SAN FRANCISCO MAIL SERVICE

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 75, 21 December 1928, Page 6

SAN FRANCISCO MAIL SERVICE

QUESTION OF REPLACING TAHITI AND MAKURA

by MORE MODERN LINERS

.United Press Association.— By Electric (UUU.U T „ lHK rapn.-<' o pvrlclit 1 (Australian Press Association.)

(Rec. December 20, 7.30 p.m.) San Francisco, December 19.

Mr. Reginald Back, resident manager of the Union Steam Ship Company, who is en route to Australia in the Tahiti for three months’ holiday, following a visit to London, declined to discuss reports concerning the possibility of the substitution of modern liners for the Tahiti and Makura. “This is a matter of which the future will have to take care,” he said. “On my London visit nothing was mentioned concerning the displaceme -- of the present vessels with larger and faster shins.”

It is understood that the directorate of the Union Steam Ship Company has had the question of improving the San Francisco-Wellington-Syduey mail service under consideration for a considerable time, in conjunction with the proposal to build a large new liner for the Vancouver service. Before Sir Charles Holdsworth, managing direct tor of the company, left New Zealand, last March for England, he announced that such a ship was to ba built. The new ship was to be larger than the motor liner Aorangi (17,500 tons) and with slightly more speed and embodying- improvements suggested, by the working of that ship. Up to the present no order has beeii placed for the new liner, as the question of the system of propulsion has not been settled. In any case a ship of such a type as is under consideration would not be ready for service for another two years. The San Francisco service is maintained by the Tahiti (7898 tons) and the Makura (8075 tons). The former ship is now 24 years old, and the Makura has been funning for about 20 years. It is known that the question of replacing the Tahiti by the Niagara when the new Vancouver liner is built, has been considered by the company.