IMPROVED MAILS TO THE EAST

Evening Star, Issue 22620, 12 April 1937, Page 6

IMPROVED MAILS TO THE EAST

The establishment of a direct monthly steamer service between New Zealand and the Dutch East Indies by the South Pacific Line of the Dutch Royal Packet Navigation Company will enable an improvement to be made in the inward mail services to New Zealand on that route. Hitherto mails have generally been brought to Sydney to await the most sntable steamer connections to New Zealand. Under the new arrangement. commencing with the sailing of the Maetsnj-cker from Saigon on April 10 and Singapore on April 13, correspondence for New Zealand will be taken direct to Auckland (arriving May 11) without the nececssity for transhipment in Australia. These vessels on the run to New Zealand, will pick up mails at Saigon (French Indo China), Singapore (Straits Settlements), Batavia, Samarang, and Soerabaja (Dutch East Indies), Port Moresby and Samara! (Papua). Rabaul (New Guinea), Port Vila (New Hebrides), and Noumea (New Caledonia). Judging by the postings made, there is quite a community of interest between most of the countries mentioned and New Zealand. As an example, the outward despatches to Singapore in 1936 totalled 7,0191 b. comprising letters 6681 b. parcels 1,1061 b, other articles 5,2451 b. exclusive of the air mail matter despatched to Singapore via Sydney. On the return journey from New Zealand to Dutch East Indies and other points on the route of the new direct service, the steamers will call at Sydney, the first despatch being from Wellington on May 15, Singapore being reached on June 9, and Saigon two days later.