NEW STEAMER SERVICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20241, 29 April 1929, Page 12

NEW STEAMER SERVICE.

DOMINION AND AMERICA,

REFRIGERATING FACILITIES.

TRIAL SHIPMENT OF FRUIT. A new direct shipping service between New Zealand, Honolulu and San Francisco has been inaugurated by iho Oceanic and Oriental Navigation Company's steamer Golden Cross, which arrived at Auckland from Los Angeles on Saturday evening. She is tho first of four of the company's steamers to bo equipped with refrigerating accommodation to enable them to run in the new service. For the past 12 months tho company has been maintaining a cargo service from Pacific Coast ports to New Zealand, but the vessels, after discharge in tho South, returned direct to the Pacific Coast practically empty. In future the steamers will load general and refrigerated cargo for Honolulu and Pacific Coast ports, and will be despatched finally from Auckland. The other vessels of the line to be fitted with refrigerating accommodation for the new service are the Golden Cloud, Golden West and Golden Coast.

Tho Golden Cross brought a full cargo, including 2,100,000 ft. of lumber, as well as case oil, general cargo and a largo quantity of dried fruits (prunes and raisins). In the new refrigerating chamber she also brought a trial shipment of 1850 cases of oranges and grape fruit, of which 1600 cases are for Auckland. The fruit is reported to be in excellent condition, having been examined twice daily during tho voyage.

The company's present service to New Zealand carries a mail subsidy from the American Government. The subsidy is at tho rato of 10s 6d a nautical mile, or about £2900 a voyage. Under tho mail contract tho vessels are scheduled to sail from Los Angeles on the first day of each month, and to reach Auckland 26 days later Occasionally very little mail is carried. On one voyage only two bags of mail were brought to Auckland, the cost being about £1433 a bag. The Golden Cross on this occasion carried 231 bags of mail. From Auckland tho Golden Cross will go to Wellington, Nelson and Lyttelton to discharge and load. She is scheduled to return to Auckland on May 18, and to sail for Honolulu and San Francisco the following day.