LINER’S NEW ROUTE

Hokitika Guardian, 15 December 1931, Page 6

LINER’S NEW ROUTE

BURDEN OF CANAL DUES. I ZEALANDIC VIA THE HORN. LONDON, November 4. The shipping correspondent of the “Times” (London) makes a statement to-day with regard to a decision on the part of the managers of vessels trading between this country and New Zealand to coal the ships at Port Royal, Jamaica, instead of in the Panama Canal Zone, in view of the changed relationship between sterling and dollars. “It is understood,” says “The Times,” “that coal from the North of England has been dispatched to Jamaica for the coaling of the vessels. Yesterday it was officially reported that the price of bunker coal at Cristobal, Panama, had been reduced to 6.25 dollars per ton as from November 1, which represents a decline of a dollar per ton. Yet in spite of this reduction coaling at Jamaica will, it appears, still be cheaper. Not only has the alteiation in exchange made the bunkering of vessels at Panama more expensive for British, owners, but it has also increased ithe-cost in sterling of the passage dues through the Canal. Horn Route More Economical. “For this reason owners are'now finding it more economical to bring large motor cargo vessels home from New Zealand round Cape Horn than to send them, as hitherto, through the Panama Canal. The extra sailing distance m only about 800 miles and. the slow passage through the CanaJ is avoided. Yesterday the Shaw Savill finer Zealandic, of over 8000 tons gross, left New Zealand for this country by way of Cape Horn instead of through Hie Canal, and she is expected to hunker with oil at Las Palmas. This diversion is similar to that which has occurred in the route between this country and Australia. A number of vessels have lately been dispatched to Australia via the Cape instead of through the Suez Canal in order to avoid the serious cost of the Canal dues.”