IMON STEAM SKIP COMPANY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14784, 17 March 1910, Page 8

UNION STEAM SHIP COMPANY.

PROGRESSIVE STEPS. PER United Press Association.) AUCKLAND, March 16. Sir James Mills, managing director of the Union Steam Ship Company, arrived in Auckland by the P. and O. liner Mongolia from Sydney to-day. In the course of un interview, Sir James said that there was nothing new to chronicle beyond the statement made by him in Sydney a week ago to the effect; that the company had decided to replace the wrecked Waikare with a vessel of the Marama type, and to have her running next glimmer. The company had also purchased ■ the Canadian-Australian mail steamer Aorangi, and intended holding her as a reserve steamer. The New Zealand Shipping Comnany, since laying up the Aorangi last January, has had no further connection with the Sydney-Van-couver service, and this line will in future be carried on entirely by the Union Company with its own steamers. The Union Conmany was desirous ,of securing a contract with the Commonwealth Government, which would enable it to place the Vancouver service on still better footing. Questioned in regard to the proposed new service between Australia and London, via South America, connecting with the Trans-Andine railway at Valparaiso, Sir James Mills declined to express any opinion on the subject in view of the fact that no news of the proposition had reached him until his arrival in Auckland this morning. The question of distances and the possibilities of trade between Australia and New Zealand .with Chili needed to be serjously gone into, Sir James Mills explained, before any definite opinion could be expressed.