the South Pacific

Tourism:

Matson's Plans for the South Pacific

THE Matson Line may establish a tourist hotel in Tahiti if current discussions with the Tahiti govern ment are successful.

The hotel would operate in con junction with Matson-Oceanic plans to re-enter the trans-Pacific passenger trade with two big new liners in 1956 or 1957. Matson are already in the hotel business in Hawaii. Their fourth hotel, the 270-room Princess Kaiulani, will open shortly in Honolulu.

Discussing progress in regard to the new ships, Matson’s Sydney manager said, in March, that tenders have now been called from ship yards. If prices quoted meet the Matson estimates there would appear to be no reason why work should not go ahead rapidly. The plan is to use standard “Mariner”-Class hulls, many of which are under construction in American shipyards as fast cargo vessels.

The service will be heavily sub sidised by the US Government. The Sydney manager anticipates that

the vessels will appear before the end of next year. (First Matson brochures had appeared in Suva in March. Matson contemplates a round-the-Pacific service, Papeete, Pago Pago and Suva being on the route, but not necessarily ports of call on both northbound and southbound voyages.

It is a thousand pities that someone cannot persuade Matson to build a hotel in Suva, which is an accom modation bottle-neck to any in creased Fiji tourism).

t Suva employers of casual w labour are to issue permits only men with permits will be ployed. This scheme, which not affect permanent employee intended to provide as much \ as possible for men who depen< stevedoring for a livelihood, regularise the engagement of w ers from the various areas of cruitment and to make it ei to check on men who infringe Fijian Regulations.