SUBSIDY ASKED IN BRITAIN

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 21033, 8 December 1933, Page 11

SUBSIDY ASKED IN BRITAIN

TRAMP COMMITTEE'S SUGGESTION GOVERNMENT CONSIDERATION (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION —U V Kl.rtTltlC TEL, EG lUP H CO PTT R I(f D T.) (Received December 7, 9.25 p.m.) LONDON, December 7. The "Daily Mail" discloses that the Tramp Shipping Committee's report recommends that every British tramp in the international j trade should be subsidised at the rate of 10s a ton a year, besides a laying-up subsidy of 5s a ton gross, costing the Government £3,000,000. Goods receiving Imperial preference should be imported in British ships, and the British coastal trade confined to British vessels, failing which foreign ships should be charged discriminatory port dues and their cargoes taxed. The "Daily Herald" says the Treasury and the Board of Trade are giving serious consideration to the proposal to subsidise British shipping. CUNARD AND WHITE STAR | I MERGER CONCLUDED ; I LONDON REPORT J (Received December 7, 3.10 p.m.) LONDON. December 7. The "Daily Express" reports that the negotiations for a merger between the White Star and Cunard lines has been successfully concluded. A new company controlling both lines will be formed to operate the North Atlantic services, ] though the other routes will con-: tinue to be operated independently. The Government will thus be en- ] abled to assist in completing the two giant Cunarders on the Clydebank. It is likely that the Mauretania and other older ships will be scrapped. AMERICAN MAIL j CONTRACTS FURTHER REVELATIONS ROOSEVELT .ADMINISTRATION'S REFORMS (Received December 7, 8.13 p.m.) WASHINGTON, December 6. At the reopening of the Senate investigation of ocean mail contracts further laxities were revealed. One company received more than 1,500,000 dollars for carrying mails to the West Indies, which cost 1903 dollars per lb. It was disclosed that sales of Shipping Board vessels to private concerns in the last few weeks of the Hoover Administration had been held up by Mr Roosevelt. Furthermore, no deliveries would be made until the shipping situation had beer, thoroughly investigated. Something of a sensation developed when evidence indicated that some of the same type of political and financial pressure as was brought to bear on officials of the Hoover Administration had been exerted on the Post Office Department since the Democrats came into power. In one case efforts were made to advance a Post Office official to Under-Secretary to the Postmaster-General, Mr James Farley, because he was sympathetic to the ocean mail bounties.