EMPIRE SHIPPING

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 143, 14 December 1926, Page 9

EMPIRE SHIPPING

QUESTION OF PREFERENCE

CONFLICTING OPINIONS

FOREIGN TRADE CONSIDERATION.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

LONDON, 3rd November.

1 Delegates to the Imperial Conference wero the guests of tho Chamber of Shipping of iho United Kingdom at a luncheon at the llotol • Victoria. Mr. Walter Buneiman (prosident of the Chamber) presided. There woro about 220 prominent shipping men present, and among tho guests, beside the oversoas representatives, were: Mr, L. S. Amery, tho -Earl of Birkenhead, the Earl of Clarendon, Sir Philip CunliffeLister, Sir Halford Macldnder, Mr. W. .Ormsby-Gore, and Sir James Parr. The president, proposing "Tho Success of the Imperial Conference," said that they in.the shipping industry regarded .themselves not only as pioneers of Imperial thought and Imperial enterprise, but as tho inevitable links by which alone their material interests could bo counted as one', and the populations of their several kingdoms and Dominions could be regarded as united. Tho Imperial Conference was dealing ■with subjects which had a direct connection, -with their, great industry. It was, therefore, with anxiety and with no less sympathy, that they turned to those who composed tho Conference to give them every assistance in. their power. If tho present Conference was like its predecessors there would not bo complete agreement on every question that would arise. There were aspects on which controversy ran high, and it was just as well that it should. In the last speech made by Mr. Bruce before he left Australia, he declared his great respect for plain speech. Wherever there was controversy among a free democracy the best thing they could do was to unchain it and allow freedom of thought and speech. They must be guided and inspired by one common sympathy, not in tha interests of any faction, or ono community, but in the interests of tho Empire as a whole. They were sure that the visitors from the Dominion would look on the sea as we did, not as a barrier between separate Dominions, but as a link by which wo were united more closely together. A POINT OF AGREEMENT. Mr. Bruce, in. the course of his speech, asked if it were not possible to get out of their minds the feeling of apprehension that in doing anything to develop the Empire and promote greater Imperial trade they were going to do something to destroy that great foreign trade which they had built up in tho past centuries? Could they not build up a greater inter-Imporial trade and bring to full fruition the potentialities that there were in tho Empire without in. any way cutting across and interfering with that foreign trade? He believed it could be done. Mr. Bunciman held strong views upon some matters, and some of the views he (Mr. Bruce) held.would destroy some of those of Mr. Bunciman. But they were both sensible, intelligent people. Mr. Bunciman was probably wrong, as well as himself. (Laughter.) But he thought between them they could find some point of agreement and some method by which the great ideal they had before them could be realised of developing their great resources to the advantage of our own people and tho service of mankind. Referring to a speech made by Mr. Eunciman the previous day, he asked the president to absolve his great and glorious country from a terrible imputation. Mr. Bunciman said that they had never put on a tariff at all except to the advantage of their own producers, and to give them a better position in the trade of the world and in their own market against British producers. At the present moment £26,000,000 worth a year of British-manufactured products were going into Australia paying no d u ty—absolutely free—while the foreigner was paying on an iaverago 12J per cent. He suggested that they could not be doing with regard1 to those £26,000,000 anything to protect their own industries against British manufacturers. With reference to tho Imperial Conference, he believed it would be able to give a lead which would be of great advantage to this country and the Dominions, and indirectly to tho whole world. WHERE BRITAIN STILL LEADS. Mr. W. S. Monroe proposed "Imperial Shipping." He said they heard a great deal about the best way of getting the nations of the Empire together as a big family. His conclusion was that the best way was by improved communication by water. They were proud of the British Mercantile Marine. The American nation might be able to say that they had produced a low-priced motor-car which had captured the trade of the world for the time being; they might say they had got ahead of Great Britain in the film industry; but they had not got ahead of them, and he did not think they would, in tho shipbuilding line, in tho manning of ships, or in the construction of engines and boilers, which could not be turned out in any part of the world better than in Great Britain. Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister, in reply, said one Imperial Conference after another had served to emphasise tho common interest which every part of the Empire had in shipping. An Imperial shipping committee had been established which, ho thought, had given universal satisfaction. He referred to the importance of a common policy in the Empire in regard to shipping, and said they were strengthened in getting a common agreement in other countries engaged in the world's shipping, if they could say that the British Empire was prepared to act as one. A GREAT RESPONSIBILITY. Mr. Coates, in proposing tho toast of "The Chairman," said that it was fitting that Mr. Bunciman should be presiding because of his long connection •with shipping and because ho had also been chairman of tho Board of Trade. Everything that had been said in togard to the relationship of shipping to the Empire he (Mr. Coates) substantiated wholeheartedly. A very great responsibility rested upon those who had tho trade routes of the Empire in their keeping. But the responsibility rested ■with those oversea and those at the heart of the Empire to sco that the time taken to travel those long distance!) which separated us was shortened as much as possible. Tho whole system of transport was changing, and no subject could be more important than that of communications. They all ought to do their best in this matter along tho lines of their own stated policy. He could not think of anything more important, with a more direct bearing upon tho growth of tho Empire, and upon its stability and. unity, than what could be done _by progressive shipping men who realised their duty to tho Empire at this time. The ordinary man in the street recognised that the shipping companies were responsible for placing better conveniences at his disposal, and at the disposal of those with whom he wished to do business. "Our feelings in tho South Pacific," concluded Mr. Coates, "and also in India and in South Africa, are all one in regaid to shipping. We ask that you recognise that you have all the sympathy and help that we c.in possibly give, particularly for the reason that we want the Empire to stand together; tya -want a common bo.n,d of British tttiaesihip and feeMijg^* .- —- 88, IWrt*** ~.,^--" \