MATSON LINE

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 November 1931, Page 10

MATSON LINE

USE OF N.Z. PORT. [PKB PBKSS association;] WELLINGTON, November 3. Mr Forbes referred in the House of Representatives to the representations placed before, the Government in regard to a proposed inclusion of Auckland as an intermediate port of call by vessels of the Matson Line. ne said that New Zealand could not object to an American shipping company, subsidised of not, carrying to and from the Dominion, American citizens who would no doubt comprise the majority of the passengers, especially as those travellers would, in a large measure, be induced to visit New Zealand as the result of the publicity efforts of the company concerned. The Matson Company had for a number of years been conducting a passenger service from San Francisco to Pago Pago, Suva and Sydney, and on the southern portion of the route, had already been in competition with Briiish shipping between British ports. The new development represented an addition of a further British port in the itinerary. The three British ports concerned were not within the territory controlled by any one Government, and legislativeaction by the three Government? would be necessary to prevent the carriage of passengers by American vessels between those ports. The attitude of the British Government had always been against any policy of discrimination against non-British shipping. It was recognised that the United States legislation which prevented non-American vessels from carrying traffic between Honolulu and other American ports, was open to objection, and that the Matson Line was heavily subsidised by the United States Government. The position was being carefully watched and the attention of the United Kingdom and Australian Governments would be called to the inequitable conditions.