THE WEIR LINE OF STEAMERS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9100, 28 May 1908, Page 5

THE WEIR LINE OF STEAMERS.

ISLAND TRADE. Hi.' lELEGRAPII —PKKHS ASSOCIATION. AUCKLAND, May 27. The Tongan correspondent of the Fiji "limes" writes: —"It is reported that the Weir Line of steamers, which started running here, has been bought out by the Union Stearriship Company, and will after next steamer call here no more. A good opportunity now arises for a small steamer to ply between Auckland, Tongs, Haabai, Vavua, bi-.d Samoa —a much-needed service." The agents for the Weir Line at Auckland ridicule the suggestion that the line had been bought out of the Tongan service. They state that the steamers would not now cill at Tonga on the San. Francisco service, but this decision was due to the Sydney Wharf Labourers' Union, which refused to handle any cargo loaded at British possessions when the crews included a number of Chinese. Tonga was virtually a British port, and so tin; Weir steamers ceased to call. Although the wharf labourers' action did not affect steamers calling at Apia, that being a foreign port, it had been decided to omit the Sarnoan port for a while at any rate. Next steamer would call there, but after that the boats would pa-:s it by.