MELBOURNE-SOUTH ISLAND SERVICE

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25547, 15 July 1948, Page 5

MELBOURNE-SOUTH ISLAND SERVICE

CASE PUT TO UNION COMPANY (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, July 14. A case for restoring the steamer service between Melbourne and South Island ports was put to the general manager of the Union Steam Ship Company (Mr M. B. Miller) by a Parliamentary deputation this morning. It comprised Mr T. F. Doyle, M.L.C. (Southland), and the tollowirg members of Parliament: Messrs T. L. Macdonald (National, Wallace). J. R.' Hanan (National, Invercargill), G. R. Herron (National, Awarua), J. A. McL. Roy (National, Clutha), W. A. Hudson (Government, Mornington), R. Walls (Government, North Dunedin), and P. G. Connolly (Government, Dunedin Central). The deputation was told that the proposal would involve a heavy subsidy. To show the possibilities of traffic, the deputation quoted the figures when the Maunganui ran the service from October, 1937, till April, 1938, when cargo from Melbourne to South Island porta totalled 14,309 tons, and passengers carried were 2186. Cargo exported from New Zealand amounted to 8500 tons and 1190 passengers were carried. Mr Miller informed the deputation that the service it advocated could not be established without a continuing subsidy of £150,000 a year. It would be impossible to provide a steamer for a joint cargo and passenger business, as passenger ships must run to exact schedule, which could not be maintained when cargo was carried.