SAN FRANCISCO LINE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XC, Issue 13296, 27 May 1907, Page 7

SAN FRANCISCO LINE.

A few days ago a cable message from Sydney stated that- Messrs Andrew Weir and (Jo:, were promoting a new line of steamemrs to run betwten San Francisco and Australia and New Zealand—a monthly servica for cargo only. The firm of Andrew Weir and Company was formed in 1885 and it-s ships are known a v the Bank line. The head office is, in Lloyd's Avenue, .London, E.G., but it was originally a Glasgow enterprise. At one time it had 43 clippers, but in the nineties the firm devoted its efforts to developing its fleet of steamers. It has r.ow 38 vessels, steam and sail, of a total of 114.C02 tons- . Of these 22 are .steamers, and the largest is the Suveric, 7000 tons, 'ilu vessels at present trade between New York and tJie Far East-, New York and the River Plate,' Calcutta and the River Plats, and the West Coast of South America. 'J lme are also vessels trading between Tecs and Forth.

Mr V. A. Sproul, New Zealand representative of tjie Oceanic Steamship Company, told an Auckland reporter that probably the new proposal would include only a cargo service, or possibly a combined passenger'and cargo service. The Uniied States Government, li? pointed out, would grant a subsidy only to American vessel;-;, and it must therefore be taken for granted! that the promoters of the new line cx-' pected to make a profit without a subsidy. No doubt Auckland will be a port of call, but it is'-'quite possible that several New Zealand ports may; be called at. The vessels will probably carry cargo at a rate that would be prohibitive to transhipment, and. they may call at, say, Napier, Wellington, Lyttelton, and Dimedin in addition to Auckland, provided always, of couire, that they have sufficient cargo for each place to bear port dues and leave a fair mai'gin of profit. The trip from San Francisco tf> Auckland, Mr Sproul considered, would probably occupy 26 days, and as the round trip would possibly take up about 2j months, it seemed that at least about four vessels would be required. Questioned as to the possibilities of trade,. Mr Sproul said that if the steamers started running by August they would be beginning at a good time. From that month till the end of the year they should, lie thought, do fairly well, bringing to New Zealand, say, 1500 to 2000 tons per .monthly trip, or to New Zealand and Australia combined, say, 3000 tons per trip, composed mostly of dried fruits and green "fruit, if the steamers had sufficient refrigerating faci'ities. From August till December was the'most profitable time of the year for cargoduring these months the season's fruit pickings were shipped from California to all parts of the world. As to return cargo, it was thought by Mr Sproul that that would average about 2CO tons from Auckland, and about SCO from Sydney,.with a possible increase to 1000 tons during the wool season. As. to . passenger traffic, Mr Sproul said that that -would, of course, depend upon the class of steamers employed.