BIG SHIPPING MERGER.

Otago Witness, Issue 4039, 11 August 1931, Page 25

BIG SHIPPING MERGER.

PACIFIC SERVICES KEEN INTEREST IN CANADA. VANCOUVER, August 4. Exporters, particularly lumbermen, are keenly interested in the shipping merger. Ihe latter hope that their demands for the quick delivery of smaller shipments to Australia will be realised by more frequent sailings. It is reported unofficially that the Niagara and the Aorangi are to run between San Francisco and Australia only MERGER ARRANGED IN MAY. LONDON, August 4. The Australian Press Association learns that the Union Steam Ship-Can-adian Pacific merger was arranged between Lord Inchcape and Mr E. W Beatty (president of the Canadian Pacific Railway) during the latter’s visit to England in May. SAILINGS TO BE DOUBLED. SYDNEY, August 5. The Sun correspondent at Vancouver cables that behind the Wellington announcement that the Canadian Pacific Railway Company is taking a leading interest in the Canadian-Australian Line may come important developments during the next few years. The Empress liners in the trade between Vancouver and the Orient are doing very satisfactory business, in direct contrast to the falling off of trade and the cutting of rates which are prevalent on the Atlantic. There may be no changes in the service from Vancouver to Sydney for several months, but eventually the intention is to install greatly improved ships and double the number of sailings, to take full advantage of the improvement in trade under the new treaty; in short, to build faster and better communications across the Pacific, and perhaps circle the Pacific with special sailings from Vancouver to New Zealand, Australia, Manila, and the Orient. COLOURED LABOUR FEARED. MELBOURNE, August 6. The marine unions are greatly concerned over the Canadian Pacific Rail-way-Union Company merger. They fear that if the Aorangi and the Niagara are placed on Canadian articles at least 500 men of the crews, who are on Australian articles, will be displaced by coloured labour, and the Prime Minister’s attention has been directed to the point, with a request that action be taken in the direction of depriving the company of the mail contracts if this happens. '

An opinion that the merger between the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Union Steam Ship Company will have a pronounced effect for the better in the personal and trade relations between Canada and New Zealand was expressed by Mr John T. Campbell, travelling passenger agent to the Canadian Pacific Railway, in the course of an interview in Christchurch. The merger, he said, would be to the mutual benefit of both countries. There was no doubt, said Mr Campbell, that the barriers which had existed would be removed, and that the move would result in considerably increased traffic to New Zea " land; By means of booklets and general literature, dealing with New Zealand and Australia, the Canadian Pacific Railway was doing a great deal to advertise both countries overseas. The whole idea of the merger was to keep the British flag in the forefront of shipping, and, in the case under review;, it would be on the Pacificin common with the attempts of Canada and England to bring it about on the Atlantic. The assets of the Canadian Pacific Railway were £300,000.000, and the organisation was the largest in the world, just as the Union Steam Ship Com pany was the largest organisation of its kind in New Zealand, and there could be no doubt that the benefits to both coun tries would be considerable.