SHIPPING CENTRALISATION

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIX, Issue 64, 2 March 1929, Page 6

SHIPPING CENTRALISATION

NEW GOVERNMENT’S POLICY AGAINST SUCH A MOVE. SIR JOSEPH WARD’S ASSURANCE For some time past the question of centralisation of shipping has been the subject of considerable discussion in Hawke’s Bay, and last night the Prime Minister, the Right Hon. Sir J. G. Ward, when approached on the matter, stated that the policy of . the Government was against centralisation. Mr W. E. Barnard. M.P.. in introducing the matter to the Prime Minister, stated that recent statements had led him to communicate with the Minister of Marine, and from him he had received an assurance that the department had nothing to do with centralisation, and was not supporting any such scheme. Any statement made by the Prime Minister on the matter would be appreciated. Sir Joseph Ward, in reply. saU that he could assure the people that, the policy of the Government would not be to support any proposal to centralise shipping at the main ports to the detriment of others. The matter had already been discussed and he. personally, was opposed to it. The Dominion, he said, possessed a number of harbours which were of great service to their respective districts. If centralisation was carried out they would become stalemate ports, trade would go to the centres, and it would be bound to operate against the development of the. districts which they served. Sir Joseph added that he would b< surprised to find the great shippinr interests that served the country, and did their work so we'll, doing anything in favour of centralisation. As a matter of policy he was satisfied that any such scheme would be injurious to the Dominion, and in adopting a policy opposing it he was convinced that he would meet with the support of the members of the House. The present harbours should be further developed, making them more useful in their service to the country.

Mr J. Vigor Brown asked the Prime Minister if he had received any statement made by the chairman of the Napier Harbour Board to the effect that the Railways and Marine Departments favoured centralisation. Sir Joseph Ward stated that no suggestions of that nature had come before Cabinet. When the Minister of Marine recently attended the Harbours Conference he had the full authority of Cabinet to oppose any move towards centralisation. That being the case, neither of the two mentioned Depart*nents could get authority of Cabinet to take any action.

Mr Barnard stated that Sir Joseph’s reply was most satisfactory. The Prime Minister added that there was noth inc to he gained in the Dominion by developing one portion of the country at the expense of another.