UNION S. S. COMPANY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15384, 22 February 1912, Page 11

UNION S. S. COMPANY.

ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT. Tho Financial News of January 11 contains ji report uf an interview winch a representative of tl'u joarii.il iiad with S'r James M'" s > w ' lu B iivu soiuu particular calouU4.il to possess liilerost lur llomu readers. air James rapidiy sKctcliiU uui origin nun devu.upmuiil of llio oomi«iiy Irom lb/a, wlien tin; population «1 Zealand numbered livs tii.ni mat «i a provincial loun in I'.nylaiicl. it gradually acquired mo fleets and mUirc-sts 01 oilier companies, in cadi c<i.u opening up a now a-venuo 01 trade, uig to inula, and Uiunui to tno tonnutiou ul u mull »ctviw> w Australia. and uuiaila. " For its development, .said or j<uiu.u, " tlio company Iwj p.u.weu miko and povvirtul atoiiiueis ampiy suim-icnt 10 IUCOI 1110 UCIIUIIda 01 il l.ipilli; yunU.-l,' patenter anil cargo trade. .u in; pn-.-'m moment Jiossrs .lolui llrown an«i t.u. (Limitwl), ol ClydvUiuk, aro lor IDih aorvico a Mwiiiur ul 11, WJ inn# U' l - W register, m length In ui/ii. tie.nii, witn acconuiiouiition lor iuu p.isaeiiy.-r-.. anu i> to maintain a siHretl ol ioj wiou, t.i mm. 'inn machinery is ol mu i.ipn.-.-tn >. combination type, Having mo «i n-cipro-catui£ engines on ttio outer snails, aiul il Jow-piessiii'o luruino on Hie centre snail; tlio luriuujes aru lining lilted lo liurn oil luul m addition, or u* an alernalivo lo coal, i'llu coni|<ajiy'o steamers leavo ayunuy for Vancouver, via ;\ew Zealand (Auckland), I'iji, and lloiiululu, aim vicu versa, every 'Hi (lays under imitraci witn tliu Canadian and Now Zealand liovornwonts, each contributing a tulwidy. 'Mils bcrvioo in tliu lirst luik m lliu chain- of tlio 'All Hed ltouto 1 between England tuid her colonies. " year tho Union Company rc-ustab-lisliod a direct &'jrvico between New '/s'txland (Wellington) tuid San Francisco, via Itiirotonga and 'laJuti. This luu-> now been ulciuiwi to .Sydney, mill .steamers leavo each end livery Hd days, alternating with tlio Vancouver (.learners, mid tlius providing a fortnightly mail servico hom tliu colonies to j'.ngiand, via Vancouver aud via San Franciauu alternately." Wo linked Sir James Mills wliat tiuio is occupied in nuking tlio vtiyagu from .\ew Zealand to Vancouver iuid to iSau Franoifioo respectively. " From Auckland to Vancouver 18 days, including coils at Fiji and Honolulu, mid Iroiu Wellington lu h;ui l'nuicisoo i!Q d.us, Jiioludiiiy tulld at llarotongu and Tuluti." 1 presume, Sir Jamua, tlio patient position of the company is I lie rtsjull, ol lollowiiiK a delimit) lino ol policy in tlio conduct of it.s biuiiHtd'/ " Via; but also \vu owe much to tliu general prosperity of Now Zeakmil and tlio countries with which our linu lias calablifllied connections." May 1 iiik wliat lis policy is? " lu chief planks aro a linn lielief that tvliero facilities aro provided trado will follow—a determination to taku udvaul.igu of tvery opening for extension; always to liavu lounago aheiul of actual n.'i|Uireinciils, and to Im up lo dato in overythui),' uppcrlainuig lo tlio business of nc.i carriers. 'I'Jicm) weru tliu linos laid down by tlio direcloni at thu foriualion of lliu company, and Jroin them they liuvo never deviated." ilow liuuiy iteaini.r.i does tliu company own 1 " Including four bonis now building, tho licet consists of 71 tte.uneis, aggregating nearly HOO,OOO lons gross register iol the*! four uro driven by turbine. All tlio larger ships aro lilted, or are being littwl, for wirele.su telegraphy " Could you tay lo how iiuuiy people your company gives employment ? " ttcMighly spcakuig, alloat and ashore, llio «nu|KUiy MipiwrlA, directly umT "indirectly, 15,0t)0 people," Aro llio conditions of employment of odicerJ, engineers, and .soamen more favourable in New Zealand tliuii clsowhere'/ " Yes; very much moro so, Iwth in Australia and New Zeidaud. Wages of seamen aru very mtieh higher, wliilu hours tiru shorter; then in llio matters of accommodation and victualling thu men enjoy' mivih'gea lar in oxeits of those existing Jiere." . Him thero not boen somo ngitaliou in New Zealand recently against ,'liipH l;nding thero and employing crews': "'Yes, New Zealand law provides I hat uli ships trading on tho oiklsl iiiiw, pay tlio eiirienl rales of wagca Used by llio Arbitration Court. This is siilhcieiit protection to local shipping, as il precludes ouUsiile jes>elf, inanned by cheap ereivs, irom eulc>riug tho ooasUii trade. Itm'iitly, Iwwi'ver, •.Ij'jimcrs carryiiu; Lascar urews at low ral<« of piiy liavo enti'icil (Jio inter wiioiiuil trado lx'twe<ui Australia iuid New Zivilanif, mid tlio .Seamen's Union, feeling Uiis lo lie a iiiennco lo a trado wliie.li luis Ivm almost cntirtily built up by Now Zealand and Australian eiitorpriiw, ajiproaaiied tho Crtiverniikjlit witli a recpiest that legislation should Ih) introduced to coinpel all ships employed in llio intertxilonial trade to observe the industrial eondaioiw and ral«a of w-jyes inimvicd upoii sliij»s owned or registered in Now Zealand "

Ui(t Uii.> «ll«>{ your company) " No. \\ u liuvu only oiui slennu'r wJiioli .••mil's a l-a.«ir cruw, mul >lm trades exclusively l*>tiv»vil 111(1 i.L mul .Now Zealand. It was nimcd n| lon^n-owmil vcssiila inaiineil l>y cheap alien crows, winch il wa.-i clainiod comixMcd unfairly willi loc.iHyownod vessels, whose owners had lo comply willi IJw Nov Ziuhunl law "

Ulial. t'licoUKiKciiK-iit did I lie tloviirniuoiit dive to the a|iiili(vition? llio I'rinw .Minister eviuofSiM 1 ! liis sympathy witli tln> Ki|iiost. 110 i\H.ognu*i(l it v.as Uio duty of lliu liovoriiiiicnl lo do all

:ii its |Hi«'or to jiroiret tho t.r.ide uiiidi Now /.caland had donn so imicli (o build 'jp, and slid lw was unite prepared to 'iccommenti his ivllisiKile.; io introduce ]q;i.-!alin;i (o I roviilo for tlio oxlension of the (o;m line K> H.l t» iliolmie not only New Zealand, bin also Au--.tr.-iJm and llw l'auilic Islmids." Duos jour company caku (01 any lenticular class of inivelicrs?

Australasians aro travellers, and thero is a constant, stream oi |ki.sscii:,-cih liclweon tho various [iorls of New Zealand Ivtweeu which tiieru are practically tiailv htvicvs, to. tJmro are aJso K'tw.vn New Zealund, Australia, and 'lYwiiaiiia Wo liKikw a special feature, liowevcr, of thu Kmnsl trallio, as wo rim Mgidar services to p!a«« Uiiit cfTur attractions in tho way of s.vuery ami o^vrlunities to studv the inteiwtuiK ImluU and customs of nnt'ive .K)pulaliotiß tliat are not to lw met with m unv other sorvieo. lor iiistanus Uki touriit can visit all 111(1 yo,ir rouuil tJi,. Monucrtui elands of tho South Snis, sll( .|, TIJI . tjutab.., V nvau. «,u.uu, mul tallltl. Ho also B 'ivo fjujliljui u> |j;oic uraka tour of tho world and I ravelling 10 or from tlio colonies l,y way of S ;UI | ci.w or \ flJßMiiver, to vary" their ivtitcs ai as to enalilo thorn to visit then, is| :l m| Kroups at their leisuio.' Lloes not New Z.viland i tse lf , K ,^ S uiMquo attiwtmiblf Vea; it is not a la run countiv—just alioiit tho si/o of tirwit Britain—lmt'witliin its limited HUM almost every pnxlue; of tho zones may 1» found. In tlio noititern portion you liavo a cliiuaio olimifi tmtiicsil, cmliraciiiK the le ; ;iul< of tilt) Hot l»liies atlcl mineral springs, to\\iir»fs which tJior- is a fonstaiit stream of sullorers frvmi all mun"er of disuses who .Mvk the healing watei.s Kuitahl" to ilicir needs. In (ho SMtitheiu portion aro to lv found mountain lanues liflt rival |]t„ Ki.mt* „f Sivitierlaiid and lords (jrat.de. than these of Norway, wliilo ! ik" i j" 1 '? ,u,s I wtoml runs of U,th i>}aiu|s nuko ,t a l'araduv for agriculturists. 1 may W y, t(M . ihat j, olleis great aJ'.r.alious In sixirlMiien. its rivets ami lake j lv„m' full of IW1, : nor mtU I foiyot to say tint d,vr-stalkiiw of the lK.v<t in Jl-s nivumain rtvi'ssos Now ZoiiKimls houvwr for pnvrossivo !o S i.;lalion has sivor. (1 „ interest, ovoii out.-ulo her Mvuic attraction Mio was tho first .-otmlrv to estaWt-l, versa! p,Miiiy postage; sho Was the li.ft to institute non-contriliiitory old-ape peihMiHshe vwis the lir>l liritish country to pive woinon tiio ixirliainonUiry franchise; the first to osUblish Stato coa] mines. Stat,, life mvidejit, and lire insurance; tlio lirst ,Mun' try lo make a law utithorisins: the oiuipulwry puichase by the State of lanre estate for ptiriK-rt of closer sel-tleinent: the lirst to institute a scheme for advancing cheap nionev to sailors and workers; tiv first Uritish iviititrv to adopt preferential ;md wi|>reo«l trade with tlr.vit llritain, a n.l Ihe first country to insutiHo compulse iMiieihation .-uid arbitration for the punvfo of preventuip strikes ;\tul livk-outs." ' 'J James Mills (v-uld not be indtkY\i to fpeak of Ins own sorvic-s to the coimvuiv, of wltielt ho lias boon diiwtor snw ,ts formation; but. it is' weil mwllis'd that, while tho board ofdireciorshavo b<vn refpons,bio for ti, o of ib comna..dire |wi « n „| s wil |, n,, naim , of St James Mills !]t( , ris? a , u | llro „^

of the com|iany are most closely associat«l. Tlio (iovL'ininont of New Zealand paid him the compliment of apjiointing him a representative, for tin- Dominion at the t'olo iiinl Merchant SliinjiiiiK Conlcrcnio, held in London in 1937, and in Juno of the same year his Majesty King Kduard VII, at* a liilmU) to tin; wr vices of l.iw «im|Miiy in itovcloniiii; the trad-! and resources of the Australasian colonics, conferred upon Mr .Mills, as lie was ili'.'ti, the honour of knighthoc.d (Sir James li'ii'K tin; lir,sl Now 7r.n-land-horn to rccnivo tin- distinction) and two years later advanced him to the diimity of a Knight Commander of St. Michael and St. Octree.