THE MAUI POMARE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 106, 7 May 1931, Page 9

THE MAUI POMARE.

GOVERNMENT MAY SELL CONDITIONS LAID DOWN. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE'S VIEWS. Under certain conditions, the Government would be prepared to sell the motor ship Maui Pomare, which has been so much in the public eye since her arrival from Dublin three years ago. The vessel and her trade were discussed at to-day's meeting of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. In reply to an inquiry by the chamber, the Prime Minister advised that the Government would be prepared to consider an offer from private enterprise to take over the vessel and to operate the present service with Niue Island and Samoa, subject, of course, to satisfactory guarantees being forthcoming that the service would be continued as at present. "Wo might very well pursue the matter further, as there are some parties who are not altogether uninterested in it,'' commented the chairman, Mr. A. M. Seaman. The chairman then moved the following motion: "That a reply be sent to the Prime Minister indicating that while there is a distinct probability of a move to purchase the Maui Pomare if negotiations can he conducted under reasonable business conditions, the chamber is of the opinion that suggescontained in his letter are such as to prevent any such move; that a further suggestion be made that the Government should either: (a) State a price at which they would consider unconditional purchase of the vessel; or (b) call for tenders for the purchase, the conditions of tender to be set out, and to state, inter alia, (1) the frequency of and other conditions attaching to the services which would be required to be maintained, a'nd (2) the subsidies which the Government would be prepared to grant to enable the continuance of services which the Departmental administration of the venture have shown to be unprofitable." Mr. Poole expressed the opinion that the chamber should not take any action that was likely to cut the vessel out of her trade altogether. The Maui Pomare was a link in the country's fastdisappearing Island trade. If the vessel was working Norfolk Island at present New Zealand would probably sell £50.000 worth of goods. The chairman's resolution was carried.