MORE PASSENGERS TRAVEL BY SEA

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 248, 21 October 1935, Page 5

MORE PASSENGERS TRAVEL BY SEA

Future Prospects Even Better, Says Official

SUEZ ROUTE MOST COLOURFUL ONE

< < Last year was quite the best year for many years for passenger traffic bo tween New Zealand and England by tiie Panama route/’ said Mr. C. N. Harbottle, passenger manager for the New Zealand Shipping Company, when interviewed by a “Times” reporter on Saturday.

When it was suggested that the silver jubilee celebrations may have been the cause, Mr. Harbottle said that, while the jubilee was no doubt a contributing factor, it did not by any means account for the whole of the increase that had taken place. This year promised to be even better than last; in fact, applications for accommodation were the best which had been experienced for some time. The reasons that the shipping company put forward as the most likely for this happy state of affairs were that people had by now become tired of waiting for the exchange rate between New Zealand and England to b« lowered. The feeling that the rate was permanent was fast becoming a conviction and this combined with the evidences of improved conditions tipped the scales ,in favour of a trip to the Old Country. Prom a passenger standpoint the most remarkable feature of recent years in the sphere of ocean travel was tho undoubted popularity of the tourist class.. Thp service that was available to those travelling, in this manner and the reasonable which applied meant that many people were travelling who would otherwise not have done so. To give an indication of the growth of this particular type of traffic, Mr. Harbottle explained that the available space for the tourist class had been increased to meet the demand and even then it was difficult to cope with applications. His company had two all-tourist ships—tho Rotorua and Euahine—and they were tremendously popular, their'capacity being about 150 passengers each.

Turning to fast cargo ships which provide for a limited number of passengers, lie gave an explanation of the cargo liner, which, compared with the history of ships, is still an innovation though none the less successful. Commercial requirements had made it imperative for a fast cargo service to ba provided. Speed between here and London was an important consideration in marketing, and in recent years the various lines Lad brought out faster and faster boats. On such vessels it was customary' to cany' a maximum of 12 passengers. And then tho question of speed as applied to passenger liners while important was on a long voyage, such as that catered for .by . the “Raugi’” boats, not. quite so vital as on shorter

runs. New Zealand to London in 32 days was the regular thing with these vessels, ho continued, and it was an interesting tact that they provided th

only first-class passengers on the direct route. It had been said that the New Zealand Company specialised in ferrying Governor-Generals and nobility, but the foregoing provided a, simple explanation. The Eastern Route.

When discussing the subject of luxury liners, Mr. W. W. Service, passenger superintendent for Australasia for the P. and 0. Shipping Company, said that the life of the world’s liners was becoming shorter, for developments were coming out more rapidly than at any time previously. All this, of course, was to the benefit of the passengers themselves. The “via Sydney” route Home is apparently a popular one with New Zealanders for, according to Mr. Service, more and more are going “ via Suez.” The attractions of the East were a strong drawing power. Addec to this was the fact that P. and O. ships visited practically all tho Australian capitals en route e;: pt Adelaide. Eastern calls included Ceylon, Bombay, Aden, Egyptian ports, Marseilles and Gibraltar. Malta had never been a very regular port of call and ships there had always depended on the season and the traffic offering.

The Strathnaver and Strathaird were the largest vessels on the Suez run, said Mr. Service. There would never for many years to come at any rate be the gigantic ships on the Australian service as there were on the Atlantic. The Normandie and Queen Mary were in a class by . themselves and there were net the facilities in Australia to handle them.

Tourist class travel was also very much in demand on P. and O. boats and passenger space had been converted to make provision for “tourists” on practically all boats.

Pleasure cruising was an activity which Mr. Service's company was engaged in and in this connection he mentioned that visits were paid last year by pleasure cruisers on board the Strathnaver to New Zealand. During the time these-people had in the country they saw as much as they could, the opportunity-being taken to make overland journeys whero convenient. This resulted in quite a considerable amount of. extra money being spent here, and again this season some of the fleet would be occupied, in pleasure cruises from Australia that would embrace calls at New Zealand ports.