Pacific Plans
p. 27 · Read in the full issue
Matso Makes
THERE have been new develop ments in regard to the re establishment of the Matson Line’s trans-Pacific passenger ser vice.
The latest plan, released late in October, received great publicity in Australia, but once again there is a proviso: If the US Maritime Commission approves.
But if it does, two 14,000-ton, $40,000,000, 360-passenger liners will be built in time to commence the run in mid-1956. Under the proposed plan they will operate a 17 i -days, 20-knot service from San Francisco through Honolulu, Fago Pago, Suva and Wellington to Sydney south bound, and through Auckland, Papeete, Honolulu and Los Angeles northbound, with a 5-days stop-over in Sydney and a full 24-hours in Papeete.
The vessels will have 200,000 cubic feet of cargo space, including 28,000 feet for refrigerated cargo.
The design allows for a low streamlined profile, with raked bow, cruiser stern, and single funnel.
If approval is given—and the approval involves subsidies, and the subsidies may be conditional upon the results of the November Con gressional elections which took place after the Matson announcement was released—the news will certainly be very welcome in Suva, Pago Pago, and Papeete.