MONTH TOO LATE

Evening Star, Issue 21711, 4 May 1934, Page 10

MONTH TOO LATE

MELBGURNE-NEW ZEALAND SERVICE MAHENO NOT A SUITABLE VESSEL While business people are naturally pleased at the announcement of the reinstatement of the Melbourne-South Island steamer service, most of the opinions gathered by a ‘ Star ’ reporter this morning can be covered in the one sentence; “ The service is a month late in starting. ” As many important events are to take place in October and early in November in connection with the Melbourne centenary, it was hoped that passengers travelling from New Zealand would be permitted to go by this route to reach the Victorian port a mdnth sooner than the arrangements will now allow. The Dunedin Chamber of Commerce, along with other bodies, is, of course, pleased that the service is to be resumed, but at the same time agrees with the opinion expressed in a Press Association message by the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce. The Dunedin Chamber has never relaxed its efforts to have the service resumed, but is disappointed at the omission of Hobart in the itinerary. Hobart has been in communication with the Dunedin Chamber in this matter, and only last March sent word that “it is understood that representations may shortly be made in the matter by the Government of New Zealand.” The exclusion of the Tasmanian port is no doubt due to the ■ operation of the Australian Navigation Act, but it is still hoped that any difficulties may yet be overcome, thus allowing the service to be extended to Hobart. Disappointment is also expressed that a modern vessel has not been selected to run in the service, instead of the Maheno, which does not compare very favourably with the ships running in the New Zealand-Sydney service. The Maheno will have to be docked before recommissioning, and as she is at present laid up at Port Chalmers, the chamber hopes that she will dock at this port. ’ AGITATION FOR REGULAR. SERVICE, So far as the Otago Expansion League is concerned, it has been agitating for a continuous service, and feels sure that if an attempt were made to work up a regular service,, trade and support would eventually return to pre-war conditions. Looked at from the excursionists’ point of view, the announcement did not present too happy a prospect, and the date fixed for the first steamer to leave New Zealand was a month too late. PRINCE HENRY’S ARRIVAL. The opinion of the mayor (Rev. E. T-: Cox) regarding the date arranged for resuming the service coincided with that given by others. Some of the most attractive features of the Melbourne celebrations, he said, were to take place before the first boat left. These included four big race meetings, the Ballarat band contest, the Royal Agricultural Show, the, start of the world’s greatest air race, and many other events. Dunedin people, who contemplated going to Melbourne, would wish to be there in time for the arrival of Prince Henry, who attends the Cup Race Meeting at Flemington on November 10. Before the first trip was made from here to Melbourne, many of the most important sporting events would also have taken place. A point stressed by His Worship was the fact that the St. Kilda Municipal Band anticipated competing, at the Ballarat contest, the dates of which would be November 1,2, and 3. The last date would be three days prior to the .vessel’s departure for New Zealand. A considerable amount of money was required to send the hand to the contest, but the travelling costs would be greatly reduced if it were made possible for the band to sail direct. As Dunedin had been the pioneer in shipping enterprise in New Zealand, he suggested that the service should be regularly run in order that it might pay sufficiently to justify a permanent service being instituted. TRIPS TO THE SOUNDS. The new service has been arranged to permit of the Maheno making two outward calls and two inward calls at the West Coast Sounds during the period she is engaged in the service. This should prove a popular innovation, as the summer excursions run by the company to the Sounds with the liner Monowai were an outstanding success. The last excursion by the Monowai, in fact, was so popular that accommodation could not be found for the large number of passengers who wished to make the trip. The fact that the Maheno will make four calls should bring the West Coast Sounds more prominently before the notice of tourists. The Maheno was withdrawn from the Melbourne service over two years ago, and has since been laid up. She will undergo an extensive overhaul before re-entering the service.