AUSTRALIAN SHIPPING COMBINE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2197, 28 September 1907, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN SHIPPING COMBINE.

DISCUSSED IN THE FEDERAL HOUSE. STATE-OWNED LINE WANTED. U nited P ress Association —Copyright Received Sept. 27, 9.41 p.m. MELBOURNE, Sept. 27. Mr. Sinclair moved the adjournment of the House to discuss the shipping combine. He stated that one of‘the lines interested ill _ the combine was subsidised by tlie JJ€d€nal Government to curry mails to England and elsewhere. Under the recent contract for the carriage of butter shippers were .compelled to ship the whole of then butter by mail steamers. Tin's left the exporters ill the hands of the mail steamers. He urged the Government in accepting the new mail contract to impose conditions to prevent a recurrence of tin’s sort of tilingMr. Watson declared that developments were fn the direction of the concentration of a greater combination with a view to attracting improper prices and freights from the public. Ho doubted the effectiveness of the Antii-Trust Bill to do 3 } with the matter. It could not deal with oversea lines. The Commonwealth would soon bo driven into the construction of boats of their owiu Mr. Joseph Cook raid it wus the duty of the Government to see that, they did not subsidise any company which treated Commonwealth citizens unequally. . . . - Several members were of opinion that the only way to deal with the combine was by the establishment ot a line of State-owned steamers. Mr. Iteid said that if a Government line of steamers were established and had to stand the hostile competition of all ships of the world it would be one of the most desperate attempts the Commonwealth could make. If Socialism was to be tried they had bettor start on land. They were not masters of tlie sea yet. The men who denounced the combine shipowners must denounce combine trades union. There was no difference in principle. If any Trust used its power for the purpose of crushing honest competition lie. would treat it as he would treat a sneak thief.

Received Sept. 28, 0.31 a.m. MELBOURNE, Sept. 27. In the House Sir Wm. Lyne said that Mr. Deakin when dealing with .he new mail contract would doubtless take action regarding the alleged shipping combine. If any vend or combine was doing serious injury to the public the Government would take action. Mr. Reid and Opposition members promised to support- the Government there.