EMPIRE SHIPPING.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19941, 30 May 1930, Page 12

EMPIRE SHIPPING.

LEGISLATION AND THE DOMINIONS. I (vs.aii OD* OVfif COEBX.3?p&J>XiiT.) . . LONDON, April 24. "It appears from the memorandum of the' Chamber ct Shipping," writes Professor Berriedale Keith, of Edinburgh University in "The Times," "that the Chamber.is unaware of the nature of the proposals of the Conference on the Operation of : Dominion Legislation and Merchant' Shipping Legislation, 192i>,' accepted by the Imperial representatives .at that'conference. These proposals. contemplate the complete abrogation of. the,, whole *of the protection accorded to British' shipping by the restrictions on Dominion legislation, imposed by the Merchant Shipping Aet, the abolition' of the supremacy of Imperial legislation hitherto secured by trie Colonial Laws Validity Act, and the grant to the Dominions of unrestricted power., of extra-territorial legislation. "It is thus proposed completely, to depart from the agreement achieved after prolonged discussion* by the Colonial Merchant Shipping Conference, of 1907, which fully represented- shipping .interests,, and. at.which Australia had as spokesmen such pronounced Nationalists. as. Sir W. Lyne , and. Mr Hughes. It was then agreed to. bo just and proper'that each part of the Empire should exercise .complete control over its registered shipping and all' British Vessels engaged in its coasting trade. This principle conceded the full constitutional equality of the several. Governments, and there seem to> be no adequate grounds for "" the present proposal to accord to every part of the. Empire power to deal with all British shipping. No doubt the f ranters- of the Conference Beport cherish the hope that legislative chaos will be avoided by. inter-Imperial .agreements, but no one familiar with the trend of opinion on merchant shipping legislation in the Commonwealth or New Zealand in the last $5 years or with Indian aspirations on .topic will feel, any confidence in the fulfillment of this ideal." -