The Stratford Evening Post. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORTED THE EGMONT SETTLER. MONDAY, MAY 19, 1913. SHIPPING COMBINES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 12, 19 May 1913, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORTED THE EGMONT SETTLER. MONDAY, MAY 19, 1913. SHIPPING COMBINES.

The tendency towards combination in great shipping lines is becoming more marked than ever, and many rumours are in the air regarding what is about to happen. Within the past years the historic Royal Mail Steam Packet Company—-so long associated with the West Indies mail service—has expanded into tho largest shipping combine in the world. While its absorption of the Union Castle line is still fresh in the public memory, it has now acquired tho Nelson lines, trading to South America, which gives it a total tonnage of nearly one and a half millions. The HamburgAmerika lino is said to come second, and the International Mercantile Marine—tho formation of which created

gives it a total tonnage of nearly one and a half millions. The HamburgAmerika lino is said to come second, and the International Mercantile Marine—the formation of which created a. stir a few years ago—is third only, with a. little over a million tons. The Colonial Institute Journal points out that these amalgamations are quite in accordance with the modern tendency to substitute co-operation for cut-throat competition in every sphere of life—except armaments. But in respect of shipping it is a tendency which closely affects empire interests and needs careful watching. Australia, and Xew Zealand, as exporters of frozen meat, and South Africa as an exporter of maize—to name only one or two eases—are competitors with South America for the British market, and have sometimes had to complain about freight rates, though there does not seem to bo much ground for complaint at present. They can hardly ho expected to view without anxiety the prospect of a carrying monopoly which would he as -much interested in the development of South American as of British countries. But the way to protect the Britannic interests is not. hy decrying

the . economic process of combination, lint liy creatine; some joint authority, such as the proposed Empire Development Board, for looking after the shipping interests of the Empire as a whole. Such a Board, or any new Empire Government, might lie aide to deal more easily with a few big companies than a host of small ones.