Sydney-Auckland Run

atua Temporarily On Sydney-Auckland Run Another Result of Fiji Hurricane

ECAUSE it is not expected that Fiji’s hurricane - devastated banana-lands will be produc sufficient bananas for several nths, the Union Steamship npany has temporarily with iwn the 4,000-ton Matua from New Zealand-South Pacific vice. ’he new Tofua will continue to i between Auckland, Suva, iga, Samoa, Niue, Pago Pago i return. flatua made a trip to Suva in iruary. It was then announced it between March 20 and the 1 of May she will make three 'ages between Auckland and Iney. Her movements after that e are uncertain. ?he announcement that Matua aid run across the Tasman has appointed some people in the 3k Islands who thought that it a bad hurricane that blows no ? good, and that they might v see Matua in their waters. It > also disappointed those whose ;hts of fancy led them to think it Tofua might have been di

verted to a direct service between Sydney and Suva.

Why Not Sydney-Suva?

The shipping company knows its own business best, but it can be presumed that they are not so con cerned at the 69 passengers Matua is capable of carrying across the Tasman in two, three and four

berth cabins at approximately £2B per berth, so much as Matua’s cargo-carrying capacity which is extensive for a vessel of this size.

It is permitted, however, to com ment here on the fact that even way back before World War I there was considered to be a lucrative passenger-cargo trade in the South Pacific from Sydney to

Fiji and beyond to the Cooks and Samoa. Probably half a dozen ships were engaged in that trade.

Just prior to World War II there had been a considerable rearrange ment of shipping schedules in these areas, but between Sydney and Suva there was a quick ship ping service with three Union

Steamship Co.’s ships, Aorangi, Monowai and Niagara, and the Matson ships Monterey and Mariposa, (all five of which then went on to Hawaii and North American ports).

To-day only one ship, Aorangi, remains on that service. There are, however, numerous cargo ships

which are engaged on the Sydi Pacific Islands-North America : and upon which the Island o munities in Fiji and Samoa pend for the large quantities goods that they now import f: Australia.

The development of air-trans] in South Pacific territories is doubtedly the reason for pre; trends in shipping; nonethe: some “amateur experts” feel 1 there would also be room for a i of Tofua’s type on a direct ser between Sydney, Fiji and Sar It is pointed out that Fiji pends on Australia for a Is proportion of her imports, tha great deal of Australian capita invested in the Colony and 1 many European residents of are ex-Australia. On the face it. it appears that there is as much scope for a vessel the of Tofua on the Sydney-S service as there is for the Bu on the Sydney-New Gui service. However, the querulous this stage are no doubt aski “How profitable is the Bulo: And the answer to that, of cor is known only to her own Burns Fhilp and Co., Ltd.

Bananas On Tofua

As a result of strenuous eff on the part of Fijian ban growers and all sections of

[f of the Fiji Department of ■iculture, 9,500 cases of bananas •e shipped to New Zealand on iruary Tofua. Approximately 0 cases were shipped on the tua at end of February.

Tactically all of the fruit had n salvaged from hurricane tiaged plantations. Much of it 1 to be rejected because it was r-ripe or had been bruised dur the hurricane. Matters were ther complicated by lack of tana cases due to disorganisa i in timber mills after the blow. got some of this shipment of tanas in orange cases but this is ;ly to be the least of its banana Ties until the end of the year jn it is hoped that Fiji planta is will be producing normally in.