PACIFIC SHIPPING INTERESTS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 6 March 1926, Page 5

PACIFIC SHIPPING INTERESTS.

AN AMALGAMATION REPORTED. BY ~ CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGiIT. SAN FRANCISCO, March 4. The officials of the Matson Navigation Company, which operates most ot the vessels running between San Fran cisco and Hawaiian ports, announced to-day. that negotiations were in progress for the purchase of the vessels of the Oceanic Steamship Company,’ whose three vessels ply between Australia, Pagopago and San Francisco. The Oceanic Company holds the mail subsidy from the United States Government.

The Hawaiian traffic centres upon the transportation of sugar, molasses, oil and fruit, and the Alatson Company’s interests being identical with a large system of plantations, the extension of activities to Australia, whither one company’s principal officials are expected, to go shortly, has aroused considerable interest, and there is much speculation as to whether it forecasts the iaugjm(entation of the present service- between the United States Pacific Coast and Australia. Mr. AVilliam Roth, general manager of the Matson Line, stated that no negotiations were pending or projected, and the report was the idlest sort of rumour. Officials of the Oceanic Company also said that the company liad not been approached on the deal. Other official sources that would not be quoted said, however, that the -preliminaries for the purchase had been entered into, although there was no indication what the conclusion would be.