THE PORT LINE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22826, 10 March 1936, Page 11

THE PORT LINE

CHANGE OF NAME (From Our Own Correspondent) LONDON, February 8. The Commonwealth anti Dominion Line have found their name too cumbersome, and have altered it to “ Port Line.” It is felt that a title which will connect the line more definitely with the names of the vessels which it owns is desirable. The 25 steamers and motor ships comprising the fleet all begin with “ Port,” the ports in all cases being located in Australia and New Zealand, with which countries the company has such close connections.

Registration of the Commonwealth and Dominion Lino, Ltd., which will continue to be the registered title of the company, as a limited liability concern was effected in January, 1014. when it came into being as an amalgamation of four companies, which wore principally interested in the Australian and New Zealand trade.

First there was Messrs William Milburn and Co.’s Anglo-Australasian Steam Navigation Company, whose system of giving all its ships names beginning with the word Port was inherited by the new concern. Then there was the Tyser Line, which included the Colonial Union Line, which it/ had purchased in 1007. Thirdly, there was Messrs James T. Curry'and Co.’s Irish Star Line, which had owned a number of very famous sailing ships in its day: and finally, there was Royden’s Tndra Line, which had a fine record, and held a high 1 nation in Mersey shipping. The best ships of these fleets were embodied in (he new concern, being renamed where necessary, while (lie older ones were sold and preparations were made to build new ships. The big carrying capacity of these ships, especially their facilities for frozen meat, made (hern exceedingly useful during (ho war. When the amalgamation took place the new line adopted the house flag and ship's colouring of the Tyser Line, and Mr W. P. Tyser was elected to the post of chairman, which office ho still holds. The capital of the company, which now consists of £750.000 in (i per cent, cumulative preference shares and f 1.850.(100 in ordinary shares, was acrpiired by the Cuuard Steam Ship Company, Ltd., in 1010. The directors of the company in addition to Mr Tyser, are Mr IT. W. Corry. vice-chairman, Sir Percy Dates. Dart., Mr D. H. Dates, Sir Alfred Doo(It, Dart., Mr Robert Corry, Mr .1. D. Hooper, and Sir Thomas Roy den, Dart

Foolish conduct of men going on a lake which was notoriously dangerous and had claimed many victims was commented upon by the coroner (Mr S. A. IT. Burne) at the inquest on Arthur Birks and Douglas Rutter, two unemployed Hanley labourers, who were drowned while sliding on the frozen Kudyard Lake. A verdict of accidental death was recorded. When the coroner asked if warning notices would save other skaters, he was told that such steps would he useless, as visitors also took risks in summer by bathing, and cyclists near the lakeside on the narrow path. The coroner said it could not be too widely known how dangerous the lake was, and the risk of going on its frozen surface, unless the weather was abnormally cold. The police stated that the men met their death because they reached a point where the current made the ice weak. The lake was noted for these currents, which were caused by springs. The men wore missed by friends staying on holiday with them at a Rudynrd bungalow. Eventually a police officer traced their footprints across the snow-covered ice, and found a hole in the ice at a spot where the water was 30 feet deep. Try It; A few words in bold type in plenty of space attract attention. Try ; t, on the readers of the Otago Daily Times-