Welcome Addition
p. 73 · Read in the full issue
[?] Atson’S
Programme
Welcome Addition To Pacific Routes
BRIGHTEST Matson Line post- M war news came in a January announcement from San Fran sco, setting out the sailing schedule r the two new trans-Pacific luxury lers, Mariposa and Monterey.
Mariposa will be first to sail and ;r movements will be as follows: “parts San Francisco Oct. 27, 1956, >s Angeles Oct. 28, Honolulu Nov.
Papeete Nov. 9, Wellington Nov. , Melbourne Nov. 19; Sydney, rives Nov. 21, departs Nov. 23, ickland Nov. 26, Suva Nov. 29, igo Pago Nov. 30, Honolulu De tnber 5, arrives San Francisco ;c. 10.
Monterey will take a somewhat Terent reverse route on her first yage. She will clear San Fran co Nov. 20, Los Angeles Nov. 21, molulu Nov. 26, Pago Pago Dec. 1, va Dec. 4, Auckland arrives Dec. departs Dec. 8, Sydney arrives c. 11, departs Dec. 14, Wellington c. 17, Papeete arrives Dec. 21, parts Dec. 23, Honolulu Dec. 28, 5 Angeles Jan 2, 1957, San Fran co arrives Jan. 3, 1957. loth vessels will have a wide range accommodation, from luxurious 'andah suites to much more modest ir-berth cabins. Fares will vary ;ordingly. As examples we list •e the maximum and minimum gle fares from Auckland or Well ton in Sterling; Auckland-Well ton to Sydney or Melbourne, or /a; £3O/7/0 to £lO5/7/0; to Pago 10, £57/3/0 to £lB3/19/-; to peete, £7l/9/0 to £l9B/4/0; to nolulu, £ll6/1/0 to £285/14/0. teturn fares are in each case ctly double the single fares wn. t is expected that US-Australia ough bookings will be heavy for early voyages, with little or in t e r-Island accommodation liable.
'or the first time since the war Union Steam Ship Co.-Huddart ■ker Cos. Tasman passenger nopoly will be broken. Fares will higher but accommodation and rice is expected to be superior existing services, n post-war years there has been ‘gentleman’s agreement” which 3ed passengers to travel by the ve two company’s vessels or fly TEAL, despite the fact that sels with modem passenger ilities have been crossing the man with dozens of vacant ths —notably the Orient liners. • has been rumoured in recent iths that the Union Steam Ship and Huddart Parker may with
draw entirely from the Tasman passenger trade within the forsee able future, leaving the field to Orient and Matson, and whatever else offers.
Due to a business linkage be tween the various British lines such a decision would probably have been unlikely had not Matson re entered the Pacific trade.
The existing Tasman passenger “gentleman’s agreement’’ was said to be justified in that the two com panies concerned provided a regular service. However, there was no at tempt to provide a service adequate for the traffic offering—as shown by the present trans-Tasman wait ing lists.
For years any member of the public walking into a booking office and asking for a ticket for a Tas man crossing a month —or even six months—ahead, has been treated as a joke by the booking clerks.
For that reason alone a good many members of the public will be prepared to pay a good deal more money, if necessary, for the rare pleasure of being able at last to get what they want when they want
it.-
Jps.
t A two-year-old boy, Konelio R.
Semo, who followed his father out onto the reef fishing, was drowned when he fell into deep water in Pago Pago Bay on November 29.