Bsi Urgently Needs Ships
p. 54 · Read in the full issue
Letter to the Editor ONE often wonders whether the British Solomons Administration has ever approached the Australian Govern ment for co-operation to help solve the Sydney-Solomons shipping problem.
When I left Sydney a year ago two ships were loading at the same wharf for the Islands—viz., the 9000-ton “River Mitta,” for New Guinea, and the 100-ton “Ruena” for the BSI. And that just about illus trates the relative shipping services of the two Groups in the period which has since elapsed.
In comparison with the BSI, New Guinea-Papua is serviced with quite a fleet of large passenger ships and freighters, whilst BSI struggles to exist on the irregular services of a few midget vessels, and a very occasional larger one.
At their present stage of reconstruction the BSI cannot expect to command the full-time service of a decent-sized passen ger steamer. Even in our palmy days we were not able to do that. But, neverthe less, we were adequately serviced by a 3000-ton, 6-weekly vessel which we shared
with Bougainville and Rabaul. The Syd ney-Solomons-New Guinea, or, in reverse, Sydney-New Guinea-Solomons runs are essential services which have existed from the earliest days—natural runs, which must sooner or later be re-established— so why not now, when the need was never greater? Australia helped us before with shipping, and I feel sure would help us again if approached at the highest level.
BSI, 29/12/48. I am, etc,