SHIPPING CONFERENCE

Evening Star, Issue 19891, 13 June 1928, Page 9

SHIPPING CONFERENCE

100 INTERNATIONAL DELEGATES NEW ZEALAND REPRESENTED REDUCTION OE TA HIKES URGED. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, June 12. (Received June 13, at 12.15 pan.) The fourth International Shipping Conference, comprising IUU delegates, representing Britain, Europe, America, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, has opened. Sir Charles Holdsworth (Union Steam Ship Company) is representing New Zealand. Sir William Seager, in his presidential address, said that while ho was unable to offer congratulations on the prosperity of the industry, nevertheless it was holding its own. There was no desire to eliminate competition provided that it was fair and consistent with international comradeship and community interests. The conference adopted a resolution embodying proposals emanating from the World Economic Conference at Genova and the International Chambers of Commerce Conference at Stockholm in 1027 advocating a reduction ot excessive tariffs and protesting that they were operating to the detriment of agriculture, whose products formed the basis of the world’s trade.

Mr Stiniming (general director of the Nord-Dcutscher Lloyd Company), in seconding the motion, pointed out that Germany was faced with a crisis in agriculture, and would therefore welcome a proviso for tariff reductions. Sir Alan Anderson, summing up, denied that the shipowners were not necessarily either Freetraders or Protectionists, although they might be either according to the interests of their respective countries. What they did believe in was not tariff barriers, but their regulation; hence the shipowners were combined under the name of a conference whereby unfair competition was restricted within certain spheres. He advocated the adoption of a similar policy by the great trades of tho various nations. —Australian Press Association.