BRITISH SHIPPING

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 100, 2 May 1929, Page 12

BRITISH SHIPPING

HEALTHIER OUTLOOK

USE OF COAL

(From "The Post's" Representative.)

LONDON, sth March.

At the annual meeting of the Chamber ot Shipping of the United Kingdom Sir William Seager, the retiring president, said he was glad to note that the clouds over the coal trade were at last passing away. Speaking from an intimate knowledge of the trade in South Wales', he thought it had touched bottom. The output was increasing, and exports were expanding to the advantage of the shipping industry.

Closely allied with the coal industry was the great improvement in the propulsion of vessels. He was fully convinced that with boilers of very high pressure, superheated steam, quadruple and turbine engines, coal would hold its own for many years to come. He had been associated with the Mining Association, the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, aud other expert bodies in trying to evolve the best method of using pulverised fuel with more economy and efficiency, and there was a hope that a steamer embodying all the very latest in this means of propulsion would be constructed, and so demonstrate the valuable asset Britain still had iv its coal measures.

Keferring to the delegation which had gone to Australia to collaborate with the authorities there in trying to reduce the port charges, he said these were enormously high, but they were hopeful of finding a way out of the difficulties in which shipping had to function in that continent. SCARCITY OF LABOUR TROUBLES. Sir William Cnrrie. in his presidential address on taking tho chuir, saia he thought the most important and gratifying sign during the past year had been the marked improvement in the relations of capital and labour. The absence of domestic strife had been most marked, and though unfortunately the figures of unemployment were distressingly bad, the statistics of clays lost by disputes in 102S were with one exception the lowest pointer to that co-operation essential to final recuperation. In such co-operation and goodfellowship the shipping industry led the way. Their industry must be s the envy of many, and the despair of all trouble-mongers. To Mr. Allen and his

lieutenants, Mr. Laws and Mr. Betts, and to Mr. Havelock Wilson, not only shipowners, but the whole country, owed a debt of gratitude. FAILURE OF STATE OWNERSHIP. Surveying the wider field of shipping, Sir William Currie said lie thought the most illuminating and most important happening of the year had been the withdrawal from shipping business of the Australian Government and the gradual diminution by the American Shipping Board uf its interests in shipping. The former country had lost since its experiment commenced £12,000,000, and the latter, on operating only, the fabulous sum of £51) - 000,000 in seven years. To British shipping, believers in free and fair competition, it was a matter of very complete satisfaction that two such outstanding examples of State ownership had collapsed. I There was no surer way to promote in- i ternational discord and. distrust than flaß ' discrimination and the heavily weighted competition of State-owned, shipping. The natural sequence would be retaliation, with far-reaching results which it would be difficult to forecast; and retaliation in

nn international industry like shipping was a comparatively simple matter. Touching the question of safety at sea, Sir William mentioned that there would be an international conference of very greiit importance this year, at which he hoped there would be unanimity among maritime nations in regard to the formulating and enforcing of international stanflarrlß. International agreement in regard to the loadline would also be of very considerable advantage to maritime trade. "• He denied the allegation that British ships indulged in overloading.