SAVE OUR SHIPS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXV, Issue 231, 16 September 1935, Page 7

SAVE OUR SHIPS

BRITISH BIRTHRIGHT

PACIFIC DISTRIBUTION

Dominions Plan Conference

NEGOTIATION WITH MATSON’S

(By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Received 16, 10.15 a.m.) LONDON, Sept. 15. “I am mystified by the report that the New Zealand and Australian Governments are conferring with the Matson Line in London before Christmas. I am not aware of any arrangements for it,” said the Hon. Alexander Shaw. “I do not understand how London can be the venue, as the centre of the situation is the Pacific, Nobody in London is armed with authority to speak for the Union Steamship Company and other lines concerned. Apparently the matter is one for Dominion statesmen interested in preserving services from extinc tion.

“It would be news to me that the Dominion Governments had approached Matsons or that the latter had agreed to confer. I see no prospect of the Matson Line participating with a view to forgoing subsidised competition in New Zealand and Australian local services, as previous approaches on the question, some recent, failed, which is not surprising. “Matsons,” said Mr. Shaw, "are quite entitled to an advantage by favourable conditions in local British trade. The blame of allowing such an iniquity rests elsewhere. I appreciate Mr. Lyons’s, Mr. Forbes’s and the

Ministers’ interest in British shipping, and value the sagacity of their approach to the problem, solution of which is appreciably nearer than a

year ago.” The report on which Mr. Shaw comments is contained in a cabled advice from Sydney that arrangements are being made by the Federal and New Zealand Governments for a round-table conferencot of British and Uniter

States shipping interests operating lr the Pacific, according to an announce ment by Mr. Lyons. Mr. Lyons adder that the conference would be held it London this year. Mr. Bruce would represent Australia and Sir James Par; New Zealand, and the British Government was also expected to send a dele gate. The conference would endeavour to bring about a more equitable distribution of the shipping trade in the Pacific between tho two nations. Both the “Sunday Times” and the “Observer,” in leading articles, support the Hon. Alexander Shaw in Mr speech (reported on Saturday) urginf the implementing of Mr. Runciman v i pronouncement of July of last year with reference to the effect of forelgt subsidies on British shipping.

The “Sunday Times” says: “Tht sea is a birthright which we cannot surrender to nations which are banking on the British non-rctaliatory policy. They must be undeceived.”

The “Observer” expresses the opinion that, with the situation becoming worse every day, the Board of Trade surely has advanced beyond an academic frame of mind regarding choice between the reservation to Imperial trade of preferential treatment for British ships or cargoes carried in British ships in Empire ports and duties against subsidised vessels. It adds: “Tariffs have proved that only firm vindication of our rights can check our effacement The public becomes cynical when a crisis is reached, tut a dawdling procession of Ministerial statements and inquiries blocks a decision.” “The Times,” in a leader welcoming the speech, refers hopefully to the forthcoming Australian and New Zealand conference with the Matson Line, and adds: “Recent developments, especially the exposures of American nail contracts, justify tho expectation that the chief • .bsidy-giving Governments will be less lavish. Britons need only to be reminded that essential shipping services arc still tho mainstay of their national existence to ensure a demand for measures to secure their maintenance.’’