PROGRESS IN SHIPPING.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXVI, Issue 13339, 30 March 1911, Page 7

PROGRESS IN SHIPPING.

CANTERBURY S.S. CO.’S ACTIVITIES The Petone. Our shipping' reporter was shown over the s.s. Petone this morning by Mr C, !■'. Millward (the Canterbury Steam Ship Company’s agent), and had an interesting view of the latest acquisition to the company's service.. She carries close on a thousand tons of general cargo 'when loaded. In the course of conversation, Mr Millward said that when the rush of cargo is on, -which is about six weeks in the year, and. at sjjeclal times, the Petone will be kept regularly in the'trade in conjunction with the Breeze. At other timrfl the weekly service with' the latter vessel is more than ample to cope with the re-, quiroments of the trade. If ever Wanganui was well served, it is now. Consignees have a regular weekly service from numerous ports at equal rates of freight, and are in a position to buy their produce at Dunedin, Oamaru, and Timaru at the same rate of freight as from Lyttelton, which is, of course, a tremendous benefit to Wanganui. When the trade demands . it, the C.S.S. Company are in a position to cope with it with the fine type of steamers they have in their fleet. ■ Mr Millward thinks the Harbour Board should he highly pleased to see the Petone and Breeze class of vessel trading here, and while heartily congratulating them cn the satisfactory results they have achieved, and which they so richly deserve to achieve, he makes a strong point of dredging thc v channel up to the town wharf to a depth of at least 14ftV When the C.S.S. Company started here with the s.s. Storm, at that time by jar the largest steamer trading here, they had to arrange for lightering every trip at a very heavy expense, apart from the great loss of time, arid at that period Mr Millward says he expected every month to hear; from his principals that they would retire from the trade. Fortunately they did not do so, and their confidence in the future of the river and Harbour Board is justified to-day. Captain Allsop, the former commander of the Chatham Island trader Ripple, is in command of the Petone.