SOME SPECULATIONS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1746, 10 May 1913, Page 5

SOME SPECULATIONS.

CONCERNING SHIPPING AFFAIRS. ABE LINES COMBINING ? By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright Sydney, May 9. Tils "Sydney Morning Herald" says:— "The arrival on Monday of the steamer Kimutalca lends colour to the belief in shipping circles that an understanding has been readied by a number of lines trading between England, America, Australia, and Neiv Zealand. This impression has arisen owing 'to the recent purchases of steamers and a series of departures from the ordinary services of certain lines. For instance, many of tho New Zealand Shipping Company's liners now load at Liverpool, instead of tho Federal-Boulder steamers, which formerly maintained the West of England trade. It was reported some time ago that a portion, of tho Federal-Hoiilder interests had been purchased by tho New Zealand Shipping Company; also that the Union Company had secured a share, but no definito announcement was obtainable. Since then an important merging of shipping interests appears to have occurred, which has caused the suggestion of a pooling of interests. It is difficult to * determine whether the Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company is included, but if not it is a strange coincidonco that their steamers'now load regularly at .Montreal and St. John, 'together with vessels of tho New Zealand Shipping Company, which built up tho trade in tho first placc." WHAT SIB JAMES MILLS SAYS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) Auckland, May 0. With reference to tho cablegram published to-day, Sir James Mills, managing director of the Union Steam Ship Company, stated that so far as he brew there was to. bo no pooling interests by the shipping companies interested in the Australian trade. It was well known that t'ho New Zealand Shipping Company was interested in the ilMeral-Houlder Line, and that the Union Company was continuing to Tun four steamers recently purchased fcr tho West of England trade under the Federal-Houlder flag; but he knew of no further understanding. Certainly some of the companies were on sufficiently friendly terms to lend steamers octasion-" 1 ally when other companies wero short. The suggestions mado in the cablegram wore speculative, and, so far as h? know, I without foundation in fact.