The Daily News. MONDAY, JUNE 20, 1904. COLONIAL TRADE EXPANSION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 142, 20 June 1904, Page 2

The Daily News. MONDAY, JUNE 20, 1904. COLONIAL TRADE EXPANSION.

Some interesting information regarding the extent of the operations of the Union Steam Ship Company unci as to ils future proposals was given by Mr .lames Mills, managing dinttor, when replying to the presentation made to him by the Marine Kngincers at Wellington, according to Hie Evening I'ost. The liistory and growth of the company was contemporaneous with thu growth of the colony to some extent, and certainly was contemporaneous with the growth of the Australasian Institute of Marine Engiheers. The annual pay-sheet, for its engineers totalled t.'10.000, and the wage-sheet as a v. hole tot.ill.d no less that £:i00,000 a \car, and the aggregate expenditure of the company now closely approached a million and a quarter pounds a year. '1 he company sturtand two or three small steamers which belonged to u llunedin company, of which he was manager. From that time the company had progressed until now it had fiii steamers running and several building, and at the end of the twelve mouths the aggregate tonnage of the fleet would have reached 100,00(1 tons. Last year the fleet travelled two million miles, .and consumed in its bunkers 1250,000 tons of coul. It curried 150,000 passengers, and the victualling of passengers and crews cost £120,000. During lust year, too, the company paid throughout the colonies £50,000 in harbour and light due?, and £.150,000 in labour on cargo und coal. I hose Jigures glivc some idm of the magnitude of the company's operations. He thought that was a record of which he was jtislilied in feeling somewhat proud, and he might add that he had been connected with the management of the company from its initiation to the present day. It was a record of which the colony, too, could, he thought, feel proud, and he was very pleased to have heard that there was a general feeling throughout the community of interest and pride in the company. The company was purely a colonial concern ; practically a Xew Zealund concern. It was true that the bulk of the capital had been obtained elsewhere, lifut they would recognise that it would have been quite impossible to found und carry on a company of that magnitude with such limited capitul as could have been obtained in New Zealand—at any-rate, in the early days of the company. For all that, the directors und management of the company were entirely in the colony, and its expenditure was entirely in the colonies, and mainly In i Xew Zealand. As to the future, a great change was about to take place in the construction of steamers as regards propulsion, and the company was one of the first to venture on the construction of a bout for over-sea trade propelled by turbine. That was the case with the Loongana, recently launched, and intended to take purt in the trude between Melbourne and Ilobart under a subsidy from the Commonwealth tloveniment. She was intended to maintain a speed of 18 knots an hour, propelled by a turbine capable of developing 7000 horse-power. It had been suggested that a steamer of that type would lie suitable for the Wellington - I,ytle!ti»i service. That had already been decided on, and they were only awaiting a little experience of the Loongana, to see how she realised expectations. lie hoped the turbine steamer for -New Zealand would he here within two years. The company had already ordered and put in hand the building of a turbine si earner for Ihe intercolonial trade. \

ON TIIR KOIItTH I'.UIE. Literature. Bunk Clerk's Hours. A-Talk with lioosevclt. Treason in tin- Transvaal. Kin-welling n .Minister.