SYDNEY TO FRISCO MAIL SERVICE.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 276, 10 November 1911, Page 6

SYDNEY TO FRISCO MAIL SERVICE.

REN BY I'NION COMPANY

FIR<I BOAT IN DECEMBER

M.-11-urne. Nov. I

Th 1 I’nion St'am Ship Company mt"rd' to p.ovid" a mad .■rtKc between • ••ydney and San Fianei*<o. Tin* .inno'iin-oinent «.i> mad-' to-day. and tollon v close on the news that two ot the Sp r e- koi’s line ot *t"aniers that ’.mid 11 iMi i.-gularly phed G'twe,>n San Francfo-o. Aii'-kland. and Sydney, were to l.e re-tored to th It "UK", provided th • Federal Government paid a subsidy ot fISIMI per trip. Alreadv the I nion Company runs a '■■•rice fiom Wellington to San Fran-:<-ro>. via Tahiti and Rarotonga, and int'-ntion now i- to evtond it t<Svdne,.

Th - new >t-am -' Tahiti v. i! t-• pit on th- inn. and inaugural - th.- ••■r.i '• on J J-r 9th. on which dale sb., will take lie’’ d-'p.ntuie fro-.i Sydli'-y to. San Fi a net -co. calling en mute at Wellington. Rarotonga, ar.d Pape’ete. Th:- sailings will take place every 2>s Ins, the other steamers to be employed tor th<- fires -nt being the Maitai ami th- Aorangi. which were formerly on the Vancouver run. If sufficient inducement otfe s. how,-, er. bigger and her v. 1- tliatl these will hl- put

Though no d -rintte de< i*i<m has been mad - with respect to the payment ot a Commonwealth subsidy, it is understood that tin- mattai i* at present re- • -it r-onsirlerat ion. ami that there i.--.erv probability ot an amount Ireing rot -d. A subsidy i* ahe.uly paid by the New Zealand Government. When tin- three .Spn-ekel’s st-amers - the Sonoma. Sierra, anil Ventura were taken off the run. just alter tingreat i- ir thrpiake. ther-- wa* for some tirne no direct communication between San Frami-co and Australia, a* only a couple ot ye.tr- ago the M eir lint* ol Height st*-am*-rs initiat 'd a service, an*, then the I nion ('oinpany start.-d making monthly trips from New Zealand to th - Calito: nian port. Presumably tin- success of the*' ventures inspired M-'srs Spreck--!' to <1 ■enb* to resume their s.-rvic,- at the end ot th- present year For years they have waitetl to) a subsidy I rom the Vnited States Government. The hope that such a sub•idy will be granted ' -<-m* more remote to-day than ever it vias before. Then the-,- appe.d-d to the Commonwealth Government, but apparently th- Vnioi. Company has forestalled them

. Not long ago th- Ventui.l. Sierra, and Sonoma were reconstructed as oil burners, at a cost approximating L 150.IMH> They used to make the trip across the Pa'itic in 21 days, ami it was thought that by burning oil tu-1 at i least two days could be clipped off. : It is doubtful it tin* Messrs. SpreeI kel.s will carry out their original intention now. for the trade is hardly suffiI r-ieiit to warrant the running of two hrn-s. and it is consirb-r-d that in making the choice a- to the granting of a siil.si.ly th- F«-rl'ral Giiu'inmi-nt wil. unqiicstinmibly give pri-h-rem-e to the New Zealand as against the American company.