NEW PASSENGER LINER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21919, 1 October 1934, Page 8

NEW PASSENGER LINER

VESSEL FOR TASMA.I IHJS UNION COMPANY'S PROPOSALS : . , , , " . MODERN FEATURES PLANNED [by telegraph—own correspondent] Ifjjl WELEU7 GTON, Sunday The details of the new fast liner I which the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand proposes to build for f ise in the trnnstasman service are no y receiving linal consideration. It is stated that thiu vessel is likely to cost inoiifc ' than a million pounds. An important feature of he- design will be the imethod of propulsion to be adopted j,nd the superintendent engineer of the company, Mr. James Smith, is at present in London making the necessary investigations. It was stated jthis evening fey Mr. • J. W. Matthewson, assistant general 2 manager of the company, that the ves- 'j L i nel would be of approximately 13,000 •.;ons, gross register, and would he thoroughly modern in design and appointments, and would be capable of mak- •-M ;,ng the voyage between New Zealand ~ ' I •ports and Sydney in two and a-half ,* - days. To attain that the vessel would , require to have a cruising speed of 25 - ,\j knots. The latest improvements would bo embraced in he:r construction, with j special attention to the convenience and comfort of passengers. It was under- : stood that she would be planned with j the majority oi: the cabins of a single or double berth bedstead type, the ' > •! rooms being fitted' with personal telephone service and hot and cold water- ' | Her public rooms would compare more . than favourably with those on ships ; ]! already on the run, and would include ; j| a ballroom and palm court. A-feature " "jj that would make special appeal would be the provision of club accommoda- | tion for men passengers. Although it had been suggested that the new vessel would be ready to take up her running early in 1936, Mr. Mati;hewson said that this was only « • | •tentative date, as the order had not yet been placed.