CANADIAN STEAM SERVICE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2921, 9 March 1910, Page 14

CANADIAN STEAM SERVICE.

EVOLUTION OF THE IDEA. ' (Faoii Ouk Own Coiikespondent.). AUCKLAND, March 1. A good deal of misconception seems to exist regarding the origin and establishment of the idea of the Canadian-New Zealand new steamship service. No man in New Zealand has more reason to feel gratified at the inauguration of the new service than Mr De Schryver, representative of the Canadian Manufacturers' Association, and manager in New Zealand for the Imperial Export Company 0 f Canada. For more than 10 years he has with steady determination kept this project before the Canadian Government and the leading manufacturers of the sister Dominion. The information that has been cabled about the service to the effect that the Canadian-Pacific Railroad Company is associated in it with the New Zealand Shipping Company means that it 1 will be vigorously maintained and pushed to success.

This afternoon I called upon Mr De I Schryver and find that this cabled news bears out the information given him in letters just received from Canada. Mr De Schryver, from the very beginning of his activity in i\ ew Zealand, realised that Canadian manufacturers could never be successful until they could free themselves from New York as an outlet for their prbducts. He considered a direct service imperative, and he began at once an active campaign, in which he was assisted 1 by the Canadian Commissioners, Mr D. ; H. Ross, in Melbourne, and Mr J. S..' Larke,.,, in Sydney, *and the Canadian Manufacturers' Association. In 1904 he went to Ottawa, and saw Sir Wilfrid' Laurier, Sir Wm. Mulock (at that time Postmaster-general), and at Montreal Sir T.' Shaugnessy, president of the Canadian Pacific railroad, and Mr Bosworth, general traffic manager. At that time the volume of business was. not considered' sufficient to establish a connection from the Atlantic seaboard. Since then the volume of trade has increased to such an extent that his scheme of a direct eastern connection is now to become an accomplished fact. Mr De Schryver, in conversation with me to-day, expressed' his gratitude for the consistent support given his proposal by leading newspapers in this country, and also mentioned particularly that he had received advice from Canada to the effect that Mr George Fen-: wick, of Dunedin, and Mr H. Brett, delegates to the Imperial Press Conference, had assisted very greatly, while passing through Canada, in impressing on Dominion Ministers and commercial men the absolute necessity of carrying out the Canadian-New Zealand shipping project. The, Canadian delegates to the Chamber of Commerce Conference since their return had also actively helped for, ward the scheme.

DETAILS OF SERVICE. CHRISTCHURCH, March I. Regarding the new " Canadian-Austral-asian steamship service the general manager of tha New Zealand Shipping Company states that the service starts in May, and will be monthly. The subsidy is £24,000 per annum, and the contract is for three years. The Canadian port of departure in' the summer months is Montreal, and in winter St. John's. The ports of call will be Melbourne, Sydney, and the four principal New Zealand ports. The service will be carried on by the company's steamers, and, if necessary, ■suitable vesse'.s will be chartered. The New Zealand Shipping Company is the sole contractor.