ISLAND SERVICES.

Auckland Star, Volume 55, Issue 22, 26 January 1924, Page 11

ISLAND SERVICES.

9 BIG SUBSIDY WANTED. A DISTASTEFUL CONTRACT. The attempt being made by the Cook Islands Administration to secure a greatly improved service' between Now Zealand, the Cook group and Xiue Island has not been received very enthusiastically in certain shipping circles. It was pointed out to a "Star"' representative by a well-known shipping agent in Auckland, one who lias very" extensive knowledge of the Island trade, that a substantial subsidy would be required before any shipping company would tender for any of the three contracts offered. lie had pointed this out to the Deportment, and in reply he was informed that he was not in a position to judge how big a subsidy the Government was prepared to pay. One of the contracts—the least objectionablt—is for a service between Auckland and Nine only. It does not specify the kind of vessel, whether sailing, auxiliary or steamer. A minimum of six trips per annum is stipulated, but, if tiie vessel is not a steamer, the contract is to he for one year only, three years being the period ill the case of a steamer. The opinion was expressed that it would not pay any company to fit out a vessel for one year's contract. Evidently the Department was in hopes of inaugurating a good steamer service in the near future and did not desire to he burdened by having a protracted contract on its hands. A Serious Objection. The second contract is for eight trips annually between Auckland and Apia, calling at Nine both going and coming! and the third is between New Zealand and Cook Islands, averaging seven trips per year. The took Islands steamer is to leave and return to Wellington, and Lyttelton or Dunedin at the discretion of the Minister. The vessel going to Samoa must undertake the delivery of hunker coal to the Samoan Government at the rate of f.i .")/ per ton c.i.f. Apia. A serious objection is taken to the fact that no quantity is specified or' any mention made of notice being giyen in regard to delivery and loading of the coal. Such a contract, said the shipping authority interviewed. would only be of use to 'a company like the Union Steamship Co., because no others could reckon to carry coal without any idea as to quantity. It was possible that the Union boats were too big to go to places like Xiue; the risk was too great. The insurance companies might even object, because there was no anchorage for big steamers at Nine. They would lie off and on all the time. Nine was out of the track, and it involved a detour of a couple of hundred miles or three hundred miles. The view was also expressed that the Apia people were not likely to ship fruit when the vessel was to call at Nine on the way hack and load there. It was unlikely that dependence could be put on fruit coming from Samoa. "Unworkable and Unpayable." Serious objection was also taken to the following clause: "Provided that the Minister shall be entitled to call upon the contractor to extend the (return) trip to Lyttelton and Dunedin via Wellington, when the quantity of fruit or other cargo from Apia or Nine on any inward voyage, or from Lyttelton or Wellington on any outward voyage, in his opinion justifies such extension." It was one of the chief objections to the Apia contract that that option given to the Minister would render it unworkable, and the transhipment of cargo would be unpayable. For example, bananas in bunches to all parts were to he paid at the rate of 1/9 per bunch, which made it impossible to tranship them profitably. Jn conclusion, the shipping man remarked that nothing but a big subsidy, perhaps £1000 per trip, would" induce anyone to take uji the contract.