PACIFIC STEAMER SERVICES

Evening Star, Issue 22460, 3 October 1936, Page 12

PACIFIC STEAMER SERVICES

NEW ENTRANT PLANS FAST VESSELS 24-KHOT STEAMERS [Pan United Peess Association.] AUCKLAND, October 2. A powerful overseas syndicate is considering the construction of two fast passenger vessels of approximately 20,000 tons each for the Sydney-Auck-land-Los Angeles or Sydney-Auckland-Vancouver service. This was revealed by Mr Brendan Dowling, a Sydney business man who is returning from England and America by the Mariposa as the representative of an Australian group interested in the project and desirous of fostering the tourist trade between the United States and Australia and Now Zealand. Mr Dowling has been conferring with the syndicate while abroad. While it would be some mouths before a final decision was made, Mr Dowling said that actually the plans and specifications of the vessels had been prepared, and details of the organisation were now being discussed, it was hoped to shorten the travelling time across the Pacific, and with that end in view the vessels would have an average speed of at least 24 knots. They would be built especially to suit tropical conditions, and would provide every facility for the comfort and convenience of travellers.

“ Rapid strides have been made in transport since my last visit overseas about a year ago,” Mr Dowling said. ” The tendency is for greater speeds than those at present attained. Although the Queen Mary has made a record crossing of the Atlantic it is anticipated that that record will be broken and that passengers embarking on a Wednesday at midday from Southampton will be landed in New York the following Sunday evening. “ The railways in the United States have been speeded up, and it is now possible to cross the continent in 66J hours’ running time,” Mr Dowling added. “ These improvements already are having their effect on the trend of tourist traffic, and it is noticeable that people, domiciled on the west coast of America are travelling in greater numbers to the east coast of tbe continent and to_ Europe. “ Owing to the proximity of such potential tourist trade and of the improvements in transport generally it is of vital importance to New Zealand and Australia that the shipping services available in the Pacific should be in keeping with the most modern of international services.”

Mr Dowling said that was the type of service it was hoped to provide. On several occasions during the year particularly fast runs might be arranged. “ Should the Empire Governments be contemplating the granting of subsidies,” Mr Dowling concluded, ” opportunity should be given to the interested parties to submit particulars of the services they could render.”