Subsidy For Aorangi?

Difficulies of Maintaining Service

THE Canadian-Australasian Line (a subsidiary of Union Steamship Com pany of New Zealand) has asked the Governments of Australia, New Zealand and Canada for an operational subsidy to maintain their trans-Pacific passenger service with Aorangi.

This was stated by the Prime Minister of New Zealand at the end of February.

He said that the three Governments concerned had not yet conferred, but the proposal was under consideration by New Zealand.

Aorangi is the only passenger ship on the Australasia-North America run.

Before the war there were about half a dozen, of which two were the American liners Mariposa and Monterey, Aorangi returned to the run after the war and a two year’s refit which cost well over £1 million. She made her first post-war voyage in August, 1948.

During refitting much of the former passenger accommodation was converted to better crew accommodation. There fore Aorangi carries fewer passengers these days. Furthermore, due to dollar restrictions, there is comparatively little freight to be carried between North America and Australasia. Running costs and wages have more than doubled, time spent in ports trebled. There is active competition from three trans-Pacific air services The difficulties of running the Aorangi can be said to be similar to those en countered now by all overseas shipping companies. Whatever the cost, however, the Aorangi should be kept running. If she were withdrawn trans-Pacific com munications would slip further back into the dark ages than they were 100 years ago.