New ship “urgent”

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33480, 11 March 1974, Page 1

New ship “urgent”

Manufacturers hoped that there would be an announcement soon about a replacement vessel for the Wellington - Lyttelton steamer express senice, the director of the Canterbury .Manufacturers’ Association (Mr I. D. Howell) said yesterday.

“Since the decision to remove the Rangatira and I Holmlea from the service, the iassociation has submitted to the Government a considerable amount of information on the serious effect The removal of these vessels would have on South Island .industry if there were not ! an immediate replacement vessel.” he said. I Mr Howell said the Minis-

ter of Railways (Mr McGuigan) and the Minister of Trade and Industry (Mr Freer) were closely involved in finding a suitable replacement vessel. “REALISED BY GOVT”

“Only yesterday, Mr McGuigan again spoke to the association concerning the need for an immediate replacement vessel. The Government fully realises the serious situation which would quickly develop if there were any delay.”

Mr Howell said the service, which carried more than 600,000 tons of cargo a year, was used by a w’ide range of manufacturers for! shipping goods north and l importing raw materials. ; Manufacturers using the! service included producers! of building materials, elec-1 trical equipment, foodstuffs, I engineering products, print- 1

ing, clothing, rubber products, and plastics. ENGINEERING NEED Mr Howell said that Mr McGuigan had been told of the problems faced by some heavy engineering firms. ’ which required a replacement vessel to be capable of carrying equipment as big as that carried by the Rangatira.

“If the replacement vessel does not have this capacity, these manufacturers will not be able to continue to sell on the North Island market,” he said. 1 Asked whether the Manujfacturers Association would ! join the proposed deputation to the Prime Minister (Mr (Kirk) on the withdrawal of; I the two vessels, Mr Howell: said that the association had not yet considered the proposal.