The Evening Star FRIDAY, MAY 18, 1934. THE MAHENO.

Evening Star, Issue 21723, 18 May 1934, Page 6

The Evening Star FRIDAY, MAY 18, 1934. THE MAHENO.

The Otago Harbour Board declined last night to take sides in the controversy concerning the steamer Maheno. This is probably a wise attitude. The board has certain responsibilities towards the citizens of Dunedin, but it has had business relations with the Union Steam Ship Company extending over more than half a century, and to offend its oldest as well as still one of its most important customers would be highly injudicious, even if the board’s revenue were far more buoyant than it is at present. Nor js it certain that all that was said at the meeting at the Chamber of Commerce rooms a few evenings ago would find endorsement from the more reflective portion of this community. At that meeting letters were received from the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, the Southland League, the Invercargill Progress League, and the Invercargill Chamber of Commerce, assuring the Dunedin Chamber of the willingness of these bodies to co-operate in any steps taken to restore the service. But at that meeting some very uncomplimentary things were said about the Union Company and the Mabeno, and the inference generally drawn by those who read the report of it was that the feeling was that it would be better not to have a resumption of the service at all if the Maheno was to be the vessel. We are not convinced that this is the kind of co-operation conceived in Canterbury and Southland. It has to be admitted that when the meeting was held the announced date of the initial voyage was generally considered tantalisingly unsuitable, but the company has since conceded this point. As to the vessel itself, we had no idea that the Maheno was so unpopular as was sought to be made out. If rumour speaks truly she merits unpopularity with her owners and engine room staff rather than with the public, on account of a fuel bill in excess of what had been calculated on. Now, it seems, gratuitous lay advice is being given the company that she should be converted from a coal-burning to an oil-burning vessel. In view of the circumstances the situation has its amusing side.

The discontinuance of the BluffMelbourne run may have been initially a mistake, but attempts to resume it in skeleton form have not been encouraging, for the amount of cargo actually offering has proved to be well below what was indicated as obtainable by those who pressed for the restoration of the connection. The complaint now is that a further trial ought to be made on a bigger and better scale, with up-to-date boats and more frequent sailings, otherwise it cannot be a fair test. It has even been hinted that the purpose of the present arrangements is to prove once for all that the southern route is derelict and ought to be finally regarded as such. If that is the. case, it is surely going to be a very costly demonstration of the true situation for the company, especially if the overhaul and reconditioning of the Maheno is going to involve all that the chairman of the Harbour Board has stated. On the point as to whether she has been “ stripped to the bones ” during the long lay-up, we cannot speak authoritatively, but we are inclined to defer to the local knowledge of the Port Chalmers members of the board, and they emphatically deny that such is the case. It is quite obvious that Port Chalmers is gravely perturbed over the outcry against the Mahcno, believing that the prospects of a mnehneeded temporary spurt in the shipwrights’ business of the port are being prejudiced. It is'even stated that

already there has been a diversion of ship-overhauling work from the port in consequence of the hostile criticism over the proposed service. Is it not time that there was some disavowal of some of the extravagant statements that have been made during the past fortnight? In particular we cannot support Mr R. Duncan’s statement that “ what the people of Otago want is a service equal to, if not better than, the present service from the North Island to Australia.” This is a slur on the Otago people’s knowledge of tho trade routes of the world and of the inevitable results of shipping mergers and tho centralisation of control in England, It would be better tactics for the critics to busy themselves about getting the maximum custom for what is now being offered in an attempt to prove that the proposed service is economically justified. And in order to do that it may be suggested that some concerted attempt be made to get Melbourne interested in the matter. The seeming apathy of that city and port is certainly a handicap to any efforts put forth in tho South Island.