SHIPPING COMBINE

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1315, 19 December 1911, Page 5

SHIPPING COMBINE

IMPORTANT SCHEME. UNION-CASTLE LINE BOUUHT. .WORLD-WIDE PROJECT, By Telegraph-Press AsEoclation-Oopyriijhl (Reo. December 18, 11.10 p.m.) London, December 18. "The Times" states (hat subject to ratification by the shareholders iho Uoyul Mail Steam Packet Company and E'dcr, Dempster autl Company will acquire nil tlio Uiiion-Castlo line's ordinary shares. It adds that tho companies lire interested in n scheme for the biggest combination of chipping interests in tho world. Tho "Financial Times," in commenting on tho scheme, says tho Capo will become o more important entrepot for overseas trading, and may possibly become uIU. mately one of the world's clearing-houses. One immediate, result must bo to bring Australia and South Africa closer.

Tho trade enterprises of Messrs. EWct, Dempster, and Co., Ltd., aro upon nn enormous scale. Sir Alfred Jones, head or tho nrm, has shown 1 - extraordinary energy, and has already mx lines of sjoamers under his control. The RovaJ Mail Steam Packet Company is another big concern which has undergono a serica ot amalgamations. Whilo tho Elder, Dempster combination operates principally in African waters, this lino's interests a fo mainly Central and South American, although, according to "Whitaker's 41manaek. it has a half interest in the Orient Company's mail contract wtih tho Commonwealth., In 1007 the Royal Mail Company also acquired a half interest in the huire line, thus extending their operations to Japan, China, and tho Far Last. The following year saw the acquisition of the Messrs. Forwood Bros, and Co.'s line to Gibraltar, Madiera, and the Canaray Islands. In 1910 tho purchaso of the wholo of the Pacific Steam Navigation Company's t>haro canital was effected, and control acquired of the fleot and interests of that concern in South America. The Union-Castle Line has, had the boutn African mail contract eince its formation in l<loo, and prior to that thp two separate Union end Castlo lines shared Ihe contract. Tho company has not tendered for tho service under thn new terms of contract drawn up by the South African Government, forbidding rebates, etc., and tho Government, having failed to secure a tender, is talking °f l»»Wing its own mail steamers. .The following table gives an idea of the size of some of the fleets that will be controlled by the now combination-.— nu « Steamers. Tone. Elder Dempster Combine... 103 328,672 Pacific S.N. Co 40 170184 Union-Castle Line , 44 31^333 AMERICAN COAL TRADE.