The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1907-07-16
PROMISE Of A
NEW s;SIEAN.R LINE
PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH AN
AUSTRALIAN SERVICE LEAVING
THE COAST AT SAN PEDRO.
The San Pedro Daily News says:

The San Pedro Daily News says:
Since the withdrawal of the Oceanic
Company's ships from the Australian
service, there has been no direct COM
munication between American Pacific
ports and New Zealanu and Australia.
The Oceanic ships sailed from San
Francisco, touching at Honolulu and
Tutuila and arrived at Auckland in
eighteen days and at Sydney IN TWEEN
ty-one days. The freight traffic was
not heavy, but the ships usually car
ried fair complement of passengers,
and the line received substantial mail
subsidies from the colonies and from
the United States. For some reason,
perhaps and slowness of the ships. the
service did not pay.
e. f. Wright, now resident of Los
Angeles, is convinced that fast mail
and passenger service between our Pa
cific Coast and Australia could be
made to pay, and for the past eighteen
months he has been working on a plan
to induce one of the large British
steamship companies to put on two
twenty-knot boats. He has visited
London and the colonies in the inter-
est of the project, and has met with
substantial encouragement. The New
Zealand and Australian newspapers
have discussed the matter pretty thor
oughly and all favor the project and
commend Mr. Wright's efforts.
1t was the original purpose TO make
Salina Cruz the eastern terminus OF
the line and utilize the TehuantepeC
to London via New York, but closer
study of the situation has convinced
Mr.. Wright that better time could be
made by way of Los Angeles, and thai
for many reasons the port of Sar
Pedro would be the best American enc
of the Pacific line.
Two twenty-knot ships of 5000 tons
net tonnage, the equipment contem
plated, would give a fortnightly ser
vice. The time between Auckland anC
San Pedro would be twelve and hal
days Between Sydney and London
J the time would be from four to sis
days shorter than the time by way o
! the present mail route via SueZ, anC
| the passenger fare would be consider
ably reduced. For these reasons, Mr.
Wright believes that the British mail
and a good proportion Of the passenge
traffic between Australia and Englant
would take the American route.
First cabin fare to Auckland or sgd
ney on the Oceanic ships was S2OC
From San Pedro to those ports
would be S125, and it is reasonable [
suppose that the reduction would en-
courage tourist travel. No more dc
lightful voyage can be made than froI
San Pedro to Auckland through storm
less tropic seas.
The benefits accruing to Los Angelo
and San Pedro from the establishmer
of the proposed line are obvious an
will be recognized readily by the con
mercial bodies and by all wide-awah
citizens Also the project should al
, peal strongly to the transcontinenti
e railroads 1t is possible that the az
l. vantage of substituting oil for col
could be made apparent to the steam
! ship company, and that Southern Cal
fornia fuel oil could be supplied to tt
" line.
, In order to make the line CONNIE
. cially feasible, some assistance fro
. the governments interested in the ma
= service would be required There
:. no doubt that New Zealand and Au
tralia would give substantial subs