WELLINGTON-TAHITI SERVICE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 638, 15 October 1909, Page 8

WELLINGTON-TAHITI SERVICE.

KEPLY;TO.AN AUCKLAND CEITIC. ; /An..Anckland;City. representative,'-Mr. C. H. Pdole, :has in aide' f uh ; of. the .new' Wellingto- ■ Rarotbnga-Tahiti. service'in its infancy..; He is reported ; to h'aye'-said:— z , / /*. -„.■.■, ,■ . "The; .Tahiti service 'is ' - eoriiething - to;' laugh" at:;;•- Every now "'and then you see". , an antiquated steamer limping out of Wel-lington-'harbour'•with-a few passengers and'a.yery,lßt|e- cargo on. board; . And this'is- , lour,-subsidised line, and ,is. the* one:-sup-, ■ .'posed.'to- take the,place\bf'.the SaV Fran'cisco "service.". ■ '■ '/■ ■{,'"'. '•' \- .The'selyice. as '-a.'jn'ail servicenot 'necessarily"one vto ,take'-'th'e"place of 'the San Frailciseo- seraie,-though it. has proved to-.be more -regillar "and'.dependable than rthe connection between Auckland.'and 'San' Pranciscq. once-, liris'the■ mail by the new ibute'arhyed'after timdtable' date despite the .":antfquated..'stea'mers'" .of, which Mr. -Toqie .'speaks, so disrespectfully," arid if he (nquired a 'little• mioro 'clpsely; into {he subject.. he -'would find, that,. as : a 'mail "serviise,. it .is- , one., that/is rapidly :grciwing .into .favour, arid in-,-compari-.son-with the, Vancouver .service',' via Fiji, Brisand' Sydney, it coinpares more thari.fa-.vourably.-as-far'as Wellington-arid:the South .Island, -Moreover, it is being used , to. some considerable-'extent _by> : the Common- ■ w«alth'.P6st,Office.as.-a ; useful- servide between ■Australia aM'd.the■'United.-.States., Mails.-which loft' Wellington-by. .the Hauroto on 'September il7'•'arrived'.in San Francisco,on October 9-■a-22 .days'-run, whereas the. Aorangi. and Moana* better-class , ocean-going steamers ..than' ■ the. Ha'nroto-^arei.timetabled ,: to make' the run from-. Sydnqy ! .'-to■' Vancouver in :24 ulays. ' .-ThenMr.j|'ooleVit:is pointed out, ignores the advantages ivhioV the lower-half of -tliejNorth' Island,. and-;the.;wholo'of.the South Island have 'pained in respect- to• thp Island fruit trade. : It ■.is beyond-, all. dispute that Wellington' is the best. , distfibntinp. port for ,the fruit from the '■Islands*.which is almost a.'-stapk.food in New Zealand.••./ Formerly, wo had to ,get this fruit 1 via. , Auckland, Neither .'by transhipment after :seriqus -.delays -'(which had the most irijurious ■;effect on;such .perishable; stuff); or .had to wait ;for. the Auckland. , cargo to , bo discharged, and for 'the- boat • to'-'como down .{the ''coeist —another ;two. days!••trip-Ma '■Wellington; If Wellington 'Buffered, .'-.yrliatHras the plight 'of the South .Island 'under, .such conditions? The percentage of loss; often iran ashighas : 'sO to 60 per-cent.; .with ■: the -new service that. loss'has dwindled ,to 10' per cent.'or .less, .arid .the fruit that'is -marketable 'is-'placed On' 'sale.in, an infinitely fresher, and,'■'consequently, healthier condition. The. underlying'fear, .as far as' Auckland is concerned,;seems .to. be that the Government might- later on> be' .disposed 'to convert the present service into-an up-to-date right-thfouch service;''which/■appears to be , quite on the carda.. One' Objection to the Honolulu route exists in the, restriction that a' New Zealandowned steam6r ■ could not, under United States maritime'ilawsi .'cai-ry cargo,'.'between the 'two' American ports—Honolulu 'and San Francisco, but that-'(restriction is-remoyed when Tahiti— a. French' possession -^is' made the way port .. Seeing that at/present the Union Company's steamers engnged'in,the eight-Months' old service , only /call at Karotonga and 'Tahiti, the amount/of cargo they ':take 'hardly -merits Mr Poole's. sneer. .The; May ■ steamer left AVolline;ton: with 256 tons,of general /cargo;' aid th'e June-.boat with-217-.t0n5..'.,. ■■ ■ ■