TRAVEL BY STEAMER.

Thames Star, Volume LXII, Issue 17419, 6 September 1928, Page 4

TRAVEL BY STEAMER.

(To the Editor.) Sir.—As an old Thames boy ,returning to liis home- town after ah absence <;f sunt 35 years. 1 am much disturbed in mind at the apathy displayed by the present generation to the AucklandThames steamer service. Many of the old hands will remember with pleasure the trips made by them on the P.S. Enterprise, S.S. Rotomahana, S.S. Rcwena, and other steamers that regularly traded to Thames. To see the small support now given by the general public to the steamer service, which compares very favournby .with tlmt of iermer days, sets one thinking. Do the people realise what their position will be should the Company abandon this service,’which it must do unless better, .support is given to it? Do the people think what will occur when this takes place? St. Helier’s Bay-Auckland ferry service sohuld ho an example to them. As in our case, so in theirs, St. Helier’s Hay had a good .service at a very reasonable rate, but the people, like many at Thames, saw fit to support the motor traffic, and they now are paying, for their, folly. History will only repeat itself. Should the steamer go off it is “Lombard Street to a china orange” that the overland fare wiil l*e increased, and there will be no redress. j There is freedom on the boat and nothing is too much trouble for the officers to make the trip pleasant. Rates at Thames are at present very heavy, and must be greater when the Harbour “improvement” rate is collected. Every passenger travelling, by steamer pays to the Harbour Board one shilling should the aniount not he forthcoming it will have to be made up by increased rates, thereby penalising those whom by the indifference to their own interests, are supporting the overland route. As to the merits or demerits of the Harbour Improvement Scheme time alone will tell, but the work has been done and it must he paid for. The present fares charged by the steamer compare more than favourably with former days, and Thames resident,s can see that it is in the interest of all for them to support the steamer, and so make it impossible for the overland services to increase tlieir fares. Much is made of the time occupied by the various runs, but it should bo bom in mind that the good old Rotomahana always took five hours to do the trip, with no grumbling; but the Rangitoto now does it in four hours or slightly over. Could the Company bo blamed if by the action of the Thames people it had to take the Rangitoto off the run and substitute a small boat, or increase the freight, which it could do and then more than, favourably compete with the railway. The total revenue of the , Harbour Board last year was roughly £2OOO, out of which the Kauri Timber Company contributed -.£600 or £700; the remainder being mainly contributed by the Auckland steamer. The revenue from the Kauri Timber Company has now ceased. It is easy to see what the position will lie if the passenger steamer goes off. Painful evidence is before us each week almost of one or more families moving from Thames. There will certainly Have, to be a reduction in the Harbour Board staff if the steamer goes off. and more families will remove from Thames, which is inevitable. Wake up, Thames residents, before it is too late; support your steamer service, and get comfort in. travel and assist to keep your rates down. I am, etc..

PHIL T. BIRCH