THRIFT—AND EMPTY SHIPS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 120, 23 May 1930, Page 8

THRIFT—AND EMPTY SHIPS

How far can shipping, freights "be maintained at the present level, having regard to the severe depression and the Commonwealth, Government's embargo upon oversea cargoes?" This is the question, says a Sydney cablegram, that is before a conference of ship-owning interests sitting privately in that city. Such a difficulty was foreseen immediately the Government raised its supertariff. British shipping and exporting interests, ' and some of their newspaper sympathisers, at once objected to the degree of interruption of1 imports.- It was written that if Australia would not buy, Britain also might refuse to buy Australian produce. But the objection of shipping interests to the Australian remedy was discounted by the prior British criticism of the Commonwealth's over-importing and general extravagance. • A creditor who had said that the debtor was importing too largely and must not borrow could hardly turn round and say: "Keep on importing in the interests of my ships." So the new Australian policy passed with little further criticism, and now, everyone is awaiting the real judgment—the judgment of results. An interesting side-light on" the importation issue is thrown by a statement published in the "Argus" that in Sydney—

Ono of the surprises of the period is the improved position of the secondhand car on the market. It can almost treat the new car with disrespect. A few months ago second-hand cars could be picked up at "Paddy's Market" prices. Not so now. There is a large and increasing demand for them. "Don't you notice that city firms specialising in the sale of second hand cars are actually advertising for more," asked one associated with this business. "The reason is not difficult to divine. Thousands who wish for cars'cannot pay the price of now ones. There are, of course, many who can, for this is a rich community, but the majority have to consider their resources' as never before, and thus it is that their thoughts turn to secondhand ears instead of new ones.

If only 25 per cent, of car-owners turned temporarily from "young" cars to the worry and greater expense of "old" cars, the effect on importation might be considerable. But these men "will buy new.ones when the sun shines again."