The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1915-08-17
TRANSFER POSSIBLY
1 MAY BE BLIND

The tAtlantic Transport Company Of
West Virginia, as the despatch takes
care to specify, is not the same as the
better known Atlantic Transport Com.
PaDy of Transatlantic repute. The lat
ter company operates the well known
freighters Minnehaha, Minnewaska,
Mihnetonka and Minneapolis, all YES
sells Of between 1880 and l4,4OO odd
tons, all flying the British flag, and all
plying between New York and London.
The Leyland and the British At.
lantie Transport lines were the first to
popularize on the Atlantic the type Of
steamship so familiar here--a sturdy,
steady freighter Of moderate speed,
carrying triple tier of cabins amid,
ships for first class passengers. On ae-
count of their comparative slowness,
they charged reduced rates for accom-
modations equal TO the swifter ocean
greyhounds and nearly always have
had all the passenger business they
could handle.
Company without Ships
This line, however, has not acquired
the Pacific Mail feet. The Atlantic
Transport Company of West Virginia
was the owner In 1912 of two small
vessels, 10th American built, the
Memphis and the Mobile, which were
engaged In the coastwise trade.
Apparently the company did not find
it profitable TO operate them, for the
following year they were sold, one to
a German company, the other to a Nor
Wegtan company, which rechristened
them,
There the official information avail,
enee ceases; the rest is inference and
conjecture, The books do not show
that between the time the Noble and
Memphis were sold and yesterday the
Atlaftie Transport Company of West
Virginia owned any vessels. Evident
ly, however, it did not die legally, or
1t could not have bobbed up again es.
terday as a purchaser of a feet worth
millions. .
RsjnvenAted For Purpose
Steamship companies on the Atlantic
Coast have shown a f0ndness for in
cooperating under the laws Of West
Virginia, New Jersey and Maine, al
though the capital usually Was New
York capital, because the charters
granted by those states were more lib
eral than those procurable elsewhere.
What seems probable, therefore, is
that the Atlantic Transport Company
Of West Virginia was acquired quietly
by interests which have kept their
identity successfully hidden, and then
rejuvenated by the injection of new
capital, especially For the purpose of
buying In the Pacific Mail tieet.
II Is not impossible at all that the
resourceful r. p. Schwerin, vice presi-,
dent and general manager of the Paci.
Nc Mali, might have had hand in the
resuseitation.
Pacific Mail Could Control
In that case, the interests which con
troll the Pacific Mail still could retain
control of their ships, under the title
OF different corporate name, and
place them in the Atlantic service,
where there is now a great scarcity of
carriers and the freight rates are the
highest they have ever been in the
history Of the world.
IT should not be forgotten that there
is movement on foot to repeal the
Seamen. 3 Act, which has made it i'm.
possible Tor the Pacific Mail to remain
on the Pacific, and that rumors have
been heard that the vessels were to be
transferred TO the Atlantic.
Should the Act be repealed, the com
pany would then be in position to
bring its ships back to the Pacific or
keep them in the more profitable At
lantic trade, as it. preferred.