MORE EXPENSE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 86, 8 October 1941, Page 10

MORE EXPENSE

THE MAUI POMARE

"A PAIN IN THE NECK"

NEW HULL NEXT?

"Every time you pick up Estimates in this House you find something connected with the Maui Pomare. I would like the Minister to explain when we are going to finish the expenditure," stated Mr. W. P. Endean (National, Parnell) in the House of Represen- \ tatives last night, criticising an additional Vote of £4000 in the Supplementary Estimates for the Department of External Affairs for new engines for the Governmentowned ship. In the main Estimates £32,500 was provided for alterations to accommodation and structural alterations necessitated by re-engining of the vessel. Mr. W. J. Broadfoot (National, Waitomo) suggested that next time a Vote would be sought for a new hull. "Does she ever go to sea?" asked Mr. W. S. Goosman (National, Waikato). Mr. Endean: I don't know. I suppose she will go some day. Mr. Endean suggested that if the service between the islands and New Zealand was improved it would help in reducing the price of fruit sold in New Zealand. "If I might use the American expression, this is a 'perpetual pain in the neck'," said the Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser), referring to the amount of work that has had to be done on the Maui Pomare. The present Governs ment was not responsible for purchasing the ship, It had been inherited and it had been the worry of every Government and Ministers ever since. WOULD HAVE BEEN SCRAPPED. The problem about a year ago was simply whether new engines should be put into the ship or whether she should be . abandoned altogether, and, if so, whether another ship should be obtained. Very reluctantly they had had to come to the conclusion that they had better make the best of a bad job and j put new engines in. If the next proposal would be to put a new hull around the engines, he would not be the least surprised. It was simply a [bad business and they were trying to j make the best of it. Mr. Fraser added that the ship would have been scrapped last year if it had been possible to obtain another. The Right Hon. G. W. Forbes (National, Hurunui): Is she paying now? Mr. Fraser said that the ship was on a paying basis, if it were not for the enormous capital outlays. The main reason for the ship was to keep the trade going; if she were taken off it would be a bad business for the islanders. Nobody, had any pride in the Maui Pomare. Mr. Forbes said that the islands fruit trade wag important to New Zealand and if the opportunity offered it would be a good proposition to get a new vessel. Mr. Broadfoot said that in the next move to. foster the islands trade an effort should be made to obtain a ship similar to those trading between the West Indies and Britain. If that was done he thought it would be possible to buy much cheaper and better fruit in the Dominion.