THE P. AND O. SERVICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14536, 25 November 1910, Page 6

THE P. AND O. SERVICE.

DEPARTURE OF MONGOLIA. FIRST STEAMER OF THE SEASON. The R.M.S. Mongolia, the first of the six P. and 0. steamers scheduled to call at Auckland during the present season, left for Sydney, en route for London, yesterday afternoon. The steamer was advertised to leave at four o'clock and left the wharf punctually on time, as is customary with the P. and O. steamers, there being no trouble with the Lascar stokers* Several hundreds of people assembled at the wharf j to see the vessel off, and as she swung out into the stream and headed down the harbour she presented a picturesque sight. The Mongolia took 50 passengers. Of these 40 had booked for Australian ports, three through to Marseilles, and seven 'through to London. She also took 83 bars of bullion, valued at £23,000. The Mongolia is due at Sydney on Monday morning, and will leave that port on the following Saturday Homeward bound, being due in London on January 14. The next vessel of the P. and O. line to call at Auckland will be the Mooltan, 10,000 tons, which is advertised to sail from here on December 2.1. HELPING AUCKLAND'S TRADE. WHAT THE MONGOLL\ LEFT. Approximately £1000 in hard cash or its equivalent was left in Auckland on account of the visit of the Mongolia, and each monthly visit of vessels of the line will benefit the public coffers to the same extent or thereabouts. It is no light matter to feed the crew and passengers of a big steamer for several days, and it costs a lot of money to tie up a big steamer to the Harbour Board's wharves, while the necessity lor taking in coal where it can be got adds greatly to the expenditure at the various ports of call. The expenditure incurred on behalf of the Mongolia was roughly as follows:—Coal, £400; stores (including meat, butter, groceries, vegetables, and all other items regularly consumed and perishable), £330; harbour and light dues, £250 ; handling cargo (including wages, tallying, stevedoring, etc.), £48; sundries, £10 total of £1038. The amounts shown do not represent the total, a3 there are various small items still to be accounted for, but they give, nevertheless, a fair idea of what the visits of the big steamers mean to the city. REGISTRATION OF STEAMERS. THE LABOUR DIFFICULTY. By Telegraph.— Association.Copyright. Sydney, November 24. The assistant-superintendent of the P. and O. Company, referring to the New Zealand cable that the company intended to register some of its steamers in Australia, declared that this was the first he had heard of the matter. He did not know where the report, originated, and there was absolutely no grounds for such a statement. The information published in yesterday's Herald on the subject, it may be stated, came from a reliable source. It is further understood that in the event of the P. and O. Company registering a number of its vessels in Australia white crews will _be r employed on the extended service to New Zealand, and that the increased cost will be met by raising the passenger fares. Mr. E. Trelawny, superintendent for the P. and 0. Company in Australia, when again requested to make a statement on the matter, declined to do so. He said, however, that if the Act passed by the New Zealand Legislature did not receive the Royal assent it was probable the new improved boats which his company was building would be placed on the New Zealand extended service in the season. He also said that if the bookings from London warranted it a seventh call would lie made at Auckland during the present season.