SHIPPING UNDER FULL CONTROL

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 87, 6 January 1940, Page 11

SHIPPING UNDER FULL CONTROL

Requisitioning Plan BRITAIN ANNOUNCES EXTENSION (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, January 4... 'l'he Minister of Shipping, Sir John Gilmour, has announced that in the interests of the efficient conduct of the war he has extended the policy of the requisitioning of shipping. The Government is satisfied that the regular execution of shipping programmes will be most effectively secured by bringing shipping under full control. Action was taken at the beginning of December to requisition ships for full cargoes of cereals imported on account of the Ministry of Food on the North Atlantic route, and the same system is now being applied to shipments of all full cargoes of cereals, oil seeds, and sugar upon the Government account. It is also being applied to the carriage of iron ore and certain other essential metal cargoes, as part of the general application of the requisition to all tramp shipping. Sir John Gilmour stated today that he had decided io apply the policy ot requisition at an early date to all ships on the United Kingdom and Colonial register engaged in deep sea liner trades as from the date when they complete tlieir first discharge in the United Kingdom after the scheme comes into operation. He said that the same reasons which had been found to have a compelling force in favour of this policy in the last war actuated him now.

The withdrawal of ships from their present trades would be facilitated where that course was necessary in order to find tonnage for more urgent national employment. The scheme, by providing a greater unity of control and identity of interest, would enable tonnage to be used more effectively and material economies of tonnage to be secured. It had been arranged that discussions with representatives of the owners as to the conditions of charter and rates of hire should start this week.