ALLEGED SHIPPING COMBINE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 299, 10 May 1913, Page 5

ALLEGED SHIPPING COMBINE

.: STEW ZEALAND INCLUDED. SIR JAMES MILLS INTERVIEWED. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. ( .'-... ;> Sydney, May ', 9. jv'TJhe Herald says-the arrival on Mon><day of the Rimutaka lends color to the belief' which exists in shipping circles .thatjan understanding ha 3 been reached by a number "of lines trading to England, America, Australia and New Zealand. This impression Jias arisen owing to the ', recent purchases of steamers and a jjeeiries of departures from their ordinary services.of certain liners. For instance, of. the liners of the New Zealand Shipping Company now load at Liverpool instead of the Federal and Houlder lines, which formerly were maintained by the West of England trade. It was Teported some time ago that a portion of the Federal and Houlder interests had been purchased by the New Zealand Shipping Cotppany, also that the, Union Company had secured a share, 1 but a definite announcement was not obtainable. Since then an important merging of shipping interests appears to have occurred, Which caused ,the suggestion of a pooling of interests. It is difficult to determine whether the Shaw-Savill Line is included, but if not it js a strange coincidence that their steamers now load regularly at Montreal and St John's, together with vessels of the New Zealand Shipping Company, which built up the trade in the first place.

STATEMENT BY SIR JAMES MILLS. Auckland, Friday. In reference to the cablegram to-day, Sir James Mills stated that as far as he knew there was to be no- pooling of their interests by the shipping companies interested in the Australian trade. It •was well known that the New Zealand Shipping Company was interested in the Federal Line and that the Union Company was continuing, to run the four steamers recently purchased for the West of England trade under-the Federal flag, but he knew of no further understanding. Certainly some of the companies were on sufficiently friendly terms to lend steamers occasionally when other companies ■were short. The suggestions made in the cablegram were speculative, and, as far as he knew, without foundation in fact.