coromandel every Monday and Thursday. There will be no service to Waiheke on Monday, the Hauiti going on Tuesday and the Waiheke Passage Company s Baroonti on Thursday. The week-end schedules to Waiheke will be filled by. the Hauiti. Although the company's passenger trade lias had its heyday, the transport of cargo continues to play a large part in tho fleet's work. Motor-vessels, which are not so expensive to maintain and which carry large cargoes to bar harbours on a shallow draught, now take the Northern Company flag to many isolated parts of the province.