Union Company
The Union Company, Union Steam Ship Company (USS Co) or Union Line was a New Zealand shipping companies. It is not identical with the Union Steamship Company of British Columbia or the British Union Steamship Company ( UK).
History
The company was founded in 1875 in Dunedin by James Mills, who was previously an employee of the Harbour Steam Company of Johnny Jones.
After the death of Jones Mills founded the company with the support of Peter Denny, to whom he gave orders for his shipyard in Dumbarton Scotland in return. The Union Company became a major shipping line and held a virtual monopoly vessel traffic over Tasmania to Australia. There was nicknamed "Southern Octopus ".
Since 1889 there was a competition between three parties, the Union Steamship Company, Huddart Parker and the Tasmanian Steam Navigation Company ( TSNCo ) to the Tasmanian routes (Melbourne, Launceston, Hobart and Melbourne Hobart Sydney ). The TSNCo could not offset by other routes their losses on these routes and was bought in 1891 by the USS Co.
The competition between the USSCo and Huddart Parker lasted despite measures implemented in the 1893 agreements to 1895. Undercutting Man with dumping prices, ships of both companies pursued from port to port in order to evade the competition customers. The ships Rotomahana and Mararoa the USSCo accompanied Parkers Miowra and Warrimoo, other ships such as the Te Anau Manapouri and sailed the same route before and after Parker ships and took them as in the pliers. After an agreement of 1895, both societies Auckland - Sydney divided on the track the gains and losses, the profits of the route Melbourne - Launceston went to 4/7 at the USSCo and 3/7 at Huddart Parker. The passenger traffic between Sydney and Hobart was excluded from the agreement, the freight and livestock transports went to 2/3 of the USSCo and 1/3 to Parker.
After the beginning of the 20th century, the New Zealand economy had recovered from the economic depression of the late 19th century, Mills got competition from other companies that import their from the UK or Holland modern 500 -ton ships efficiently worked as Mills with its small steamboats. Mills solved the problem by secretly buying up shares of competitors: In 1906, he bought half of the shares of the Canterbury Steam Shipping Company and George Niccol the steamer Squall. 1908 bought the Union Company shares of Anchor Shipping and Foundry Company in Nelson and the Maori land Steam Ship Company. In 1912 Mills greater proportions of Richardson & Company from Napier. Thus, Mills gained control with Parker control over the maritime trade and he controlled or possessed with the exception of insignificant Northern Steam Ship Company and the companies of coastal navigation. Mark Twain attacked the poor conditions on board the ship Flora of the Union Company to in Chapter 32 of his travel book Following the Equator in 1897. He krisiserte the abuse of monopoly position for strong overcrowding of the ships with passengers and poor security measures. The owners are morally guilty of conspiracy to commit murder based on their behavior. Twain left the ship at the next port to seek another ship.
The business focus shifted during these years. Since the emerging railway lines had to go back the Ocean Liners, were moved to to the coal and freight transport, the transport time to isolate regions Nelson and West Coast. For the latter routes were bought in the late 1890 new passenger ships.
"Flagship" of the company was the ferry across the Cook Strait between Wellington and Lyttelton. The old ships were initially used in 1907 replaced by modern 19 -knot Maori. In 1913 came the 4,436 tons displaced, with 20.5 knots faster Wahine. The company dubbed the ferry as " Express Connection". Over the seven decades in which the Company operated the ferry service between the islands, several ships were used, two each with the name of " Maori ", " Wahine " and " Rangatira " and the " Hinemoa ". These ships were well known in New Zealand.
Also on the route to Australia of the 1890s modern ships were procured from the end. The new ships with 3500-4500 tons displacement replaced originating from the 1880 ships with about half the displacement. The new ships had names like " Waikare ", " Mokoia " and " Moeraki ".
1905, the company purchased the 5,282 tons of displacing " Maheno " one of the world's first passenger ships with steam turbine drive. The small, ancient ships, sailing ships also came on for the marketing of the Pazfikinseln used, in which a regular service was not economical. Exceptions were the new and larger ships " Navua " and the " Atua " from the early 20th century.
1917 Mills sold the company to the British P & O Line.
Born in Wellington Mills Company founder was knighted in 1907 and 1909 Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George. From 1907 he was a British citizen and died in London.
The company operating more than 350 vessels in the years of its existence. In 1990 they are still operating seven ships and has also worked in shipping, tourism, real estate transactions and others.
The company founded in 1936 from the previously bought in the two years East Coast Airways and Cook Strait Airways with the Union Airways of NZ Ltd. is the first major air carrier of New Zealand. This was nationalized in 1947 to the National Airways Corporation.
2000 made the bark Union Bulk the last voyage of the company.
Ships of the Union Company
- Aorangi (1925, 17,491 GRT)
- Monowai (1925, 10,602 GRT)
- Niagara (1913, 13,415 GRT)
- Penguin (1864, 749 GRT)
- Wairapara (1882, 1786 GRT)