ISLAND STEAMERS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1987, 18 February 1914, Page 9

ISLAND STEAMERS.

THE NEW SERVICE,

AUCKLAND'S PROTEST.

Tlie action of the Union S.S. Co. in Altering its Island services seems to have aroused all tho fighting instincts of- the Auckland people. Tho old service to the Islands consisted of two routes. No. 1 was from Auckland'to Fiji and back again to Auckland and Wellington—a service carried out for some timo past by tho Nayua. This steampr on completing her discharge at Wellington, proceeded to Westport to coal, returning direct to Auckland to take in passengers and load cargo for Fiji. ' No. 2 servico or route was the ono in which the steamers Atua and Tofua wero scheduled. In this caso tho steamer left Auckland and called at Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, and xhen wont on to Sydney, and on the return voyago called at Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga, and so back to Auckland. ' With this service Tonga Was within four days of Auckland, and at the same timo had a through connection with Sydney. Tho difference between that service and tho present one is that the steamer will leave Wellington and call at Auckland, Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa, returning to Auckland and Wellington. This will enable Wellington, and tho southern ports to get the fruit more promptly and. without the loss and delay consequent upon transhipment at Auckland. lhe_new service will place Tonga six or six and a half days away from Auckland instead of four under tho old itinerary.

According to-Mr. F. W. Haybittle,' of tho Wellington Fruitbrokers' Association, the old itinerary, was- fairly satisfactory, as the steamers arrived at even .intervals, and so gave tho market a chance to quit its island produce without a glut. The Atua.. for inetance,' 'would ■ probably arrive-- at Auckland on the, ,7th of the month, tho . Navua on - ■ the 14th, and the Taluno on the 25th, which gave .ample , breathing space between the arrival of shipments. ' Under tho new arrangement we will havo tho l'ahino and Navua arriving at Auckland on.tho same day. and as the Tongan bananas will havo had to- be shipped two days before the Fiji-bananas , it will go badly with them. Wellington wpuld-bo'in much the same position as it was before the alteration respecting its connection with Tonga. We would get tho fruit about the same time, but without (-""shipment, and we , would have the. opportunity- of shipping direct to the islands, instead of sending cargo to Auckland by the east coast steamers It. was only fair to the South- Island that _ Wellington ■ should bo made the distributing centre, as it would more generally be under the new' itinerary. Auckland, which deserves a good'deal of sympathy , , loses tho through connection to Sydney via the Islands, and its Tonpan fruit will'arrive,'2f days later than it has hitherto done.,. Mr: Haybittle points out that "the telegraphed figures as published here are .obviously incorrect. Ho could only attribute them, to clerical, mistake or errors in transmission. One glaring mistake was contained in the figures that are said to represent'the'.value of r'ijian products exported to Auckland and Wellington.. There must be wide disparity oh account, of the lamp amount of raw sugar sent from the Islands to the refinery at Auckland, (a large pro-' portion of which Avas.consumed-here.-anicl> invtttr South -Island),' but* tlie figures quoted wero: Auckland, £728,349: Wellington, £1681. Mr. Haybittle saiHjthat amdun.focf % i' over £2000- in, one bottom, -the.lsttdr'figures' were, in-' correct.;on'.the/surface. ~..."•. .."..