AUSTRALIA'S NAVIGATION ACT

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 127, 1 June 1931, Page 4

AUSTRALIA'S NAVIGATION ACT

TASMANIA'S GRIEVANCE. Tasmania was suffering from one of the effects of the coastal clauses of the Navigation Act, said Mr. J. M. Fisher, representative of the Tasmanian Goverment, who is at present touring New Zealand, in a recent interview. In other words. a steamer leaving Melbourne could not call at Hobart and embark passengers for New Zealand, so that they could not expect to recover a great deal of their Lst trade with the Dominion unless tbey could have continuity of service. The spasmodic cargo service which now existed was not satisfactory for trading purposes. Many representations had been made by Tasmania to the Commonwealth Government for an exemption from the coastal clauses of the Navigation Act, but up to the present these requests had not been acceded to. If they were still unable to secure any redress they intended to take other action. A Dominion League had been formed in Tasmania and was very largely supported, The policy of the league was to achieve either of the following objectives: (a) The constitution to be re.lrawn by a convention representing all the States; or (b) That Tasmania shall withdrawn from the Commonwealth and assume the status of a self-governing Dominion. The league had its own official organ, and its members were very hopeful of good results. If Tasmania were a separate Dominion she could, of course, control her own shipping laws, and one of the first things to be dons would be the re-establishment of trade with New Zealand.