MANY SAILINGS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 229, 28 September 1931, Page 8

MANY SAILINGS

DUPLICATED SERVICE AUCKLAND TO SYIDNEY WELLINGTON, Sept. 26. One effect of the entry of the Matson Line into the Sydney-Auckland service ig that there will again be two steamers leaving Auckland in the same week for Australia, with the result that a programme, which was curtailed on account of the severe depression in the trade, will become what is probably a record for the Dominion as regards the number of sailings. About a year ago, when the Marama, Maunganui, and Ulimaroa were running in the intercolonial service, with the Maheno in the Melbourne service, the Union Steam Ship Company decided to re-arrange the schedule of the Marama and Maunganui in order that there would not be two vessels arriving at Wellington or Auckland or sailing for Sydnev in the same week. In order to gain the desired result and avoid clashing with the trans-Pacific mail steamers, it was necessary for the in-ter-colonial vessels to make coastwise trips between Wellington and Auckland. , X For some months now there has been only one Union Company vessel on the intercolonial run, the Maunganui having been transferred to the San Francisco service while the Monowai relieved the Aorangi for overhaul in the Vancouver service. When the Aorangi resumed the Marama was laid up at Port Chalmers. Now that the three Matson transpacific liners, Sierra, Ventura, and Conoma, call at Auckland on both trips between Sydney nd San Francisco, there will be as many as eight passenger ships leaving Auckland in one month for Sydney. To-day, for instance, the Maunganui was to sail at 3 p.m., the Sonoma at 5 p.m. There will be eight sailings from Auckland to Sydney in December, with three from Wellington, and there will be six from Auckland in January. On February 22 passengers from Auckland will have the option of sailing by the Aorangi, of 17,491 tons, the flagship of the Union Company’s fleet, and the new Matson liner Mariposa, of 22,000 tons, which will be on her maiden trip.