ISLAND FRUIT

Evening Star, Issue 20117, 6 March 1929, Page 7

ISLAND FRUIT

THE mi POMARE TROUBLE WITH REFRIGERATING PLANT TAHITI HANDICAPPED BY WEATHER [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON. March 6. Advice was received last night by the secretary of the Cook Islands Department in Wellington -from the master of the Maui Pomare., which is en route from Samoa and Niue, that difficulty is being met with in regard to cooling the fruit, particularly in No. 2 hold. As a result, the vessel is being diverted to Auckland as a first port of call, and it is anticipated that she will discharge part of her cargo there. It is hoped to carry the remainder on to the South Island. . Earlier messages reported trouble with a hot bearing on the port generator, but as the vessel was equipped with duplicate generator sets it was hoped that the refrigerating plant would not bo seriously affected Apparently, however, the refrigerating effect has not been sufficient to bring the temperature of the whole cargo. Everything possible is being done to safeguard the cargo, but it is feared that there will be some loss. • . Since the trouble that occurred m the carriage of bananas in August last the vessel lias been running under the direction of a technical advisory committee of the engineers, associated with the department in Wellington. A full inquiry into the cause of the present trouble will be held on the ship’s arrival in Auckland. The vessel and her machinery were passed Af b.v Lloyd’s in January. Advice lm,s- also been received irom I?arotonga that, owing to adverse weather, the Tahiti has so far been unable to ship her fruit cargoes at that port. The weather yesterday was unfavourable, and the prospects to-day are still unpromising. ISLAND BANANAS COMING. According to the original arrangements the Maui Pomare was due at Dunedin on March 12 from Niue Island via Lyttelton to discharge 4,000 cases of bananas. The vessel was then to go to Wellington and Auckland to complete discharge.

An E nglishinan, arriving at a town in the United States, asked the stationmaster if there was any place where ho could get a decent drink. “ Come with mo,” replied the oflicial, as ho led him outside. “ See that building?” The Englishman nodded. “Well, that’s the parish church,” “But, surely,” said the visitor, in astonishment, “you don’t mean to say 1 can get a y drink there?” “Well, no,” cam© tile cautions reply. “ I won’ t go quite so far as that. But it's the only place in town -whore you can’t,”.