FURTHER DELAY WILL BE CAUSED BY LENGTHENED SERVICE

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17881, 24 June 1926, Page 15

FURTHER DELAY WILL BE CAUSED BY LENGTHENED SERVICE

DUNEDIN MERCHANTS ! ARE APPREHENSIVE. . (Special to the “Star.”) DUNEDIN, June 23. Temporary suspension of the passenger service between New Zealand and Melbourne, due to the withdrawal of the Manuka’ for overhaul, will not affect Dunedin merchants, it is announc ed, as they will be catered for as regards the carriage of freight from Australia. The Karetu will load at Sydney and Melbourne next week for Wellington, Lyttelton, Dunedin and Bluff. The Waikouaiti will load general mer- | chandise and produce at Wellington, Lyttelton, Timaru, Dunedin and Bluff next week for Melbourne and Sydney. About the middle of July the Waikouaiti will load at Australian ports for Bluff, Dunedin, Lyttelton and Timaru. The Manuka’s overhaul will probably occupy only two or three weeks, I and she should therefore take up her 1 former running', in the Melbourne serivice some time in July. Commenting on the above statement this morinng, a Dunedin importer who j is in a large way of business, said:— “ The cargo service hitherto maintained by the Karetu and Waikouaiti be- . tween Sydney and South Island ports I has turned out very useful and has j been much appreciated, and I, in cora- ' mon with merchants generally, feel deeply disappointed at the news that it is to be spoiled, for it will be spoiled for us if these vessels are to extend J their voyages so as to include MelI bourne and an occasional call at Wellington. It will be noticed that the occasional call at Wellington is being initiated promptly. The Karetu is to take in Wellington on her present trip. The lengthening of the tour means, of course, that South Island merchants will have to wait a longer time for their goods. Even under the arrangement as existing before this announcement, we were under a serious disadvantage as compared with Wellington and Auckland merchants, for those ports enjoy a regular weekly service by steamers that run to a time-table, and in any case, the run between Syd ncy and Auckland or between Sydney and Wellington, occupies only four daxrs What are we to expect in the matter of_ delivery now that the Karetu and Waikouaiti are to steam between Melbourne and Sydney? We shall be lucky if we get our goods in ten days from loading in Australia. Probably we may count on ten days to a fortnight. The position is quite unfair to the South Island, and all the worse because no-

body can think of a workable remedy. Some persons think that Dunedin is rich enough to buy and run vessels of its own. Sp it is. We could get the necessary steamers. The question to which no answer is forthcoming at present is whether we could stand up to the cutting competition that would be Sure to be used in reply.” Another prominent business man of this city, asked if he had anything to say on the subject, made these remarks:—” We were promised a fortnightly service after fighting hard for it. I don’t undervalue the service that the Karetu and the W T aikouaiti have given us, but it has not been a fortnightly service. I have by me a complete list of the arrivings and departings, and I find that from June last year to June this year the shortest period between the arrival at Dunedin of these Sydney steamers has been fourteen days, and the longest period thirty-three days, whilst the average for the fifteen trips has been just on twenty-one days. That is not a fortnightly service. I am dismayed when I think of what it will be when the two vessels named are on the extended route.”