UNION STEAM SHIPPING CO.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume LIII, Issue 2752, 24 February 1903, Page 2

UNION STEAM SHIPPING CO.

A meeting of commercial men, interested in the trade of Akaroa, was held at tbe office of Mr W. H. Henning, agen for bhe U S.S. Co., on Saturday afternooo.

Mr Heuning read correspondence from the U.S.S. Co., to the effect that the company were disposing of their smaller steamers and that the future trade between Lyttelton, Dunedin, and intcrmediata ports would be by a cargo steamer of 2,500 tons. The correspondence also referred to the expense incurred by vessels of this size calling at ports where the trade was Ban all, and hinted at i\ discontinuance of the boats running South from Lyttelton, as nearly the whole of the Lytbeibon trade was done by the snnli.r locally owned boa's.

Mr Moiiiz.on bail the general tendency of the times was to have l.rger bottoms and fewer yes.els. Lyttelton and Port Chalmers were bath suffering from the fact of nob being able to complete the loading of huge vessels now employed, dnwing 28; and 30ft. lb would be a greab misfortune to Akaroa if ih i Union boats did not Oil! regularly on their way from Lyttelton to Dunedin, as transhipping pro iuce for South at Lyttelton meant an extra 5- per ton freight. He thought Akoroa shippers ehould write to the Dunedin pecple, asking them to support areque»t to the U._*S. Co. to continue tbe Southern servict fiom Akaroa as at present, lhe a.B. Wakatu vas advertised to run at reduced rates and would, no doubt, take a Urge portion of the trade ; but he hoped Inc -1 people wou d, as far as possible, give their support to lihe US. S. Co., to induce them to c.ntinue their present running If it were abirdoned, it might cause a greatly reduced demand for the Peninsula cheese for the South, as iv these days of competition an extra 5s per ton freight might militate against sale.

Mr Yangioni advocated the running of a small steamer, carrying about 500 tons, from Wellington to Dunedin, calling at Akaroa, Timaru ard Oamaru. He was sure such a boat, if she ran regularly, would receive excellent patronage and fully answer the wants of the smaller ports. The larger and more expensive vsssels were not fit for this service, more particularly as their running was so irregular.

MrT. E. Ta>l>r Baid bhe trade of the port did not warrant big steamer traffic If the U.S.S. Uo. were to reduce their Lyttelton freights to hose of the Wakatu, they would receive goo 1 support, but to suppose people would p y 10s per ton when the Wakatu was asking only sa, was expecting too much. If frc were reduced to those of other steamer «, and the running was regular, the U.S S. Co. would have no ciuse to complain of th ir share of support. Mr Henning said that the U.S.S. Co. would not reduce their freights. The expense of working the company's steamers was muoh greater than that of working the .mall local boats, where captain, engineer, and even agent helped in discharging without exbra payment, whereas bhe Uuion Co. had bo pay for everybhing. 4 discussion ensued re oost of freiuhb on cheese to Dunedin which was 12s 6d per ton for cased oheese and 30s for loose oheese, some shippers considering the difference too much,

Mr Henning poinbed oub bhat taking loose cheese at 6d per cheese was unprofitable to the compary owing to tha handling necessitated, danger of claims, causing excessive care to be necessary} besides, the cheese were generally made so large nowadays that very few cheese went to the ton Only '.he other day I .rge sums had to be exp°nded for new cheese baskets, whereas casedcheeee oould be put (several cases at a time) in the slings and easily shipped and discharged. Mr Taylor said the casing of cheese meant an extra £d per pound. Mr Moritzson advocated the adoption or a nniform sizs in cheese.

Mr Taylor eaid bhat an efforb had bien made bo get shippers to adopt a uniform size.

After further di.cussion Mr Moritzson moved—Tbat a circular letter be prepared and signed by the principal Peninsula shippers to the Dun.din market, asking the merchants, with whofri they dealt tberej tfl w&ft as a body upon the traffio manager of tka U.S.B. Co. requesting him to continue the existing Akaroa service _s at preflknt conßtibuted.

Seconded by Mr Taylor and carried. A vote of than, s to the press, for their attendance, terminated the meeting.