King Country Chronicle Saturday, June 7, 1919 OVERSEA SHIPPING

King Country Chronicle, Volume XII, Issue 1221, 7 June 1919, Page 4

King Country Chronicle Saturday, June 7, 1919 OVERSEA SHIPPING

• The initial success of tbe Commonwealth shipping line has evidently impressed some of tbe farmers in the Dominion, for at the Farmers' Union Conference, held in Wellington last week. State-ownership of refrigerated steamers was advocated by some delegates as a means of combating the Shipping Trast It is however, too early in the day to acclaim tbe success of the Australian pcbeme. The fleet was obtained during the war, when freights were very high, and some of the vessels were German ships seized at the outbreak of hostilities. It remains to he seen whether the State line can face private competition in times of peace, and already it is apparent that the two shipping combines that practically monopolise the overseas traffic of the Commonwealth mean to take drastic steps in order to throttle this development of State enterprise. It was very noticeable that, although some delegates doubted the advisability of the State establishing a shipping line, no one felt able or inclined to combat the statement that in the matter of oversea shipping. New Zealand is in the hands of a combine. And the activities of the combine do not end there, for since the P. and 0. Company absorbed the Union Steam Ship Company, the coastal trade of tbe Dominion is in tbe same grip. There are, fortunately, reasons for hoping that tbe present position may be challenged. Tbe United Statea is now in a position to enter the shipping market as a formidable competitor and, as Mr E. Campbell stated at the conference, if there were unity among the producers they could decide to give their business to a company not now competing for New Zealand trade. The shipping ring at Home practically rules out tbe possibility of that line being of British origin, but an American stick would do to beat down the prices of tbe combine, for the benefit of the New Zealand farmer. The conference has BBked its Shipping Committee to investigate the position and report to tbe Provincial Executives, and it is to be hoped that the matter will not be lost sight of. We are a long way from the markets of the world, and it is a matter of vital importance to us that our produce should not have to carry the handicap of excessive freight charges.