AWATEA ARRIVES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 230, 28 September 1936, Page 9

AWATEA ARRIVES.

GALE ON THE COAST. NEW LINER BEHAVES WELL FOUR HUNDRED PASSENGERS. Having experienced a gale last niglir when coming down the coast of New Zealand the Awatea arrived off North Head at eight o'clock this morning strictly to her scheduled time. The new liner, making her first direct voyage from Sydney to Auckland, had two hours to make up on the trip across the Tasman, the extra half-hour owing to the advancing of the clocks in ° the Dominion, but she bad no difficulty in keeping to her time-table, despite this and the rather unusual storm which she came through last night. In the words of her master, Captain A. H. Davey, the ship behaved wonderfully and for the last four hours of the trip speed was reduced from 21 knots, which she had averaged, to 17, so as not to arrive in port ahead of schedule. Given an enthusiastic send-off from Sydney at 5 p.m. on Friday, the Awatea had a big complement of 409 passengers. Mr. N. S. Falla, managing director of the Union Steam Ship Company, returned after a brief business visit to Australia. He remarked that the new ship had been very enthusiastically received in Sydney. Southerly Gale Raging. When the new liner reached the North Cape an hour before midnight the weather was dirty; a southerly of gale force was raging, torrential rain falling and a strong north-east swell running. Cape Maria Van Diemen light was picked up and it was revealed that the liner was within half a mile of her course, which' had been set throughout the voyage to the automatic steering apparatus. Captain Davey said that there was a sudden fall in the glass of half an inch, which portended that something unusual could \>e expected. The wind, of gale force, suddenly shifted round to the north, and after a few hours back to the south-west again. Many of the passengers no doubt found the condition? uncomfortable, but Captain Drvev said the ship steamed through it at the same speed which she had averaged, about 21 knots, on four boilers. The Awatea berthed without incident or assistance at 8.30. She was flying the Tongan Standard. Royal Personages. Royal personalities aboard were Queen Salote Tubou, Queen of Tonga, and Prince Tugi, Prince Consort and Prime Minister. They have been in Australia for over three months, and visited Crown Prince Taufa'ahau. who is a student at Newington College. Sydney. One reason for the trip was the health of the queen. Prince Tugi said this morning that she had now absolutely recovered. He ' added that he was amazed at the kindness of the Australir>n people and their Government. They will stay about three weeks in New and expect .to leave for the T =lands by the Matua on October 22. Export Markets Firm. "We know that you are trying an experiment here in New Zealand with a Labour Government in power for the first time, and we will watch events with great interest," said. Major the Hon. J. B. Shand, member of the Legis!ative Assembly, Australia, who arrived by the Awatea. He was accompanied bv -drs. Shand.

As far as lie could see at present, tlie only thing to do was to adopt a policy of wait and see. In his opinion nothing much could go wrong with the pricefixation plan, because markets were good for primary products. The season for lambs in Australia was two months late this year, said Mr. P. J. Borthwick, well known in the meat industry in New Zealand, who was a passenger by the vessel. The result of that, he said, was that both New Zealand lamb and Australian lamb would come on the market at the same time, and prices might be adversely affected. s Australia Back to Normal. "The position in Australia generally is regarded with satisfaction," said Sir Archdale Parkhill, Commonwealth Minister for Defence and Air Services, who arrived with Lady Parkhill by the Awatea. Normal conditions had been again reached through a progressive policy, he said. In 1032 the number of trade unionists out of work had been 30 per cent, latest figures were 10 per cent, which were 'but little more than no: mal unemployment. Sir Archdale gave details of the Budget. These included full restoration to civil servants, additions to soldiers'. old age and invalid pensions, as well as substantial reductions in income and sales taxes.