MELBOURNE TO BLUFF

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22268, 22 May 1934, Page 10

MELBOURNE TO BLUFF

PROPOSED STEAMER SERVICE DISCUSSED BY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ——— i The; offer of the Union Steam Ship Company to provide the steamer Maheno for a service between Melbourne and the South Island was discussed last night by the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce. Mr F. Jones, M.P., wrote intimating that he would be pleased to ask the Government to investigate the position of a steamer service between Melbourne and the South Island. "I am of the opinion," he added, " that unless we can guarantee that the trade between Melbourne and the South Island is wovth while, we have little .chance of inducing the Union Steam Ship Company to run a regular service. So far as the Maheno is concerned I believe we should accept the vessel in preference to having no service at all."

Mr A. L. Adamson (secretary of the Invercargill Chamber of Commerce) wrote stating that the Melbourne-South Island passenger service had again been considered by the council of the chamber. The use of the Maheno in the service was criticised and one or two speakers strongly expressed the view that the steamer was unsuitable. The Southland League and . the Bluff Harbour Board were associating themselves with the chamber in further representations to the Union Company and to the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister (Mr G. W. Forbes), writing on May 15, said he had noted that the chamber and other local bodies associated with it were dissatisfied with the vessel to be used in, and tho. date of the commencement of, the proposed service and also the noninclusion of Hobart in the itinerary, and promising that he would have inquiries made regarding the whole matter. Mr N. Falla (joint general manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Wellington) wrote acknowledging correspondence from the chamber. He added: "As regards the suggestion that the Maheno might be recommissioned you will have now learned that we have arranged lo accelerate. the first sailing to give departure from the Bluff on October 31 in order to provide an opportunity for passengers desiring to proceed to the Melbourne Cup, which we trust will produce a response in the shape of additional bookings at Invercargill. We regret it is impracticable to go any further in the direction desired ae the loss on the steamer's running would be altogether too excessive. As regards the suggestion that Hobart might be made a port of call, we would point out that our decision to employ the vessel in response to representations for encouragement of the tourist traffic from and to South Island ports and of traffic from the same source to the Melbourne centenary celebrations. We feel that passengers constituting such a traffic will not want to give the time for a call at Hobart, and in any case we do not consider that Hobart traffic would be sufficient to warrant a call. We regret, therefore, that we cannot see our way to include Hobart in the itinerary." The chairman (Mr W. H. Brent) said that at the deputation to Mr Hamilton the Minister was astonished to hear members of the deputation say that, if the Maheno was the only boat offering it would be better to have no service all. . The question to be considered was: If they could get a boat no better than the Maheno, should there be no service or should they be satisfied with the half loaf on the principle that it would be better than no bread. For himself, he thought the. Maheno would not be a great success,, but it was a question whether they should hot take the Maheno rather than nothing at all. Mr R. C. Burgess said that, as chairman of the Transport Committee, he had presided over the meeting of representatives of various bodies, when objection was raised to the Maheno. The deputation to the Minister was advised to tell him it could not support a subsidy, for the Maheno on the service. It was hie own view that the Maheno could not give a permanent service and could not be the forerunner of such a service. Further, the Maheno would be too costly to run and to recondition, and therefore it would be possible for the company to eay that the service was not payable. He wanted the support of the chamber to the proposal that the . chamber did not view with, favour a subsidy to what was purely a temporary thing for . holiday purposes. They wanted a permanent good rather than a temporary advantage. He admitted that the reconditioning of the Maheno would give work at Port Chalmers and that the vessel on its trips would consume New Zealand coal, 'but what the chamber was asking for was a permanent service between the South Island and Melbourne. This, of course, brought up the question of the tourist resorts of the south. Of these resorts there were undoubtedly many, and at present these attractions were not adequately catered for. The speaker referred to the difficulty experienced by tourists who wished to visit the Franz Josef Glacier. Then there was this fact: The roads to the southern fiords were being pushed on, and it was felt by the committee that if the roads were completed quickly it would be reasonable to expect that a shipping service from Melbourne and Hobart to Bluff should be revived. The committee, at its meeting, did not say, "If you cannot give us something better than the Maheno we do not want the service." It would be foolish to dictate to the company in any way, and what the committee said, '.hat it would fight against a subsidy for a temporary service, was a reasonable attitude to take up. He would therefore move—" That this chamber regrets that the Maheno is to be used for the reinauguration of the service as it is satisfied that such a boat will militate against its permanent establishment. It strongly urges the Government to enter into negotiations with the Union Steam Ship Company with a view to prodding that any Government subsidy will be devoted only to a suitable boat, to commence running nt n reasonable time, and one which will form a reasonable basis for a permanent service." Mr C B. Barrowclough seconded the motion. , Mr A. C. Cameron said he. agreed that the Maheno was not a suitable boat, but it was plain it was the best they could hope for. Could the committee point to a boat they could get thai was tno:e suitable than the Maheno? , If not,_ it should not stand in the way of getting passengers to Melbourne even in the Maheno. In reply to a question, the secretary (Mr H. T> . West) said the Minister hnd informed the deputation that the subsidy would be fl small one. Mr Barrowclough asked. Bid Mr Hamilton say a subsidy would not be ■given to any other steamer than ths Maheno? The chairman: No. All that Mr Hamilton snid was that a subsidy wonld bo given to refit.the Maheno. Tlie motion was carried unanimously.

DUNEDIN'S CRITICISM

"EXAGGERATED LANGUAGE " REPLY BY MINISTER. [Special to Daily Times.) WELLINGTON, May 21. Criticism of the use of the Mah'ino for reviving the Bluff-Melbourne servic-3 voiced recently by a Dunedin deputation was replied to to-day by the Minister in Charge of the Tourist Department (Mr A. Hamilton). Having consulted the authorities md secured a good deal of information, the Minister when questioned said he was confirmed in his previously expressed opinion that the statement made by the deputation that no service was preferable if it involved the use of the Maheno was exaggerated lauguage and would, if accepted as correct by the public, nfejudice the success of the venture. "I have noticed with interest," the Minister said, "that during a discussion at the Otago Harbour Board meeting several members took exception to the extreme statements made by the deputation, and I have received a letter from the Invercargill Chamber of Comnwco stating that while they strongly support the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce in their views they would not go so far 'is they do when they express their opinion in favour of no service rather than the use of the Maheno." The Minister said he had been informed that the steamer's cabins were more roomy than some of those on more modern boats, while the fact that she was a coal burner was rather an advantage to New Zealand industry during these difficult times for the coal miners. Port Chalmers would also reap a substantial advantage because a good many thousands would need to be spent to equip the Maheno for service. "I have also looked into the point of the advisability of starting the service earlier," the Minister added, *' but th--re are no indications from the bookings on other routes that there will be an eatly rush to Melbourne. It is considered that the suggested call at Hobart, involving a i delay of about one day and a-httlf in getting to Melbourne, would tend to handicap the popularity of the service for a great majority of the passengers who will bp more anxious to get to M-l----bournp promptly or vice versa. The present indications regarding the prospective traffic do not suggest that the Union Company is sure to make a profit on its enterprise, so that taking all things into consideration it is a matter for satisfaction that the service is to be given a trial with a steamer which, despite the hasty criticism, will, I feel sure, be found quite reasonably good for the purpose."