"Luxury Liners"

More Reports of Trans-Pacific Developments

THE relationship between the British and American shipping interests in regard to trans-Pacific steamship lines is just as vague and uncertain—if we may judge by newspaper reports—as the future relationship between the two nations regarding trans-Pacific airmails.

Having made the announcement of ficially and unofficially on several oc casions, that the plan of building two new 22,000-tons liners to run between Australia and North America had been abandoned on account of high shipbuild ing costs, the various interests concerned, early in September, declared that the plan had not been dropped but that, on the contrary, the Governments of Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand were now considering ways and means of giv ing effect to it.

Meanwhile, reports have been received in Auckland that the Matson Line pro poses to build two 40,000-tons luxury liners for the Pacific service, to replace the “Mariposa” and “Monterey”; and that the service, under the new conditions, will include Wellington, as well as Auckland In view of the events of the past few years, all such reports should be mixed with the usual dose of fruit salts.

Mr. W. J. Knox, of Mathias Planta tion, Buka Passage, New Guinea, mar ried Miss R. McKinnon, of Rabaul, in August.