IMPROVING SHIP SERVICE

Hokitika Guardian, 4 July 1924, Page 4

IMPROVING SHIP SERVICE

HA.V FRAXCTSCO. .June 2. American.'! are greatly interested in the efforts in Xow Zealand and Australia to secure an accelerated transportation of mails between Australia ■•Hid Xew Zealand and the United States, and business men on the Pacific Coast have long ago complained of the infrerjiieut service between the countries bordering the ’Western Ocean.

One of the worst features was the waiting of three weeks before the departure of mails from San Francisco to Sydney and generally the Oceanic Steamship ( oinniiny's vessel lias left the Pacific Coast almost at the same hour as the Canaclian-Australiaii-Xew Zealand steamer was bidding good-bye to Vancouver. Enquiries at the San Francisco Chief Post Office have invariably elicited the reply that mail despatches were made hy any direct steamer leaving fur Au-traliii or Xew Zealand irrespective of nationality of ownership of the craft, the object in view being to expedite the delivery of mail overseas. Mr A. T. Mnrkmrn. secretary of the Post and Telegraph Department, Xew Zealand, has been in Han Fran-

cisco making praiseworthy efforts to = improve the service of mails, and i while in the Californian metropolis he . ''as closely closeted with Mr James . K. Power, Postmaster of .San Fran- | cisco, taking up the matter of shorten. : iug the handling of Antipodean mail in San Francisco. .Subsequently lie proceeded to Washington for a conference relative to shortening mail time as between the two continents. It will he of particular interest to Xow Zealanders and Australians that inauguration of a faster service between San Francisco an,l the Antipodes ami wav point.. 1 commence on July Sth., when the Oceanic .Steamship Company's boats will operate on a 21-dav schedule instead of 2S as heretofore. This will mean the expedition of passenger, freight. and mail traffic. The first boat to make the new run will he the liner Sierra. The ship has been so thoroughly overhauled that it is only the old Sierra in name. The improvements include a thorough overhauling of the engines and the passengers' quarters and the installation of a ventilating system which will make it possible for cabin occupants to regulate the temperature of their cabins. The Sierra will have a speed of 17 knots an hour. Its sister ships, the Sonoma and the Ventura, also are to undergo a. thorough overhauling.

Tlie Oceanic Company holds the United States Government postal contract for the carrying of the mails between San Francisco and Sydney, via Honolulu and Samoa.