FOR THE EAST

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 143, 19 June 1934, Page 5

FOR THE EAST

SHIPIffi^TOE! CATTLE AN EXPERIMENT /'

A start was made" yesterday afternoon in loading alarge consignment of cattle on to the steamer Winifred Holler (ex Katoa), at Aotea Quay, for shipment to Shanghai. _ The Winifred Holler ia expected to leave here about-Thursday, and should arrive at Shanghai-in 22 to 23 days' time, according, to Captain R. Cordy, the master, who states that the shipment is experimental.

Special stalls, built on a most elaborate and extensive scale, have been constructed in the Winifred Holler's holds, so that' 'tween decks she appears "' more in the nature of a model farm than a ship. Stalls have also been built along her port and starboard bulwarks and beneath the shelter deck. Space. has.,been.,reser,vedf or, 30. pedigree animals on. the. shelter.dock, there- being eight, pens,' all of .which are amaz- . ingly, spacious ..considering the number of cattle being taken aid 'the' 'size "of the ship-^-a steamer of 2484 tons. .The, work of constructing the stalls has'been ;, done by-the -Patent Slip, Cpnipariy/'and '! Captain Cbrdy speaksnighly.of'the way. ' in whicb'they have been built into thai' ship.v : . .;,, ■.<:■•_.^v.... . • ■■* ~ ;' CQMi FOR THE FLOOR. : '■;'' Bunker coal provides the. flooring for the -stalls in.the holds, and over this will ;be-spread;a covering of straw. The railings round the pens* also the inside of- the hull, have/been whitewashed, and the livestock-have thus an .excellent temporary homej -light -and, airy. Eight aft.ttere^isna large space between the stalls, giving the men who are to.take ' care of the animals plenty of space to move about in: Five experienced stockmen from Dalge.ty and Company will travel with the ship to Shanghai, and-they will be assisted by various members of the Chinese crew, .who arrived, in Wellington" some;»months ago to take the Wiriifred'MpUer'awayj'.-■... •'/ ' To'feed'the animals over iO.O^ tons of\ hay ;'and'*;mangels are being taken, together''with ' about 30 tons of bran. Has .will, also, be used to make a warm flooring."for the cattle. The entire dquble-bottpm of the ship will contain water ,fpr use on. the voyage—some '700 tons in all-:—while extra bunkers will be tak^n" in, case' (as .Captain Cordy puts it), they "have, to dodge a typhoon." THREE WEEKS' JOURNEY. The Winifred Holler, has a 1 maximum speed of. about 10J knots, and with fine weather she should reach Shanghai in about three weeks' time. ' She was taken to Westport =a • short time ago, and on that trip her fastest speed was about nine knots, Captain' Cordy told a "Post'? reporter. . The ship went into ■ the floatingVdoek lastiweek, and:it was' ■ found that, her, Jiu]l.v'had been, covered . with marine growth owing to her having : lain idle for about*two months before it was decided,-..that-' she should take cattle to the East. Captain Cordy considers that,'h'e^:''speed^sHouldbe ■over ;; 10 knotston -her journey'to Shanghai. Questioned ; "^,s to 7'how 'the ".cattle would fare;on the-trip,,Captain: Gordy said that water-pipes-had' been' laid'on to each hatch. Tin water-troughs, specially built for Dalgetys, wbnld be filled by fusing a hose. This would' save carrying water in buckets. Wob.den troughs had been built to hold feed for, th,e cattle.,. He. was .of,the, opinion that She^fanimals' housed "on ■ the'ship 'a . decfcr; would■' be even better off'-than those in the holds. Their stalls .were covered with canvas, and could be pro- . tected from bad weather, while in the Tropics they would have all the fresh air going. It was intended to keep the hatch-covers, off as much as possible during the trip, and when the Tropics were reached water would probably be played over the cattle in the holds.- '' With anything like reasonable weather the hatches will be full open," stated Captain Cordy, "i^nd two windsails will be attached_ to "each hatch to allow fresh air down into the holds." *•■

One gang of men was engaged in loading cattle yesterday afternoon, the first animal being lifted on board in a horse-box. -An attempt had been made earlier to use slings' for the work, but it was found that the cattle were likely to slip out of them, so it was decided, to nse a horse-box., More fodder was to be loaded today, and two gangs of men were to be engaged in putting the stock on board. . HARBOUR BOARD CRITICISED. Captain Cordy ventured the opinion that the Harbour Board was not proving very helpful in getting the cattle away from Wellington. It was an^ experimental shipment, yet little was being done to help the work. _ For instance, the ship was berthed at, Aotea Quay, where there-^vere no cranes, and where the loading had to be done with the ship's winches. ; Another'cause for complaint was that,he had asked for a berth where cattle trucks might be run alongside the ship. The points of the rails on Aotea Quay; had been so little used that they were-clbgged with dirt, and had required attention before the trucks could be employed. ' He felt tliat something better might have been flone in view of the fact that the present shipment might pave the way for further livestock exports to the East.

Captain Cordy, who was at one time in the service of the Union Steam Ship Company, has been acting as master on Moller and Company's ships for the past six years. The-ships of the company do not work in any regular trade, but go -where the freight markets take them. Mr. Moller, who purchased the Katoa from the Union Company and renamed her the Winifred Moller, has bought quite a number of ships which have done service -in these waters. Captain Cordy recalled the old Karori, another Union Company vessel, which Mr. Mollej had stripped of her superstructure. A promenade deck had been built in the place: of the old upper Seeks.

The crew, of the-"Winifred Moller aTe Chinese aad her officers are English.