THE DIRECT STEAMERS TO NEW ZEALAND.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 3272, 23 March 1885, Page 3

THE DIRECT STEAMERS TO NEW ZEALAND.

A correspondent (say's the New Zealand Herald) who is interested m shipping business, writing from London under date 28th January, says : — • " I regret to say that the combination effected between the two steamship lines continues stronger than ever, and they keep up freights m a remarkable manner. It is said here that Mr Coster, the Managing Director of the New Zealand Shipping Company, ia on board the Kaikoura, and may be expected on Saturday, but I do not think his visit is likely to result m any decrease of rates. Some of us were hoping that the Elderalie people, or some others with boats of a similar class, might step m and take Borne of the cargo carrying trade to New [Zealand at reasonable rates, as is done now to Australia j but we have all been checkmated for the present, as outside steamers could not get return cargoes of meat if the two compauiea have secured, as they assert they have done, the sole and exclusive New Zealand rights to use the Haslem and Bell-Coleman processes for refrigerating. These at present are the only two systems worth anything, but ere long, no doubt, new inventions will como to the front. " I think that Auckland, and the merchants at this end interested m your trade have every right to express dissatisfaction with present arrangements, as the Shipping Company seem to have handed the trade over completely to Shaw-Savill and the Albion Company. You know, of course, that a kind of ' pool ' is now formed of the Bubsidy obtained by the Shipping Company^ for carrying the mails, and the total sum, including the bonus earned for delivering the mails nnder contract time, is divided between the two companies. Mr Temple, of Shaw-SaviU and ■ Co., makes no secret of the arrangement, and even boasts that the Shipping Company would not have got their subsidy without certain political assistance which- he was able to secure them. There are other Tumors here to the effect that changes m the management of Shaw-Savill and -the Albion Company m the colony are probable, and that . the Union Steamship Company may possibly tako over all their agencies m New Zealand. Mr Levien, of Wellington, has ceased to act as general agent of the Company, and Mr Ritchie, the Manager of the National Mortgage and Agency Company m Dunedin, now represents them. Whether these rumored changes mean a closer alliance with the Shipping Company as well, I can't say, but I hope not. New Zealand commerce' is more heavily taxed now than that of any other colony."