NOT CONSIDERED PRACTICABLE

Southland Times, Issue 23307, 17 September 1937, Page 3

NOT CONSIDERED PRACTICABLE

STEAMER CALLS AT STEWART ISLAND UNION COMPANY SETS OUT REASONS Reasons why arrangements could not be made for steamers to. call at Stewart Island on the Melbourne-South Island passenger service were set out in a letter from the Union Steam Company to the general manager of the Department of Industries and Commerce (Mr L. J. Schmitt), who had written to the company at the request of the Southland Progress League. The letter was read at last night’s meeting of the executive of the league. “As suggested by you,” Mr Schmitt wrote, “I brought this matter before the Union Steam Ship Company. asking it to give it its sympathetic consideration. I have now received a reply which reads as follows:—‘We have given careful consideration to the matter of the Maunganui’s calling at Stewart Island on her trips from Melbourne to Bluff, but are afraid we do not see how it can be either practicable or desirable. The steamer will already have quite enough to do on her run with calls at a number of ports, two of which are tidal and one of which can be worked only at the top of high tide. With the possibility of delays through bad weather and other causes we are afraid she could not be expected to do more. During last summer, for instance, the Marama on three out of eight trips could not have called at Stewart Island without definitely falling back a day on each occasion in her time-table, which time could only have been picked up again by very heavy expense for overtime, shutting out cargo, and so forth. On most of the other trips, to call at Stewart Island would have meant missing a tide at Bluff and consequently having the passengers at sea for another 12 hours, which would be damaging to the service generally and tend to drive passengers away from it, quite apart from the extra expense entailed on the ship. LONGER TIME AT SEA “ ‘Again from the passengers’ point of view we do not think any number of people on a comparatively short visit to New Zealand from Australia would wish to take advantage of an opportunity to remain over at Stewart Island; if they did they would probably not be very pleased with the present service from there to Bluff, which would mean that we could hardly induce them to land at the Island without laying ourselves open to complaint for not fully advising them as to the position when booking them. The people not wishing to land at the Island would hardly welcome the deviation, amounting frequently to 12 hours longer at sea. Moreover, there would always be the risk of not being able to land passengers there because of unfavourable weather (as happened on one of the Maunganui’s two calls there last summer in the course of her cruises) involving disappointment to them and annoyance to other passengers who might be taken round fruitlessly via Stewart Island. We think we have said enough to show that the suggestion would not work out in practice, and we are confident that on consideration you will agree with us in this.’ ~ . „ “It is, I think, apparent from this, Mr Schmitt added, “that the Union Steam Ship Company is not favourably disposed towards the idea of calling at Stewart Island.” “The letter speaks for itself, said Mr H. L. Mair. “One can sympathize with the Union Company.” It was decided to forward a copy of the letter to the Stewart Island County Council.