LINER AWATEA

Wairarapa Daily Times, 15 September 1936, Page 4

LINER AWATEA

SETTING OUT AGAIN. WELLINGTON, This Day. The AAvatea is to leave for Auckland and Sydney to-night. There Avas a big luncheon party on board to-day, the directors of the company entertaining the Governor-Gen-eral, members of the GoA 7 ernment, the Harbour Board executive, officers of State Departments and others. The managing-director of the Union S.S. Company, Mr N. S. Falla, said the building of the AAvatea followed immediately on the pronouncement of the policy of safeguarding of British shipping, announced by both NeAv Zealand and Australia in September, 1934. Reference to Lloyd’s Register disclosed that, of existing ocean-going vessels in excess of 10,000 tons Avith a speed of 22 knots or over, there Avere only six OAvned in the British Empire, and the AAvatea Avas one. She Avould not be out to break records, but he mentioned that, excluding cross-Channel vessels, her only superiors in speed were the Empress of Britain and the Queen Mary. In radio telephony and electrical equipment she Avas equal to anything afloat. The toast of the AAvatea Avas proposed by his Excellency Lord Galway, and aeknoAvledged by the commander of the ship, Captain Davey.—(P.A.)