'FRISCO MAIL SERVICE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 161, 9 July 1910, Page 8

'FRISCO MAIL SERVICE.

;.' vITPrE VESSELS AVTTH REFRIGERATED SPACE. ■ -•■ T-liere— is "at "present "si Sydney a re-, -preventative of' the .". management of V TSpre-ckies' Line of steamers, whose visit ; is partially in connection with, tie revival of the 'Frisco-Sydney service, which. ■ was formerly maintained" tby the Sierra, '."Sonoma, and .'J, ..'.;.'. -•.. .",..'. V- '. The idea is to re-establish;the'line upon the American Ship Subsidy Bill being ■ . passed, and to build two up-to-date ves- •-■> sels, with large passenger aeeommoda- ► ition and reixijrerated space for the car-. ' riage of Australian meats and butter.. These would be oil-burners, and the Sierra, Sonoma, and Ventura would in time be recommissioned for the trade and converted into oil-burners too. The fleet "would be ready within a year from tiie passing of the Subsidy BUI. . It seems tliat -the Beef Trust in. the United States prevents packers outside the combine procuring enough meat for the purposes of trade excepting at the rate* stipulated by the Trust. These are the people who are looking to Aus- • tralia for their supplies, muiton and butter especially being mentioned, as they believe they can land these -commodities in Hie States as cheaply as they can be bought there. The steameisr3?oul(J,lmairjitijji a speed* of from 15 toll"' knots, and "the service •would be a fortnightly one.; This would afford a quick mail service with -America. Special freight rates would be-arranged-for-Australian products required" in tile "United" States, and the extra space provided by the substitution of oil for steam would be ■utilised for cargo. An alternative proposal is that failing a subsidy from the United States Government for the line of mail steamers, a regular service of carpro steamers be established with ref'. , aerated spneefor the carriage of "cold" stuff from Sydney to *Frisco.