AUSTRALIAN SHIPPING

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 July 1941, Page 8

AUSTRALIAN SHIPPING

GOVT. CONTROL EXTENDED. SYDNEY, July 16. Sixty-three ships, engaged m the inter-State trade of Australia, have been taken over by the Commonwealth. They will be managed as a fleet, under the control of the Snipping Board. The Minister of Commerce announced the Government’s decision to-night. He said that the purpose of the taking over was to strengthen Australian shipping resources and render them capable of ready manipulation to meet the needs of any emergency. The following companies’ ships have been requisitioned:— Adelaide Steamship Company: Sixteen vessels. Australian Steamships Proprietary. Limited: Fourteen vessels. Australian United Steam Navigation Company: Seven vessels. Huddart Parker Company: Six vessels. Mcllwraith, McEachern Company: Six vessels. Melbourne Steamship Company: Four vessels. The James Patrick Company Limited: Four vessels. The James Paterson Company Proprietary Ltd.: Two vessels. The Inter-State Steamships Proprietary: Two vessels. R. W. Miller Company Proprietary: Two vessels.

SIR RONALD CROSS. SYDNEY, July 16. Sir Ronald Cross (British High Commissioner to Australia) and his family, were warmly welcomed by Federal Cabinet members upon his arrival here to-day frpm New Zealand. He will stay about a week at the State Government House before going to Canberra, where he will have his headquarters as the new High Commissioner for the United Kingdom. Sir R. Cross will be the guest of honour to-morrow night at a dinner to be given by the Prime Minister, Mr Menzies. He will be given a reception bv the New South Wales State Government on Friday. Interviewed upon his arrival, Sir R. Cross stressed the need of ships. He declared: “If Australia can build shins, for Heaven’s sake let us have them!” The Australian people, he added, could put entirely out of their minds any thought that the industrial interests of Britain were not anxious to see shipbuilding and other secondary industries flourish in Australia.