PACIFIC SHIPPING.

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 304, 8 December 1936, Page 6

PACIFIC SHIPPING.

(COMMITTEE'S REPORT. •i . ’ ' I Meeting Competition Of American Line. ****'• -y W*.; ; '■’*'* '' li ' * '*■'' '' ' "ShlpsT'sllghtly superior to the ,„.presen.t. Matson vessels and nothing inferior will win back passengers to the British line,” states the Imperial Committee, whose Import pn the possibilities ..of a. British passenger .and cargo service between western Canada and Australia and , New Zealand was released by the Minister of Marine, Hon, P. .Fraser, yesterday. The committee adds, that the alternatives are either to pro,ylde sugh a service or to drop out of t'he. fast passenger and cargo shipping trade on. these routes. i

mir ‘~"■ Scope Of Report, | ;,The committee was ask< d to supply • a-report:— | (a) As to the traffic possibilities of ■ a, British passenger -and cargo service ? between Western Canada and AusI iritl|a-New Zealand; I'J'tXb) Whether the service proposed should be appropriate, in view of the i traffic possibilities and of any’ other shipping facilities available; and. if 5 fait', Aiflm* knd of service v, Otild be appropriate; (c) As to Hie probable financial results of .such a service, taking into account the financial results of “the working of the existing British services between (1) san Francisco and Australia-New Zealand, and (2) Vancouver and Australia-New Zealand; and . (d) Whether such a service would have any ill-effects on other British shipping interests. The' proposed service would be operated by two new ships, carrying approximately 350-375 fig” ssengdSs. 250 edbiri class gers, and TSO-175 .third'class The ships "wbiild be compiir.. . 1 the existing Matson Line vessels, a tic .etipable Of operating a a speed bl’ 21 b knots. aEach ship' would sail once a month on,a schedule based somewhat on the following:— Front Vancouver and Victoria to Pan Francisco, ric.nolulu', Suva. Auckland, Syd”;.-, o n Melbourne; and returning to and via. the same ports, excluding San Fran-ncidh-bougu. Principal Conclusions. um, The principal conclusions of ‘TnIfammittee are as follows: Any useful answer under the first i .heads of the.o-der of reference , in some degree, involve the

idea of a speculative venture, since a .superior service might quite likely call forth traffic on a scale not at present visible, whereas a more modest endeavour would not in the opinion of the committee, materially alter the present position. 2. For a service of the character under consideration the passenger traffic, “through” and “local,” hitherto carried by' the six vessels of the three lines —Canadian-Australasian, Union Royal Mail, and Matson —to the extent of rather less than onethird as measured in passenger-miles, would suffice to occupy the accommodation of four shipg; two British and two American, to the extent that the two Matson ships were occupied in 1935. Having regard to the attractiveness of the two new ships and to the widespread organisations and agencies in America, Australia and Europe, of the Canadian Pacific Railway, the Union Steam Ship Company, and the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, an increase to this extent or somewhat more, assuming no great setback in world economic conditions, would not seem to be unattainable, although it might take a few years in process of growth. In arriving at this conclusion .the committee has not overlooked the possible developments of air trans-

port. (b) The accommodation for cargo on the proposed two ships, although considerably larger than that on the existing two ships, is relatively limited, and there should be no difficulty in securing a reasonable amount of cargo on their southward vn age from Vancouver. On the no; C'w.T: d voyage there would, no doubt, for a long time to come, be a deficiency

I Financial Results. I 3. In regard 'to the third head of ! the order of reference, the com.mi.tttee anticipates that with such vessels as are contemplated, and assuming a certain’increase in traffic, .there need not be a large, if indeed any, loss on operating. The committee is not in a position to state definitely the loss which must be expm-icd on account ot -cpit.il t"a>., but the order of lot- lees on various assumptions as . ■ ihe rtUn-of inf crest has been ini au-ated earlier in the report. ! 1. In regard to the fourth head of | -ihe order of reference, the committee I consulted .th” president of the Cham- ( her of Shipping of the United King--1 dom and the chairman of the Liver--1 pool Steam Ship Owners’ Association, I each of whom had discussed the matI ter with a number of his members, j and their general view is that, -what- | ever the objections still strongly held to the maintenance of uneconomic I shipping lines, no serious damage to i other British' shipping interests need i bt> anticipated from a service such as lis proposed, provided the conditions 1 they indicated in their evidence before the committee are fulfilled.