THE EARNINGS OF SHIPS

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 218, 15 June 1925, Page 9

THE EARNINGS OF SHIPS

RATES AND CONTRACTS CANADIAN INVESTIGATION By Telegraph —Press Association COPYRIGHT Ottawa, June 12. A special committee appointed to investigate the contract with Sir William Petersen and the North Atlantic Shipping Conference rates has presented its report to the’House of Commons. One clause of the report states: “In order to ensure harmonv in the control of shipping throughout the Empire, and that Canadian autonomy in all matters pertaining to shipping within the territorial waters of Canada be prevented beyond peradventure, your committee beg to recommend that the alleged conflict, between the Merchant Shipping Act and the British North America Act should be the subject of a conference between the Canadian Government and the British Government at an early, date.” Recommending co-operative action among shippers, the report states:' “The Conference Lincs, which charge almost as much to carry butter from Montreal to Liverpool as thev do to take it from New Zealand to Liverpool, complain that their refrigerator space is made full use of only for a comparatively short part of the season.” Referring to the Petersen subsidy, the committee savs it would appear wise to obtain further information as to the earnings of the Conference Lines of ships, including the Petersen vessels, before attempting to pass judgment upon the contract. Although the committee does not specifically recommend the abandonment of the subsidy, that is the net result, as the report is interpreted in political circles. The probability is that the Bill granting the subsidy will either be dropped or will be allowed to remain on the order paper until it is passed. When the Bill was before the House, the Premier, Mr. King, emphasised that the nutting into effect of the contract was dependent on Parliament’s approval.— Reuter. SIR W. PETERSEN DEAD Ottawa, June 12. The death of Sir William Petersen was announced in the House of Commons this afternoon. He was in Ottawa for the Special Committee hearing, and was ill only a few minutes. His death was due to a heart attack.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assni [Sir William Petersen, who was G 9 years of age, was chairman of Petersen and Co., shipowners, of London, and founder and director of the LoudonAmerican Maritime Trading Co., and director of several oilier shipping companies.]