ISLAND FRUIT TRADE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21198, 2 December 1930, Page 10

ISLAND FRUIT TRADE.

MOTOR SHIP MAUI POMARE. VESSEL EXTENSIVELY OVERHAULED. S (Peb United Pbess Association.) WELLINGTON, December 1. The Government motor ship Maui Pomare is expected in Dunedin from Niue Island direct on Thursday afternoon and she will then resume her running in the Island trade. Polio wing an extensive overhaul to her engines the vessel left Wellington on a trial trip to the Islands on November 11, and she has since visited Niue and then Samoa, returning to Niue where an unsuccessful endeavour was made to load a shipment of bananas in a strong gale. According to her schedule the Maui Pomare will make Auckland her last port of call in New Zealand and she will leave from there on each trip for Niue Island and Apia, returning via Lytteton, Wellington, and then Auckand, On every second trip she will make Dunedin her first port of-call in New Zealand, then travelling up the coast, calling at Lyttelton, Wellington, and Auckland. Reports concerning the vessel’s trial trip indicate that the engines have been running well and that no trouble has been experienced. She has a cargo of 7400 cases of bananas for New Zealand from Samoa, but it proved quite impossible to load at Niue owing to a westerly gale which made the roadstead unworkable. As a result a large quantity of bananas had to be left on the island and native growers will experience a dead loss on them.

On arriving off Niue the vessel had to seek shelter on the eastern side of the island. During an attempt to pick up passengers two native surf boats were lost.