GREAT STEAM CHANGES

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1719, 9 April 1913, Page 9

GREAT STEAM CHANGES

U.S.S. CO., AND HUDDART-PARKER. (By. Telegraph—Special' Correspondent,) Auckland, April 8. When the mail steamer Zeaiandm, the latest additiou- to. the Huddart-Parker Company's fleet, sailed into. Auckland Harbour yesterday morning it was her last trip in, the 'Vancouver service. Tho vessel is being replaced on the Svdney-Aucklan'd-Vanco'uver run by the 13.5C0ton passenger'liner' Niagara, the biggest vessel ,of the Union Steam Ship Company's fleet. The Zealandiai will be missed in. Auckland shipping circles, for it became .known yesterday that there would probably bo a rearrangement of. vessels in the Australian-New Zealand trade, and that the Zealandia, after proceeding to Sydney-on ; completing-this "last trip from the Canadian iport, would be put into service tor a short while, at any rate pn the Sjjdney-VVelliiigtou-Blulf service. It is - understood that nothing is (definitely settled as to the suggested' rearrangement,. but the need tor a.'faster vessel on the Auckland-Sydney run will, in all probability, lead to one of .the -HuddartParker',steamers—the Victoria or .the Wiiiimera, aud more probably the former —being taken off tho Sydney -service,- and -placed ill commission on tho East Coast run. ■ .When these two yfcssels - con-piete,: 'alternately, every fortnight,-it is rumoured that the Mounganui—one of the- finest recent additions iiai it-lieiyu!Re(lo Fnnneli -Fleet,'-' now runniug r iSn-vfflc"bi]fcre;">thtit>' is, from Sydney ,to Wellington and thence to The Bluff, and Melbourne—is to t-e .placed oh. the .Auck'aiul-Sydney service to run in-coujUnctiou "ftith the' Maheno. If the above arrangements- are carried out, the Zealandia Will prtibably' be relieved after-a few l'uoiiths of the Sydney-Wel-lington'run,-and placed on the Sail Fran-cisco-Wellington-Sydney service in place of either the Moaim or the Aorangi. A definite announcement as to the intentions of tho Huddart-Parker and Unioii Companies may, bo-expected when the Zealandii reaches' Sydney; for which port she-sailed last night. . - Another vessel to be replaced shortly is the Union, Company's Mararoa, at -present running, in the Wellington-Lyttclton ferry service. ■ The new turbine steamer' Wahine, almost a'sister-ship to the Maori, is to be placed,on this run. The company has not vet decided what will be done With the Mararoa, but it is thought that sho will, be entered in one of the coastal trading runs.