CARGO STEAMSHIP SERVICE

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2526, 12 June 1909, Page 2

CARGO STEAMSHIP SERVICE

ALLEY LINE WITHDRAWN. [Pun Press Association.] AUCKLAND, June 11. Recently it was announced that the Alley line of steamers had been withdrawn from the New Zcaland-Canadian cargo service owing to the withdrawal of the Government subsidies. The steamer Indravelli, which arrived at Auckland yesterday morning, is the last' vessel of t'he line to be engaged in tho trade, which ceases with her departure from New Zealand, for she has been fixed to load in the Dominion and in Australia for London. The quantity of cargo shipped by the vessel at Vancouver was pretty considerable. For Auckland she has 250,000 feet of Oregon pine. She has a large quantity of general cargo for discharge at Wellington, Lyttelton, and Dunedin. Since the service was inaugurated three years ago the- Canadian shipments' have always been satisfactory, but the same cannot be said of the exports from New Zealand. In fact, more often than not tlie steamers were sent back to Vancouver with no cargo at all, although it is only fair to state oh late a slight improvement was noticeable. The master of the vessel (Captain Pilcher) stated that the antipathy to the service avas all on the New Zealand side, and if the Canadians had their way the steamers would still be running. The people in the older Dominion regret that the service has been abandoned. The Canadians did not want to withdrew tlieir subsidy. They were keen on having the line maintained, but as the New Zealand Government would not continue its subsidy, Canada was reluctantly compelled to withdraw its subsidy also.