MATSON PACIFIC SERVICE TO BE RESTARTED

Chronicle (Levin), 2 May 1947, Page 7

MATSON PACIFIC SERVICE TO BE RESTARTED

AUCKLAND, May 1. The Matson Line's regular Bouth JPaeilic service is expected to be re"sumed by the reconverted passenger ships Lurline, Mariposa and Monterey by the end of the year with the Iirst. vessel due at Auckland about Christmas time, said Mr. Neil S. Laidlaw, uianaging agent for the-line in Australia and New Zealand. Mr. Laidlaw, who has his lieadquarters in Sydney, arrived at Auckland by the Port Wyndham On Wednesday on a teja-day visit to the Dominion. Mr. Laidlaw explained that the three luxury liners would resume service between the Pacific coast and Honolulu on a vveekly basis. Once every live weeks each of the sliips in turn would make the soutliward voyage to Australia and New Zealand. Before the war in the Pacific a direct San Francisco-Honolulu service was carried on by the Matsonia and Lurline and traffic between California and New Zealand and Australia by the Mariposa and Monterey because it was not economie to make large-scale inrprovements to the Matsonia", an older" ship. The company would have three liners instea'd of four for its South Pacific routes. New Zealand and Australia would be served on the five-weekly' sc'liedule in plaee of the prewar monthly tixnetable. " The cos.t 6f jreconverting the three liners, Mr. Laidlaw 'continued, was now expected to be about 8,500,000 dollars for each ship, a surii that exceeded the original building expeirditure 15 years ago. The coinpany planned to give bookings for New Zealand and Aus tralian passengefs for each'sailing to or from South Pacific ports. No pasl'sages for Hoiiolulu* only, for example, I would be spld on each of the Soutli Pacific sailings until all intending passenger's for New Zealand and Australia had been accommodated.