MOTOR SHIP MAUI POMARE

Taranaki Daily News, 18 July 1929, Page 14

MOTOR SHIP MAUI POMARE

BREAKDOWN OF MACHINERY UNICAL COMMITTEE’S VIEW’S. METHOD OF PURCHASE UNWISE, tfy —Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. the. technical advisory committee appointed to report, on breakdowns in the machinery of the State-owned motorship AJmii Homare in their letter to the Government, outline the technical difficulties recently experienced and go in to “the advisory committee, as the result of about, ten months’ association with the vessel, feel they cannot guarantee aim will run to a rigid schedule at all limes without interruption. *’bbice negotiations for the purchase of Urn vessel were undertaken there has Imen considerable development in the design of propelling machinery of the I Hesel type and ol the size required for the Maui Homare. The type of engine installed is now recognised to have certain disabilities, especially in a vessel working in the Antipodes out of touch with the designers of builders, where the quality and grade of fuel oil is liable to vary, end in a trade involving the working of roadstead harbours. “Undoubtedly a steam vessel would give a more regular service, with less time required in port for overhaul, but nevertheless the committee feel that the Government have a vessel capable of giving good and useful service in the carriage of fruit from the Islands to New Zealand. There are still some features of the engines that are rather obscure and doubtful. These features cannot bo entirely eliminated and your engineers therefore find themselves unable to give an unqualified guarantee that the vessel will run to a regular schedule. It is essential that the vessel should have ample time between each voyage and while in New Zealand ports to carry out current maintenance and a periodical overhaul.

“The committee In seeking the causes of the trouble on the vessel at various times have looked into the circumstances surrounding the placing of the contract, Tenders were called on rough outline specifications and plans. Tenders were invited and examined in England and a contract was subsequently entered into in New Zealand. Under those methods of purchasing a vessel it is to be expected that an owner will be called on to face considerable outlay in the early part of her career in adapting her exactly to requirements. This will apply specially to post-war conditions, when tendering is keen and ship and machinery designs are undergoing rapid changes. “The unfavourable comments which are made from time to time witli regard to the vessel have very small justification in face, and the Cook Island Department is having no more trouble than many other owners of motor vessels. While very considerable modification and improvement has been made to the equipment, with very satisfactory results in working, the actual failures of the machinery during the vessel’s first year of operation have not been very serious and have been only one factor in a number contributing to the loss of fruit or to low prices for portions of same.”

DEPARTMENT’S REPORT. VESSEL SHOWS GOOD RESULTS. Wellington, Last Night. Despite the difficulties of the nine months ended March 31 last, and the crippling effect of four New Zealand ports of call, the Maui Pomare made 15 trips from the Islands to New Zealand. She has handled nearly 0000 tons of cargo, and the total expenditure for the year exceeded the ■ revenue by only £1972 12s"Td. The service can be regarded as a satisfactory performance for the inaugural year, states Sir A. T. Ngata. Minister for the Cook Islands, in the course of the Cook Island Department's annual report which was laid on the table in the House to-day.

The report than outlines the usefulness of the Hinemoa in the Island trade. In spite of her age of over 50 years’ Government service she proved a useful and reliable vessel and more than justified the department’s action in putting her again into commission for Island purposes. Reverting again to the service of the Maui Pomare, the report states it should be noted that prior to the Government taking over the Niue service in 1925, an amount was expended on that service only for relief ships and subsidies of £3860 for the year. An initial year is, naturally, a heavy expenditure one, and in addition owing to the Mau activities in Samoa the ship’s revenues were consilderably handicapped on account of the fact that the anticipated banana cargoes were not forthcoming and the ship during a part of the year ran on very small cargoes. On one occasion also hurricane conditions in the Islands resulted in half of the cargo having to be left behind with a consequent loss of revenue. z It is also a consideration that freights t.o all New Zealand ports are on a flat iate which places the vessel at a disadvantage as against private shipping firms both as regards revenues and the greatly extended run to the southern ports so far south as Dunedin. The invisible profits of the trade that have been made possible by this vessel are also worthy of consideration under the adverse conditions experienced throughout the year, and therefore the service has shown a surprisingly good trading result. DISCUSSION IN HOUSE. Sir Joseph Ward, replying to Mr. J. G. Coates, said it was true he had stated the steamer Maui Pomare was .for sale. She was unsuitable for the work and the fruit she carried had been sold at a loss. Mr. E. J. Howard suggested that the ship be put on a shorter run such as tho Chatham Islands trip. Mr. H. R. Jenkins said this had been one of the most glaring examples of the Government attempting to enter business in competition with private enterprise. He believed if a subsidy were offered local shipping companies they would successfully undertake fruit transport from the Islands to New Zealand.

Mr. H. E. Holland (Buller) said though the Maui Pomare had not been a success the position would have been worse had she not been running. It was the Government’s duty to see that the interests