More Pacific
p. 14 · Read in the full issue
Freighters
THE South Pacific countiies, including Australia and New Zealand, are now getting the benefit of Trans-Pacific freight shipping services almost equal in capacity to those of 1939, Four freighters of the Canadian-Aus tralasian Line, the Waikawa, Waihemo, Waitomo and Wairuna, and one Union Steam Ship Company steamer, the Wai temata, have entered the service in the past year. Although her sale has not yet been announced, the American steamer Cape Igvak may be joining the Union Company’s trans-Pacific 'fleet under the name of Wairata.
The Waikawa, Waitomo and Wairuna are running on a schedule, Vancouver- San Pedro-Papeete-Apia-Ne'w Zealand- Australia.
Matson interests are now running sev eral modem freighters between the West ern States of America and Australia, via Pacific Islands ports and New Zealand.
One vessel, the Maiine Phoenix, carries passengers.
An important development is the ap pearance of the trans-Pacific service of W. R. Carpenter (Canada) Ltd. Two new modern 10,000 ton freighters, with limited but very good passenger accommodation, the Rabaul and the Lautoka, are now running in a monthly service from Van couver to Australia, via Honolulu, Fiji and New Zealand, with variations to meet requirements. It was originally pro posed that this service should return to Vancouver “north about”—via the Orient and the Philippines—but this plan has not yet been given effect to.
While there are plenty of freighters, there are no passenger ships. As ex plained elsewhere, neither Matson nor Canadian-Australian liners are expected to cross the Pacific before the end of the year.