OVERSEAS COAL

Evening Post, Volume XCVIII, Issue 19, 23 July 1919, Page 4

OVERSEAS COAL

GOVERNMENT'S EFFORTS

GETTING ALL CARGOES POSSIBLE

A statement has teen made by. the Hon. A. M. Myers, Minister in Charge of Coal distribution, regarding doubts expressed in various quarters as to whether every possible effort has bean made to secure bottoms for the carriage of coal from overseas, and also in this connection whether more of the Union Steam Ship Company's vessels • should not have been made available for this •purpose. / Speaking to a Post reporter, Mr. Myers said that he had repeatedly had conferences with both the general and traffic -manager* of the Union Sttiun Ship Company, and, every effort had been mado to place vessels "where they could bo utilised to the best interests of_ all the essential industries of the Dominion. It had to be remembered, however, that notwithstanding the regulations which -were gazetted, on 17th June, 1917, giving- the Government control over the movements of vessels registered in New Zealand, all oversea ships arriving in the Dominion during this period were under Imperial instructions, and it was not possible to make regulations governing their movements in New Zealand waters. He had already fully outlined in a recent statement the unremitting efforts made by his Department to secure tonnage for coal-carrying purposes. UNION LINE;RS COMMANDEERED. As an indication of ' how the Union Steam Ship Company's fleet hajj been commandeered by the Imperial authorities and the Australian and New Zealand Governments, and the manner in which other vessels of the company were engaged in essential services during the period of the war, Mr. Myers gave tha following detailed information: U.S.S. Co.'s Steamers Chartered to Imperial Government 'Navy Control for, Various Periods throughout the1 War. " Waihora Aorangi Waipori Wanaka. Komata Waitomo Kurow Kaiapoi Katoa Karori Kamona Avenger (in Wahine Home waters) U.S.S. Co.'s Steamers Chartered to Imperial , Government for Various Periods for the Transport of Troops and Cargo. Tahiti Waitemata Maunganui Waikawa. Willochra . • Wajraarino Tofua ; Waihenio U.S.S. Co.'s Steamers Chartered to N.Z. Government for Varying Periods for the Carriage of both Troops and Cargo. Tahiti NavufT Maunganui Warrimoo Willochra Waitomo. ' Aparima Maheuo Tofiia Marama Waitemata Mokoia Waihora Also for Transport to the Islands several Trips, Moeralti • Talune Monowai Te Anau U.S.S. Co.'s Vessels Chartered for Varying Periods to the Australian ■Navy. Koromiko Kauri Rakanoa " Whangapa Karma . . Katoa : Te Anau Aorangi Waihora Komata Kaituna In connection with the foregoing services, it will be noticed that some ships were employed in several different services, but was brought about by the changing conditions throughout the ; war period. ' AMERICAN MAIL, Immediately preceding the war the Vancouver and San Francisco. services were carried on by the six mail steamers Niagara Tahiti Makura Moana Marama Willochra with the assistance of at least five large cargo carriers and frequently large,, chartered tonnage, and in the early stages of the war the Waihemo, Waimarino, Wairuna, Waikawa, and a little later the Waitotara, were all engaged in the Pacific trade. The five carriers just mentioned were all subsequently commandeered, and were all lost with the exception of the Waimariuo, which was recently returned to these waters. During the bulk of the war period the Vancouver mail service was carried on by the Niagara and MaUnra, and the San Francisco trade by the Moana and the Maitai until the latter was lost, and later by the Moana and Palopna, the cargo service being only indifferently catered for by the Kurow, Katoa, and Karori, with an occasional trip of other small carriers. The goods imported from America and earned on the above vessels consisted of news and other paper, volatile oils, electrical material, chemicals, agricultural tractors, motors, and other machinery, ] foodstuffs and frnit, builders' and other trade requirements, and general mer- . chandise. "" . The Calcutta trade in pre-war days was mostly provided for by the Aparima and Waitemata, but both of these vessels were lost while engaged in war service. The Wa,ihora and Waitomo have in the main maintained the service during the war. The imports by these vessels consisted of comsacks, xvoolpacks, frozen j meat, cloths, and other jute goods, vege- ! table oils, pig iron, bonemeal, kapok, tea, tapioca, pepper, sago, and other Eastern I foods. Mr. Myers suggested that the full information he had given should suffice to dispel any reasonable doubt as to whether the Government had done its best to secure tonnage for overseas coal. ,