SPEEDIER STEAMBOATS.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 June 1925, Page 6

SPEEDIER STEAMBOATS.

DOMINION AND BRITAIN. NEED FOR IMPROVED SERVICE. In an intreview, Sir Thomas Mackenzie said it was of supreme necessity to have a speedier steamboat service be; tween New Zealand and Britain. “I regard this as of the utmost importance,” he said. “A 30 days’ service ought to enable us to land chilled meat, which is coming much into favour, and such a service would very much help our consignments of dairy produce, and also our fruit—which has now taken a firstclass position in the market —and other exports of a perishable nature. No country stands so high to-day as New Zealand in the estimation of the British people. Men of moderate means are anxiously looking abroad for a pleasant country where living is less costly and the prospects for their children are better. It seems reasonable to suppose that faster and improved steamers would influence them to some extent in making their choice.

“It is also to be borne in mind that a speedier service would be a help to New Zealand, though in a subsidiary •way, by bringing tourists,” continued Sir Thomas Mackenzie. “Our incomparable scenery, our wonderful fishing—in deep sea, in river, and in lake—our deer stalking, our thermal springs, our magnificent Southern lakes, are highly attractive to the leisured class, and if the voyage were shortened they would be more likely to come in numbers. 1 do not ask for more elaborate equipment on the vessels. My view is that the one thing needful is speed. We should aim at a 30 days’ passage, if possible. We have had no improvement in the speed of our liners to this country for the last 43 years. It was then the six weeks' voyage that it now is.” The way to bring it about, Sir Thomas Mackenzie considers, is to club together the various exporting interests —butter, cheese, meat, wool, fruit, etc. —and ask the shipping people for reasonable freight quotations, and then if the directors of the shipping companies are willing to meet the shippers let the shippers give a fairly long contract, such as would justify the building of large steamers.