Western Pacific

Timetables

Rearrangement of B.-P. Shipping Services under Consideration

AS a consequence of the development of three new factors in the shipping and I trading position among the Islands Groups of the Western Pacific, a somewhat exten sive rearrangement of the timetables of Messrs. Burns Philp and Co. Ltd. is under consideration. It is being discussed by the shipping company, the Commonwealth Government, the various Administrations concerned, and certain important Islands interests; and it is not likely that finality will be reached until November.

The three factors which have made the rearrangement desirable are: The rapid development of the gold in dustry in New Guinea and Papua; The shrinkage in trade in those groups which are wholly dependent upon copra; The threatened competition in the New Guinea trade by the subsidised Nord deutscher Lloyd line, which has announced that it will run steamers between Australia and Hongkong, with regular calls at Rabaul and Salamaua.

Details of the new timetables drawn up by Messrs. Burns Philp and Co. Ltd. are under discussion in various directions and are not available for publication. It may be said, however, in a general way, that it is proposed to withdraw the new liner Malaita from the Sydney-Brisbane-Solomon Islands run and put her on the Sydney- Brisbane-North Queensland - Papua - New Guinea run, to alternate with the Montoro; and that it is proposed that the Macdhui shall remain on the New Guinea service, but that instead of calling at all the Islands outposts she shall run direct from Sydney to Salamaua, thence to Rabaul, thence to Tulagi (possibly working in the Bougain ville ports), thence back to Salamaua and to Sydney. This would give a very quick service between Sydney and the New Guinea goldfields, which is much in de mand, and it would also maintain connec tion with the Solomons. While the Mac dhui would be making this very quick trip (she would reach Salamaua in five days from Sydney) the Malaita and the Montoro would be carrying on the usual Papua and New Guinea service.

The foregoing arrangements, however, would leave the Solomon Islands without a direct Australian connection. Therefore it is proposed to rearrange the Norfolk Island-New Hebrides service so that the Morinda’s run may be extended from Vila (New Hebrides) up to Tulagi, in the Solo mon Islands. In these circumstances it would be necessary for the Morinda to cut out the run around the New Hebrides, leaving that to be undertaken by the Makambo, which is now stationed at Vila.

In a general way, Messrs. Burns Philp & Co. Ltd. have worked out an attractive plan for coping with new conditions (one of which is a considerably reduced Common wealth subsidy) but it can be understood that every one of the half-dozen Adminis trations concerned, in addition to numerous other interests, has special representations which it wishes to place before the com pany at this time.

It had been hoped to inaugurate the new timetables after the departure of the re paired and refitted Montoro for Papua and

New Guinea on October 17; but it is now apparent that discussions will require more time. It has therefore been arranged that the Macdhui shall follow the Montoro early in November, along the lines of the old timetable.