Barque Pamin Proves An Expensive Luxury

Chronicle (Levin), 2 October 1948, Page 4

Barque Pamin Proves An Expensive Luxury

^.... ... u WELLINH^IN* Oct. 1. Tke barque Paifluv^imS.f'been taken. over in do'ubtful ■chcumstanees in the ftrst instance and thepe had to be a special peaee treaty clau^e ' to enable New Zealand to retain the ship, said the Minister of Marine (Hon. F. Ilackett) iu. i'eply to Mr. T. L. Macdonald (Nat, — Wallace) when the vote for the Marihe Department was under discussion in the Souse this afternooh. , Mt. Macdonald asked the Minister to state if the decision to hand the Pamir back to Piniand 'was purely a New Zealand decision, and could this couutry have kept the barque if it wished. Mr. Hackett said the Pamir had been a valuable asset at a time when carrying capacity was short. However, the ship had beeome a real liability^ ThgL recent trip to England would cost the I eoUntry £10,000 and th'at was not tlie fault of anyone in the New Zealand or Londoil offiees. The ship had been idle for some time when in EhglaAd because cargo was not available. The Pamir 's future as a training Ship had been fully investigated. Tliere was a standing offer from shipping companies and from schools in England to take New Zealand boys who wanted a merchant navy career* aiid at those schools they could get all the training in sail that they neededi it would not be justifiable to retain the Pamir at a cost of £50,000 a year just to train -a few New Zealand ' boys in sail. The Government had never beon happy about taking the Pamir as the country had not been at war with Finiand. It had offerted the Partiir to the United Kingdom Government which had advised that it had handed back a sailing ship to Einland as a gesture of goodwill. New Zealand had decided to do lilcewise. Mr. Macdonald, referring to the value of training in sail for youths wishing' to enter Ihe mercantile marine, said further that the Pamir had given great publicity to New Zealand overseas. It might not have been ■linancially successful, but nevertheless it had real value difticult as this was to assess in money. Mr. Holland: Eussia will get it in tlie end. Mr. J. E. Marshall (Nat.— Mt. Victoria) asked if the use of the Pamir around New Zealand had been investigated. There was no doubt that it cosl people money. On its nirtth voyage— to Australia — the loss was £17,000, and it addition there was the loss on the recent voyage to England and Belgiuni which was tlie Pamir 's tenth trip.