SLOW TURN-ROUND OF SHIPPING ON THE NEW ZEALAND COAST

Wanganui Chronicle, 24 October 1950, Page 6

SLOW TURN-ROUND OF SHIPPING ON THE NEW ZEALAND COAST

WELLINGTON. Last Night (PA).— Present conditions warrant further freight increases, and if vessels are involved in any further extension or time on the New Zealand coast it will undoubtedly mean immediate increases in freight. This was said today by Mr. F. W. Spite, general manager of the New Zealand Shipping Co.,

who returned from a visit to the United Kingdom and Europe in the Hertford this afternoon. Mr. Spite said the whole matter of freight increases at present was being considered by the company’s head office in London. “We are having to build a fifth new passenger vessel, the Ruahme, at huge expense, somewhere in the region of £20.000,000, because the slow turn-round in New Zealand will not permit our maintaining a regular monthly passenger service with our present four fast vessels. I have had to ask our London office to extend the time our Rangi class vessels spend or. the New Zealand coast from 50 to 53 days. Pre-war these vessels had to be turned round in New Zealand in 28 days. It has to be remembered that these heavy costs have to be borne by the people eventually. I feel that, ultimately, New Zealand’s economy cannot stand the present turn-round ties because one small country cannot be immune from the repercussions attendant upon worldwide efforts to re-establish trade on a sound economic basis.”