LATE MESSAGES

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 June 1925, Page 5

LATE MESSAGES

OTTAWA, June 12. The Special Shipping committee’s report recommends co-operative action among shippers, and states: '■J he conference lines who charge almost as much to carry butler ironi Montreal to Liverpool, as they do from New Zealand, complain that their refrigerator space is made use of only for a comparatively short part oi the season." -Referring to the Peterson subsidy, it say - .;“It would appear wise to obtain further informat.pn as to the earnings-of the Conference Lines of ships, including the Peterson vessels, before attempting to pass judgment on the contract.” Although Hie committee does not specifically recommend the abandonment Of the subsidy, that is the net result of the report as interpreted in political circles. The probability is that a bill granting a subsidy will either be dropped, or be allowed to remain on the order paper uiitil passed. When, the bill was before the llour-e, Premier King emphasised putting it into effect as the contract was dependent on .Parliament's approval.

OTTAWA, June’ 12

>The death of Sir William PMerson was announced in the (.'ominous this afternoon. He was in Ottawa for the special committee hearing. He was ill only a few minutes. Heath was lue to a heart attack.

LONDON. Jr,lie. -12. Clauses dealing with the' increased Imperial preference on Kb’ici'o,' dried and preserved fruits and wine, rime up for consideration in the Commons waen Air-Lee-Smith moved a crippling amendment to postpone the operation of preferences until Jinuaiy. I.' He argued that vested interests n. the Dominions and Colonies would grow up behind pieference duties. It simpD. meant the subsidising of certain colonial produce and constituting a payment to Dominions’ interests with a. standard of prosperity higher and taxation lower than in Britain. Preferences would give most advantage to Australia, very little, to South Africa, not a shilling to Canada or New Zealand, or a shilling reduction in prices to the people of Britain. Air Guinness, defending the proposa'ls, said that preferences would develop alternative sources of supply, and any temporary outlay would ultimately benefit the United Kingdom consumers, once the Empire production became a dominant factor! AVe du not imagine there would be an immediate reduction in the price of most commodities apart from tobacco. Referring ti Air Lee Smith’s arguments, he contended that the aim should be to get capital embarked on development of waste lands of the Empire, for food, and raw materials which would eventually lead to a reduction in prices. Large producers of manufactured tobacco assured them that although the limited scope of preferences would not decrease the cost ol mixed tobacco they intended lo give the lull benefit on pure Imperial tobacco to those who smoked it in a. pure iorni, and as a result, therefore,’we should have a. class of tobacco on the market cheaper than any hitherto available. Air Guinness said the proposals meant, as far as possible, to meet the Dominions’ desires, as expressed at the Economic. Conference. The Government believed the provision was long overdue, because for many rears we enjoyed preferences which were freely given long before counterwailing advantages were offered, and t.hev b ;| d done much Io dcvcL-p inU-r Imperia I I rad. l .-.