Pacific Transport

Fire Transpac' Demand From

Micronesian Congressmen

Speakers in the Congress of Micro : nesia called for the firing of Trans pacific Lines Inc (Transpac), the government-supported shipping line, during the January session. Their demand was backed up by the House Committee and the Senate Committee on Resources and Development, which asked that “a new and more de pendable shipping arrangement be instituted”.

Mr Sasauo Haruo, chairman of the House Resources and Development Committee, and Senators Olympio Borja, Marianas, and John Mangefel, of Yap, each gave Transpac a tongue lashing.

Mr Haruo, presenting his com mittee’s report about Transpac, spoke of “blunt economic facts” now facing Micronesia. Documented charges against the company included: • Non-adherence to published shipping schedules; • The 60-day service to the eastern districts turned out to be an 80 or 90-day service, if there was a service at all; • The 18-day shuttle service covering Koror, Yap, Guam and Saipan was non-existent; • The direct US west coast service had been discontinued and Micro nesia-bound cargo now rode piggy back on another line’s ships for trans shipment at Guam; • The direct service from the Far hast was irregular and unpredictable; • Transpac’s debt was more than $2 million and could not be amortised in the remaining five years of the

franchise;

. • There was a loss of confidence m Transpac by the public and its creditors; • Together, with all those reasons transpac continued to be mis managed: bills of lading arrived with no cargo, cargo was still off-loaded 3t the wrong ports, and non-payment claims continued.

T'his Congress adopted a report ?? s T r lpping ? earl Y four years ago,”

Mr Haruo said. “If the recommenda tions had been followed by the ship ping company, perhaps we would have had a viable service today.”

r^fi^TVJ. 8 % the * Same r ep ? rt ’ he recalled the title of one of the sec- T^ e Promise and the; Failure”.

Thus describes exactly the history 9? tif S i ad * S i ate of st l, lp P in g services . J 5 as years ’ said. “We have been made many promises, but nTn„ ha^°"l faM l UreS ' The , com ; Ft has faL P HTnU r P r . omls « d - and haFf i\ d ’ d £ ed . mlser / b| y- We Adminktrat^n ny ,rF r T! SeS fr ,° m IF* nrnhlem hnt thpw° t he if so i V M do anvfhina faded to solutions ” g ’ haVC fai ed to hnng < <T . l r ... Qct ” e \i im u^ 0r corr . ectl ve action is P st, Mr Haruo said. It is now time to take a decisive action and make a fresh start. We have made too many studies, recommendations and investigations. We can no longer dream that our wishes might become realities.”

Senator Borja, nresenting the Senate committee’s report, said it was extremely unfortunate that a good idea like Transpac—the intent to create a Micronesian-owned and controlled shipping line—had become the object of scorn and derision.

“Instead of helping Micronesian consumers, it has weighed them down with additional costs,” he said.

“Instead of becoming a viable operation, it is debt-ridden, and a liability to everyone.”

Senator Mangefel urged High Commissioner Edward E. Johnston to end the Transpac franchise and “launch a

new means t( > provide good shipping” for Micronesia.

He supported entirely the recom mendation. Transpac was being kept alive artificially, which did neither the company nor the consumer any good “Doctors sometimes must amputate a limb to save the patient,” he said.

“I think the analogy here is clear— that we must « et rid of Transpac to save the Micronesian people from paying for the mistakes of other people. It is time to let Transpac sink, and it is time to launch a new means to provide good shipping services for our people.”

Py.Kiavy Roat

f A * a* ccDV.rc rUK jAMOA btRVICt A former Royal Navy patrol boat has been acquired by Mr Antonio H.

Steffany, of Western Samoa, to run a service between Apia and Pago Pago. Mr Steffany bought the boat, which he has renamed Antonio, from Marine Charters Co of Singapore, which bought it from the Royal Navy in 1968.

The boat is 117 ft long, 21J ft wide, with a mean draft of 6i ft and is 149 tons (gross). It is capable of covering the distance between Apia and Pago Pago in five hours, a saving of about three hours over the present average running time, Lepou, a Samoan, will be master of the Antonio.