Sydney-Frisco Run

No Ships Yet For

"Aorangi" May Be Back This Year But Matson Ships In definite

A SPOKESMAN for the Union Steam ship Co., has stated that the com pany’s trans-Pacific liner “Aorangi” should be back on the Sydney-Vancouver run by mid-1948. As pre-war, she will call at Auckland, Suva and Honolulu.

This vessel has been in dock in Sydney for the past two years undergoing recon version after war service. At the out set it was expected that she would take no longer than six months for refitting, but incessant dislocations and delays at the docks postponed her resumption of service, first to mid-1947, then to Febru ary, 1948, and now to mid-1948.

Even with this long delay, “Aorangi” will beat the Matson ships, “Monterey” and “Mariposa,” back into the trans pacific service.

The Matson ships were released by the US Navy in mid-1946. It was announced then that they and the “Lurline” (on the Honolulu run) were to go into dock on the Pacific coast and be completely re built from the waterline. It was expected that the job on the three vessels would cost about 20,000,000 dollars, and, that the ships would be ready for service by the end of 1946.

Constant industrial trouble caused this schedule to be abandoned altogether, and all work was abruptly halted on the “Mariposa” and “Monterey” last July, and has not been resumed to date.

Reasons given at the time were the rising cost of materials, labour, etc.

The original estimates for recondition ing were 6,000,000 dollars per vessel.

These were later revised to 10,000,000 dollars per vessel but when work on the “Monterey” was halted last July, the cost had already exceeded the later esti mates.

It was found that to reconvert the vessels in 1947 would cost more than the total cost of building them had done in 1932. (Original cost was approximately 8,500,000 dollars per vessel.) Although work was abandoned on the “Monterey” and “Mariposa,” it was de cided to continue with the reconversion of the “Lurline” which may be ready for the Frisco-Honolulu trade by March, 1948.

At the time the decision was taken the “Lurline” was nearer completion than the other ships; she was also des tined for a healthier trade Matson having the virtual monopoly of the ship ping between the Pacific coast of USA and Hawaii.

The American Government will pay 5,000,000 dollars towards the reconversion of the “Lurline” an amount calculated to cover the wear and tear that the ship suffered while she was used by the Navy.

The same amount will be paid by the Government on each of the other ships also but reconversion must be com pleted before the company can collect.

Reconversion May Resume

THE Matson Company recently decided to resume reconversion of the “Monterey” and “Mariposa” if it can be done in shipyards other than their own on the Pacific coast. Tenders were to close on January 31.

It is believed that Bethlehem, at Fore River, Quincy, Mass., might be interested in the job. Both shins were built in this yard originally. It is believed that even the considerable expense of towing the 26,000 ton ships through the Panama

Canal would be offset by lower costs of shipbuilding on the East Coast of America. To save money, however, the two ships might be made sufficiently sea worthy to make the trip under their own steam The President of the Matson Company, Mr. John E. Cushing, said in January that the Atlantic coast was much better equipped than the Pacific coast for pas senger-ship building. Steel is also cheaper, although wages are about the same. Mr. Cushing was reluctant to discuss the reasons why work on the luxury ships was abandoned in mid-1947, other than to state that rising costs had forced the decision.

IT is believed in some quarters in Aus tralia that the real reason why work stopped on the two ships was because the United States Government refused to allow the Matson Company what the Matson Company had expected for Navy wear and tear during the war.

A Presidential advisory committee re cently recommended that the “Mariposa” and “Monterey” be completed and re turned to the Australia-Pacific coast service. But whereas the existing US legislation allows the Maritime Commis sion to subsidise new passenger ships, the position is not clear with regard to re converted ships.

Air competition is now a big factor in the operation of any trans-Pacific ser vice. Pan-American Airways are run ning two trips a week between Sydney and San Francisco and one trip a week between Auckland and San Francisco, with corresponding return trips. Aus tralian National Airways are running three trips per fortnight from Sydney and one trip per fortnight from Auck land. Time taken is about 2 h days, in comparison with Matson’s pre-war aver age of 17 days. Air travel on the Pacific route is not cheap; but it is expected

that travel on the reconverted trans pacific luxury ships will not be cheap, either.

Present dollar restrictions in Australia have curtailed all travel from the Com monwealth to the United States, and it was stated recently that planes have been leaving Sydney with only one-third of seating capacity booked. Therefore, trans-Pacific passenger ships would have to depend for much of their trade upon American tourists, or travellers from in termediate ports to and from Sydney and San Francisco.

At all events, it appears quite definite that “Monterey” and “Mariposa” will not be back on their old run this year.

"Bulolo" Will Return to Pacific

THE modern motor-vessel “Bulolo,” which was well known to New Guinea travellers just before the war, should be back in the Pacific by the end of this year.

“Bulolo” was taken over by the British Admiralty at the outbreak of war in 1939, and saw a great deal of service, both in the Mediterranean and the North Sea.

She was at almost every Allied invasion in the Northern hemisphere, and became qne of the best known Naval ships. Early in 1942, she was allocated to Admiral Mountbatten, then chief of combined

operations, as the first headquarters ship.

“Bulolo” was retained by the Admiralty until recently. Now, however, she is at a shipbuilding yard in the Clyde under going reconversion. This is expected to be complete by May, 1948.

The ship, when she was taken over in 1939, was owned by Burns Philp & Co., Ltd. Since then, however, much has altered in the Australian shipping world and most of Burns Philps 4 island ships are still controlled by the Australian Shipping Board.

It is unknown, at present, whether or not “Bulolo” will be returned to the Big Firm; or what Pacific run she will under take. The Papua-New Guinea service is more in need of a ship of the “Bulolo’s” capacity now, however, than it ever was when the ship was first put on the run in 1938.

The “Montoro,” which had been re tired and virtually disposed of at the outbreak of war, is still doing the bulk of the work on the Sydney-New Guinea route.