Become Bronze-green
p. 20 · Read in the full issue
White "Matua" to Become Bronze-green
From Our Own Correspondent SUVA. June 22.
REPROACHES are likely to be heaped on the USS Company of New Zea land for its decision to paint the famous Islands ship, “Matua,” bronze green after two more Fiji-Tonga-Samoa round-trips.
Bronze-green is the Union Company’s traditional liner colour, but except for the war years, the “Matua” has been gleaming white (with the company’s red and-black funnel) ever since she came into the Islands service towards the end of 1936.
During the war she won a high place in Fiji in the affection of residents by keep ing open, single-handed, sea communica tion with New Zealand. Her appearance, late in 1945, with a new white dress re placing the wartime grey, was hailed in the Islands as one of the first tangible signs that the war was actually over.