THE NEW SHIPPING COMBINATION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 304, 22 December 1903, Page 5

THE NEW SHIPPING COMBINATION.

The following particulars with regard to the shipping combination between the Federal, Houlder, and Shire Lines, which have amalgamated for the purpose of conducting the trade of Australia and New Zealand with South Africa and Europe, advice of which was received by cable are published by "The Post." The new combination will be known as the "Federal-Houlder-Shire Lines," and its fleet will consist of no fewer than 33 larga and full-powered steamships, with the aggregate, carrying capacity of 276,200 tons. The fleet will be made lip of 11 of the Federal liners,, with a carrying capacity of 103,000 tons, 14 of the Houlder lines,of an aggregate cajrving capacity of 105,700 tons, and eight of the Shirt- liners , , with a carrying capacity of 07.500. A regular service is to be maintained, and the vessels will carry passengers as well as cargo. The whole of the vessels to be employed are fitted up with the most approved methods for the safe carriage of frozen and other refrigera-ted produce, and have also been specially constructed for the conveyance of live stock. The combined fleet consists of the following high-class fullpowered steamships:—Cornwall, 9000 tons; Devon, 9000 tons; Kent, 9000 tons; Maori King, 5000 tons: Sussex, 9000 tons; Surrey. 9000 tons; Norfolk, 9000 tons; Suffolk, 11,000 tons; Essex, 11,000 tons: Dorset, 11.000 tons; Somerset, 11,000 tons; Banffshire, 9000 tons; Buteshire, 9000 tons; rifeshire, 9000 tons: McraysMre. 9000 tons; Nairnshire. 9000 tons; Perthshire. 9000 tons; Ayrshire. 11,000 tons: Waikato, 7000 tons;' Hornby Grange,, 3750 tons: Ovingdean Orange, 3500 tons; Urmston Orange, 5400 tons; Langton Orange, 9200 tons; Drayton Grange, 10,000 tons: Elstree Grange, 0000 tons; Eoyston Grange, 6400 tons; Beacon Grange, G4OO tons; Rippingham Grange. 9200 tons: Oswesty Orange, 10,000 tons; Thorpe Grange, 6350 tons; Havershani Orange, 11,200 tons; Everton Orange, 11,000 tons; Southern Cross, 7300 tons.