THE ORIENT SERVICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18273, 14 December 1922, Page 9

THE ORIENT SERVICE.

FORTNIGHTLY SAILINGS.

REVIVAL NOT CONTEMPLATED

Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Reed. 8.5 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 12.

At the annual meeting of the Orient Steam Navigation Company, Sir Kenneth Anderson, who presided, said that the net result of tho year's working, which was in the neighbourhood of the pre-war standard, was not due to increase of voyage earnings, but to a very considerable and most welcome drop in the cost of running. Passenger earnings had been less, both outward and homeward, the latter markedly so.

As regards third-class traffic, the volume in 1923 would depend primarily on the extent to which the Imperial and Commonwealth Governments would be able to get their emigration scheme into active being. Tho case for it was irresistible, and it would be a strangely perverse misfortune if the proposals should fail of successful achievement. A policy of emigration by fits and starts \va ß desperately expensive, and wholly ineffectual. If ships were to serve trade cheaply, they must have an economic load assured them, not for one or two years, but for life. The average homeward freight earnings of the company had been lower, due to reduced rates, which it could ill afford, Tho average outward freights had been better, but that was due to 'no greater carrying power of steamers employed during* the year, as compared with last year.

In regard to the revival of fortnightly sailings, Sir Kenneth Anderson repeated the- doubt he expressed last year whether the game was worth the candle. There had been no expansion, of passenger traffic, and existing services proved more than adequate to deal with all the traffic offering. A better policy was to meet a gradual increase of traffic by increase of the size of steamers. He had seen no evidence that since regularity in the intervals of the service had been restored trade had suffered any grave disability in the mail service.