IDLE STEAMERS

Stratford Evening Post, Volume I, Issue 79, 12 March 1931, Page 2

IDLE STEAMERS

MANY UNION COMPANY SHIPS NINE IN AUCKLAND ALONE The overseas, intercolonial and coastal shipping trades continue to be affected by the quiet conditions and a large number of ships is being withdrawn from service. The Union Steam Ship Company has quite a fleet of cargo ships laid up. In Auckland alone there are nine vessels idle. The latest addition to the idle fleet is the Kanna. She was to have sailed for Greymouth on Friday, but owing to the slackness of trade the trip was cancelled and the crew was paid off. The other vessels idle at Auckland are the Kurow, Kaponga, Waitomo, Waiotapu, Waipahi, Wairuna, Waitemata and Kairanga.' At Wellington the Union Company has four cargo ships laid up—the Kaiwarra, Kaitoke, Kaikorai and Kaimai —and at Port Chalmers the Kawatiri and Wirtgatui are idle. In Australian ports the Oonah, Gabriella and Omana are also laid up. After March 17 the passenger steamer Maunganui will be included in the list as she is being withdrawn from the inter-colonial service when she arrives at Auckland from Sydney. A second inter-colonial passenger steamer, the Maheno, which arrived at Wellington last night from Melbourne, will be laid up when she reaches Dunedin at the end of the week. The withdrawal of so many vessels from active service has thrown out of employment a very large number of seamen.