The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-06-14

Victoria Colonist.-Aside from the
project for an Imperial subsidized fast
line of steamers to Australia to give
mail communication between London
and the Antipodes in twenty-seven
days an announcement is expected
shortly of an improvement to the Can
adam Australian steamship service be-
tween this port and Australia. 1t is
well known that complaints have been
made from time to time by the c. p.
r. that the steamship service is made
quate, and an official of the company
recently on the Pacific coast on a tour
of inspection, after viewing the steamer
Miowera, wrote strongly in complaint
of the continued use of that steamer
and the Aorangi on the route. The
| steamers in question are owned and
| operated by the Canadian-Australian
| line, which holds the mail contract for
the route, and a year or two ago, after
| the purchase of the steamer Warrimoo
| from the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Steam
ship Company. the Union Steamship
Company of New Zealand made an
| agreement to operate steamer in this
trade. BY it's agreement the Union
Steamship Company is not permitted
to operate more than one steamer, how
ever, else. according to recent arrivals
from the Antipodes an Improvement
would have been made long since.
The present contract for the carriage
of mails to and from the Antipodes by
the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. line expires in
July next, and it is stated by those
in position to know that the next
contract will call for a much faster
and better service than can be supplied
by the Canadian Australian company's
steamers upon this route. The prob
abilities are that the Union Steamship
Company, which is improving its fleet
"a new steamer named the Mirama is
almost completed at a British ship
yard-will bid for the new contract and
if successful will give a tri-weekly ser
vice between Victoria and New Zealand
and Australia. The New Zealand call
will be made to take advantage of the
offer of subsidy by the New Zealand
government for the carriage of mails
to Victoria. The route will be altered
SO that instead passengers from that
port will be brought via railroad to
Sydney, and the liners will leave sgd
ney for Auckland and thence voyage
via Suva and Honolulu to Victoria.
The Union Steamship Company will
probably operate the steamers Manu-
ka, now at Vancouver loading for her
outward voyage, and the Maheno and
Mirama, both equipped with turbine
engines, and all three fine modern pas
senger steamers, on this route. The Ma
fena4 was built three years ago, and
was sent to Victoria for two trips last
summer during the height of the sea-
son of heavy travel, as the Manuka was
sent this summer.
The president of the company, which
owns over sixty steamers of various
sizes, most of them engaged in coast
ing services in the Antipodes, is now
in London attending the shipping con-
ference now being held there, and ar
rangements for the improved service
will probably be announced on his re-
turn.
That the time for Improvement of the
line has arrived is conceded, and for
some months past C. p. r. officials
have been complaining of the need of
Improvement. Now, when the opposi
ton line, which formerly ran from San
Francisco, has left the field, the need
is even greater, for the service given
is not adequate to the business offer
ing.