THE GROWTH OF U.S.S. CO.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1708, 27 March 1913, Page 5

THE GROWTH OF U.S.S. CO.

INTERESTING SPEECH BY SIB : JAMES MILLS. (By Telegraph.—Prcsa Association.) ' Dunedin, March 26. Speaking at a dinner given by tha Union Company to tho United Commercial Travellers', delegates on the Moeraki, ; Sir James Mills made reference to the gioat progress in ! many directions during the years that had elapsed sinco tho company similarly entertained a gathering of commercial travellers on board tho To Anau at Dunedin. Ho spoke 1 particularly of tho progress mode! in the matter of t'lio relationship of New Zealand to , other parts of tho Empire, ■ particularly in tho matter of defonoe, ,Sir Jamca Mills also said that, Whilst 1 the Commercial Travellers' Association had been, prospering in : tho matter of membership and finance, other organisations had likeWise been expanding. The Union Comprmv, for example, had made, great strides. Eleven years ago the company owned 58 -ships of 68,800 tons, whereas now (including ships recently acquired mid those under construction) the company owned 75 ships of 230,000 tuns, and the increase in numbers was not the only thing. There had been a large inereaso ■ also ,in tonnage.. Tho. average tonnage ; per ship eleven years ago -was 1576, where- 'S as now it.was' about, 3000. The mileage run by the company's steamers had in-, creased from two. millions a jenr to tw and a half millions, and even that didnot convey a full id ?a of tho.progress of' tho company, as, owing, to larger - size, . and greater horse-power', of many' ofi the modern .{(hips,,, thoi consumption ofv bunker coal had increased from 250,009:; to 500,000 tons per ywtr. Sir James Mills; ' further stated .that thel, average number of employees afloat, had increased from 2000 to 3580, while tho expenditure for 1 wages and overtime had grown from' £190,000 to .£'loo,ooo. The company's ex., pendituro under the head of ovcrtimo hail increased' from Jill,ooo per year W ■£05,000..