stands Get NZ Ships At Last

Matua, Maui Pomare and Alexander on the Job

HHE motor vessel, Matua, manned by a [ scratch crew which left Auckland for Suva, Apia and Tonga at the end : May, and Maui Pomare, which left NZ ith a volunteer crew in mid-June for ie Cook Islands, have done something ) relieve the acute shortage of foodstuffs id other essential supplies which de floped in the South Pacific territories > a result of the four-months-long NZ aterside dispute.

Fiji has fared somewhat better than ie other islands as Australian cargo ships i the Sydney-Vancouver route have been )le to take supplies to the Colony. Her ain shortages were fresh meat, potatoes id onions—but as these last two commo ties have been unprocurable in Australia lyway, it can be said that they are no □rse off than the Sydney housewife.

There were acute shortages of flour, igar, butter and canned goods in the ,her Island territories^—particularly in ie Cooks which have been cut off from ew Zealand, except by air, since the aui Pomare’s last call in February.

After her return to NZ in February, ;aui Pomare was withdrawn for annual irvey. By the time she was ready to re ime service the waterfront dispute had sd up all NZ shipping.

In addition to shortage of supplies, the ick Islanders who depend on their fruit :port for ready cash, had been unable ship their crops. This had meant fur ler hardship. On her return trip, Maui imare is expected to lift 5,000 cases of trus fruit and 600 cases of tomatoes for nckland.

A 48-YEAR-OLD 300-tonher which was rescued six months ago from Nelson mudflats where she has been lying for several years, is doing a great job carrying essential supplies to Suva during the hold-up.

She is the Alexander, once part of the Anchor Shipping Co.’s Cook Straight fleet plying between Nelson and Wellington.

A group of young men bought her some months ago for trading in the islands. She has acquired the title of Little Mercy Ship and made her second Pacific Island run in mid-June with 300 tons of potatoes, onions and canned meat for Suva.

The NZ Minister in charge of Island Territories said that the response to the call for volunteers to man Maui Pomare was splendid and that the Government could hot avail itself of all the offers that had been received. Cook Islanders living in New Zealand had been eager to help and 18 had been included in the crew.

The Rev. W. Gibbins. a Baptist Minister from Newcastle, NSW, has become director of the South Seas Evangelical Mission which has its headquarters in the Solomons. He will leave Sydney on July 7, for his new job. His wife will follow same weeks later.