MALOLO BOREDOM

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 865, 8 January 1930, Page 16

MALOLO BOREDOM

WEARY TOURISTS DESIRE TO SHORTEN CRUISE TIME CUT DOWN AT SUVA Questions have been asked concerning the action of the directors of the recent cruise of the Malolo in cutting down the stay at Suva and spoiling completely a big scheme af aquatic and land entertainment planned for the visitors. The explanation is that even the best of things may become wearisome. The big comfortable ship was furnished as a home. Many of the passengers were so wealthy that their every whim could be, and had to be, humoured.. Still, even unlimited wealth will not offset sea weariness and when Sydney was left behind and the tourists settled down for another 1,200-mile sail to Auckland and then more thousands of miles to San Francisco, they reflected on the thousands of miles they had already traversed and began to sigh for home. The skipper was approached. He wirelessed his chiefs. The tourists had paid for so many days’ travel and the organisers were reluctant to move in the direction of reducing the amount of travel offered for the fares. Finally the onus of shortening the cruise was thrown on the passengers. They were invited to vote on cutting down the time at Auckland and Suva and having an extra two days at Honolulu. The proposal was carried. The preparations at Suva had cost the Matson Shipping Company, the ownefs of the Malolo, a considerable sum, the company, along with the local authorities, having thought to advertise Suva. However, the ship was under charter and the temporary owners could decide what they desired should be done. It is stated now that many of the tourists were sorry when they came to say good-bj'e to Auckland and wished that they had not voted for the proposal to cut down the stay in this port. The Matson Company is building two fast new- boats, of a tonnage similar to that of the Malolo. and these boats will enter the America-Australia passenger trade and probably will be seen in Auckland en route to and from San Francisco. Their speed will permit them to take in Auckland and complete the trip from San Francisco in the same time that the present boats do the trip, cutting out Auckland.

In the building of passenger boats the shipping companies are subsidised by the United States Government on a scale governed by tlie passengercarrying capacity and appointments of the ships.