BRITISH SHIPPING

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 17, 15 October 1926, Page 9

BRITISH SHIPPING

4_LABOUR INTERFERENCE IN DOMINIONS TRADE DIVERTED TO FOREIGN VESSELS PROTEST TO IMPERIAL CONFERENCE The British Chamber of Ship, uiug is sending to the Imperial Conference a memorandum of protest against interference by organised Labour in the Dominions with the terms of engagement of crews in Britain, and complaining that the Governments concerned do not give British shipping the same pro> tectlon ;s they give to foreign. BY TELEGBAPH.—E’RESs ASSOCIATION Copyright. London. October 13. The Chamber of Shipping is presenting to the Imperial Conference a memorandum in which it attacks the Dominions’ discrimination against British shipping. - It says that organised Labour’s interference in the Dominions with the terms of engagement of crews in Britain causes trade frequently to be transferred to foreign ships which pay far lower wages. Shipowners recognise that Labour is responsible, but the Governments concerned appear to regard Labour interference with British ships as of far less gravitv. than interference with foreign vessels. These Governments do not give British shipping the same, protection as they give to foreign shipping. The memorandum also attacks State enterprises, and their immunity from taxation, which is an anomaly which should be abolished wherever it exists, because it is unjust to private enterprise, uneconomic to the State, and generally disturbing to commerce. REPAIR WORK GOING TO ROTTERDAM Fremantle, October 11. Mr. G. H. Scales, managing director of the New Zealand shipping firm of that name, is a passenger on the Mongolia. He says that an amazing amount of repair work to British ships is being done in Rotterdam. Mr. Scales said that British shipbuilding was not entirely stagnant, nor was the outlook exceedingly bright, but was probably a sign of returning prosperity that the latest return of ships under construction showed a preponderance of new tonnage ft>r Britain.