ISLAND SERVICE.

Auckland Star, Issue 265, 8 November 1929, Page 10

ISLAND SERVICE.

AUCKLAND CUT OUT.

MAUI POMARE'S ITINERARY.

FINDINGS OF COMMITTEE.

WELLINGTON AND LYTTELTON,

EE COMMENDED,

(By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.)

WELLINGTON, Thursday,

There was a considerable clash of opinion among members regarding the itinerary of the Government motor ship Maui Pomare during the discusssion which followed the presentation in the House of Representatives to-day of the Industries and Commerce Committee's report concerning the Island service. The committee recommended that the itinerary of the Maui Pomare should be Wellington and Lyttelton, to Apia and Niue.

It was found by the committee that, tlio purpose for which the vessel was provided was for a service between Wellington, Lyttelton, Samoa .and. Niue, and that such provision was justified. With the alterations now provided the committee considered the Maui Pomare to be suitable for the service. In_ the absence of priv te shipping the provision of a Government vessel to carry out the present service was justified. From the technical evidence given the committee it was believed that the Maui Pomare ■was capable of giving good and useful service in the trade for which she was provided. The committee was of opinion that the crew's quarters should be improved immediately. The committee, after recommending that the New Zealand ports of call should be Wellington and Lyttelton, recommended that suitable arrangements should be made for the conveyance of fruit by rail from Lyttelton to Dunedin. It was also recommended that arrangements be made with a shipping company to take up the Norfolk Island trade. Dunedin Members' Protest. In moving that the report be referred back to the committee for further consideration, Sir. J. W. Munro (Dunedin North) entered an emphatic protest against the proposal- to leave Dunedin out of the itinerary. He said that, long before the Maui, Pomare service was instituted, Dunedin business men discussed with General Richardson the question of procuring an outlet Tor Samoan produce, so that the southern part of the South Island might be supplied with fruit. It was as the result of that conversation that the idea of instituting the Maui Pomare service wasi born. The Dunedin merchants almost went as far as to give a guarantee that, if a boat were placed in commission, Dunedin and other southern parts of the island would take . 5000 cases of the maximum 9500 cases every trip. Dunedin felt very bitterly that the boat was being diverted in jtSF interests of North Island trade, and that was contrary to the idea which originated the service. Fruit Expensive in Dunedin. "Auckland may have a claim in respect to the outward service, but surely we have an equal claim for the inward," continued Mr. Arisell. He argued that it would not be an economical proposition to send fruit by rail from Lyttelton to Dunedin. The cost would be 2/6 per case, and the total cost of a shipment

would be £375. The time occupied in

, transporting a cargo would be 36 hours, S and it would cost £150 to land the cargo. llf the vessel were to run to Dunedin, t there would be a saving of £225 in :i expenses on Dunedin's share of the cargo. Mr. H. R. Jenkins (Parnell) said'that if" the Government adopted the report of the committee it would be its duty to

make some provision for a service

between Auckland and Norfolk Island. , v A big trade had been built up, and in the ) last twelve months it had substantially ' increased. If there was no service this

trade might be diverted to Australia, jj ; There was no banking system on Nor- | folk Island, and the only trade was by f: means of exchange of Hence j.; the necessity for a service. I Rev. C. Garr: Oh, happy country! r - Minister's Views. Sir Apirana Ngata appealed to the House not to occupy the whole afternoon in discussing this subject, as there were a great number of other reports to be discussed. The main purpose of sending the matter before the committee had

been to determine the ports of call

was so late in the session that if the report were referred back to the coinjk mittee nothing could be done. It was

-' quite evident that the Norfolk Island

eervice would not, of itself, justify the running of a service. The Northern Shipping Company had asked for a subsidy of £000 per trip.

It . still remained to bo seen whether arrangements could be made with the Railway Department whereby fruit could be transported at cheap, rates from Lyttelton to the southern centres, continued iSir Apirana. Special insulated wagons would be required if the'fruit was to be transported .'in good condition, and he was hot sure that carriage by sea was not the more economical proposition.

Mr. A. Harris (Waitemata) said it was important that Auckland should be the last outward port of call, because its trade with Niue was worth £3400 annually. Auckland cquld not agree in any circumstances to the surrender of this valuable commercial connection. Auckland Supplies the South. ' Deploring the fact that the southern ports were dependent on Auckland for their supplies of bananas, Mr/H. Holland (Christchurch North) pointed out that Auckland had facilities for landing c <'ises of bananas annually, and Yv ellington facilities for 120,000, irrespective of the Maui Pomare. Lyttelton and .Dunedin had no facilities outside the Government vessel. Whereas 23,000 - 0001b of fruit was landed in the North Island, the South got only 2,000,0001b. This went to show that it was but reasonable and fair that the Maui' Pomare service should be confined to the South Island.

. -"it is believed in the South that it is the big fruit interests in the North who have worked up this agitation- to have Dunedin cut out," declared Mr. F. Waite (Clutha).

"It is wrong to think that there is any influence or interest at work," declared the Minister of Customs (Hon. W. B. Taverner).

Mr. Waite: You know there is!

, The Minister retorted that he knew nothing of the sort. The Government was actuated by only one desire, and that was to do the right thing. The committee's report was laid on the table, together with the evidence, X l *- Munro's amendment being defeated on the voices.