MAILS TO THE EAST

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 76, 16 April 1937, Page 11

MAILS TO THE EAST

Improvement Aromged The establishment of a direct monthly steamer service between New Zealand and the Dutch East Indies by the South Pacific Line of the Jfutcli Royal Packet Navigation Co. will enable an improvement to be made in the inward mai] services to New Zealand on that route. . Hitherto, mails have generally been brought to Sydney to await the most suitable steamer connections to New Zealand. Under the new arrangement, commencing with the sailing of the Maetsuycker from Saigon on April 10 and Singapore on April 13, correspondence for New Zealand will b* taken direct to Auckland (arriving May 11), without the necessity for transhipment in Australia. These vessels on tho rup to New Zealand will pick up mails at Saigon (Frencli Indo China); Singapore (Straits Settlement) ; Batavia, Semarang and Soerabaja (Dutch East Indies) ; Port Moresby and Sani^irai (Papua); Rabaul (New Guinea);

Port Vila (New Hebrides); and Noumea (New Caledodnia). Judging by the postings made, there is quite a community of interest between most of tb6 countries mentioned and New Zealand. As*. an esample, the outward despatch to Singapore in 1936 totalled 7019 Ibs., comprising letter$" 668 lbs., parcels 1,106 lbs., other articles 524 5 lbs., exclusive of the airmail matter despatched to Singapore via Sydney. On the return jciirney from ' New Zealand to Dutch East Indies and other points on the route of the new direct service, the steamers will call at Sydney, the first despatch being from Wellington on May 15, Singapore being reached on June 9 and and Saigon two* days later.