SIR JAMES MILLS.

West Coast Times, 22 March 1910, Page 1

SIR JAMES MILLS.

REMARKS ON THE VANCOUVER SERVICE.

AUCKLAND, March 18. Sir James Mills, managing director of the Union Steam Ship Coy., arrived in Auckland by the P. and 0. liner Mongolia from Sydney to-day. In the course of an interview, Sir Jamesi said there was nothing now to chronicle, beyond the statement made by him in Sydney a week ago to the effect that the company had decided to replace the wrecked Waikaro with a vessed of the Marama type, and to have her running next summer. The company had also purchased the Canadian-Australian mail steamer Aorangi, and intended holding her as a reserve steamer. The New Zealand Shipping Company, since the laying up of the Aorangi last January, lias had no further connection with the Sydnoy-Vauconvcr service, and this line will in future be carried on entirely by the Union Coy with its own steamers. The Union Company was desirous of securing a contract with the Commonwealth Government which would enable them to place the Vancouver service on a still bettor footing.

Questioned in regard to the proposed new service between Australia and London via South America, connecting with the trans-Andine railway at Valparaiso, Sir James declined to express any opinion on the subject, in view of this fact that no news of the proposition had reached him until his arrival in Auckland this morning. The question of distances and the possibilities of trade between Australia and New Zealand with Chile needed to be seriously gone into (Sir James explained) before any definite opinion could bo expressed.