British Shipping

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 264, 7 November 1938, Page 2

British Shipping

Referring to the completing of the proposed three American trana-Pacific liners, the London Daily Mail says this “might see the extinction of British competition unless something is done in the meantime.” The serious problem of Britain’s declining shipping tonnage was discussed last April by Mr. W. A. Souter, president of the Chamber of Shipping of the United Kingdom. He said: * 1 Unless the Imperial Shipping Committee can find some means of counteracting this (decline) and tho Governments of tho Empire are prepared to act promptly on their advice, there is every reason to suppose that British shipping will ultimately be driven completely out of such trades.” Ho pointed out that to-day Britain owned only 17,400,000 tons, or 28 per cent, of the world’s total steam and sea-going tonnage, as against 18,900,000 tons, or 44 per cent, in 1914. On the other hand, tonnage owned abroad had increased steadily from 24,300,000 tons in 1914 to 45,400,000 tons at present. Effective United Kingdom tonnage for the carriage of food, raw materials and troops in time of war was only 14,000,000 tons as compared *with 17,500,000 tons in 1914. More striking still was the decline in the numbers of British ships—from 8587 in 1914 to 6903 in June, 1937. Excluding tankers, Britain possessed some 2000 fewer vessels capable of carrying passengers and produce than it did at the outbreak of the Great War. Said the New Zealand Shipowners* Federation recently in connection with “the unrestricted competition of foreign subsidised shipping lines.” with New Zealand and Australian shipping: “The competition to which Britain is now subjected is a national attack financed by a Government, and it can be met and checked only by Government action by Great Britain and the Dominions. ”