THE PORT.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 September 1920, Page 4

THE PORT.

NEW SERVICE OPENED. WEST CAMARGO FROM 'FRISCO. NECESSITY FOR WHARFAGE, A new overseas shipping company established connection with Taranaki yesterday, when the General Steamship Corporation's liner West, Camargo, a new vessel of 8800 tons gross, arrived at New Plymouth from San Frapcitco, via Auckland and Wellington, with 15,000 cases of oil. The West Camargo is a new vessel, having been completed on July 13 of ' this year, and is on her maiden voyage. She was built at the Shaw Butcher rapyards, San Francisco. She is one of the finest types of cargo steamers which has visited' New Plymouth, and her splendid fittings and cleanness main her .a very attractive looking eteaner. She is an oil-burner and carries jfo spaj, and this adds a touch of freshMta to her up-to-date fittings which makelpr more comfortable than the average cargo steamor. The length of the West Cfemargo is 427 feet and her breadth if 64 feet, while when she entered New Plymouth yesterday she was drawing 1t,7 feet forward and 22.3 feet aft. While the West Camargo ig the tot vessel of this company to visit New jwmouth she is the second to come to JJiifW Zealand, the other being the West l|ahwah. The company has 16 vestels- §ll < of 8800 tons gross, and they were- recently handed over to the company to the United States Shipping Board, whtjui first built this class of steamer during the war, when the Government controlled all United States shipping and built various types of steamers for Afferent classes' of trade. Massive gtfel decks make these steamers particularly well suited for carrying oil, and as oilburners they carry sufficient fuel for the round trip from San Francisco New Zealand and Australia and then back to their home port. They are capable of steaming about 260 miles a dfr, and can he converted to coal-burner#,» necessary. Each of the fifteen veu!|l> has the word West before its distinctive name, such as West Mahwah and Wttt Camargo, and this word, it is interesting to note, signifies the class to which the steamers belong, so that every steufttr of 8800 tons built by the United States Government is called the West something. Captain L. Westdahl is in command and has associated with him the following officers: Mr. 35. W. Mason, Ist; Mr. H. A. Jeans, 2nd.; Mr. F. B. Parker, 3rd.; Mr. W. Sharpe, Ist engineer; Mr. A. Nilson, 2nd.; Mr. V. Hanson, Sid; Mr. O. Laurence, 4th.; Mr H. A. Cookson; wireless operator; Mn 0. Vernier, chief steward. It is expected to complete discharge of the West Camargo cargo to-morrow, and she will sail in the aftemon for Melbourne. OPINIONS ON THE PORT. Travelling! on the West Oamargo is Mr. C. G. Graham, traffic manager for the company at San Francisco. Speak* ing to a Daily News representative, Mr?. Graham said his company run a 28 days service between TTlKco and New Zealand, and he was into the suitability of the various port* visited. Asked if New Plymouth wffltfd become a regular port of call, Mr. Gift" T\am said, this depended _on two thing*— if the cargo was offering, and i{ til# port was suitable. "I want you to make it clear to yvst people that your port is allright as tar as it goes, but it must be more than ft one vessel port," said Mr. Graham. "If we bring cargo from San FramjißCO we must know that there is going to bt no delay at this end—it is no good if W» have to wait, as on this occasion, till another boat leaves, and if you Wlipt our trade you must supply morewhaTf" age." The proposals for extending harbor were mentioned to Mr. Grata®, who expressed pleasure at what WM proposed, but he. emphasised the imperative necessity of providing ®®? e . room for vessels with the lent posew'e delay. , Little information was available in San Francisco about Twanaki'e part, and when he left Captain WwWahl ifM not certain whether there was a Wfl#« or not. The captain told the Daily News representative that he wai quit® satisfied with the harbor, hut, like Mr. Graham, he was very definite in advising haste to provide more wharfage. Bigger liners than the West Camalgo have berthed at New Plymouth, hut it is unfortunate that this line sheuld "tested" this port at a time when tiro other overseas vessels were requiring berthage, but it will serve as (woihef i*ample of the development of TsranHti*# oversea trade, and a reminder of thy importance /of pushing on with the Be* harbor works.