Morinda’S Route.

THE alteration in the itinerary of the Burns, Philp steamer “Morinda,” which now serves Norfolk Island, Auckland and the New Hebrides, was the subject of a complaint in the Fed eral Parliament on August 31, by Mr.

Beasley, the leader of the Lang party.

Mr. Beasley said that it had been represented to him by one of his con stituents that in June, 1931, the “Mor inda” included an Auckland call in its itinerary because a steamer service to New Zealand, which formerly included Norfolk Island, had been found unpro fitable and had been discontinued. The result was that the “Morinda” was able to supply Auckland merchants with a transport service to Norfolk Is land and other Islands which otherwise was not available. The effect of this was that New Zealand merchants were securing trade which otherwise would have gone to Australian merchants.

Mr. Beasley considered this unfair, be cause the Burns, Philp Company was receiving a subsidy from the Australian Government.

The Minister in charge of Islands’ affairs, Major Marr, replied to Mr.

Beasley on September 2.

Major Marr explained that formerly a New Zealand steamer gave Norfolk Island a regular connection with Auck land. In 1930 this service was discon tinued in order that the N.Z. steamer might provide a more frequent service between New Zealand and Samoa and Niue. As a result, Norfolk Island was deprived of the profitable tourist traffic with Auckland and of the Auckland market, in which it disposes of a con siderable production of bananas. There fore, as Norfolk Island interests were threatened by the cutting out of the Auckland connection, Messrs. Burns, Philp and Co., in co-operation with the Commonwealth Government, arranged to extend the service provided by the "Morinda,” so that it would include Auckland. The new service was under constant review and was subject to termination at any time. It was re garded as the best thing that could be arranged in the special circumstances.