AMERICAN COMPETITION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIII, Issue 73, 27 March 1919, Page 2

AMERICAN COMPETITION.

“The problems that confront British Shipowners to-day are xhany and grave. Theiosses during the War have been extremely heavy, and must be replaced, practically all die ships requisitioned for war purposes will have to be overhauled apd ■ repaired ' before they can resume their old part in the world’s Carrying trade. JVlany markets, hfye been sacrificed,*. many familiar routes abandoned, many old , connections fioyered. Foreign conipe itors have ‘ taken advantage of our' to'' Cut into our trade and start rival services. *Cd«ts of cons-ruction have risen skyhigh, and so, too have wages and operating expenses. But nothing can take away from us the advantages we enjoy in our shipbuilding facilities, which are still unrivalled, a highly-skilled army of shipwrights and marine engineers, the : incomparable -spirit and traditions of our merchant service, and a century of unique experience in the shipping trade. “If foreign rivals, knowing nothing. Of excess profits du-ies and blue-bopa rates, have been able to accumulate vast reserves, the coffer* of British shipping companies are by no, means empty. That is not because Ihe companies have ' been * It sifii’ ply means that they-are holding thedr capital in cash or securities, instead of in the far more preferable; form -of Ships. At any rate,, they are not;. going to be prevented from meeting foreign oompetmoil by financial exhaustion, apd with" prudence and e<mpbmy ’•& judicious writing <jfown of ; ;the ;cos. of jiew ships, 1 see no vyafpn Jvhy. they should not meet it successfully. ■ “A good many people are distqCbea by the possibility of labour troubles", find a good many more by tbe' menace J of American competition. In my judginent, both dangers are greatly exaggerrated. X have ,a complete coiifiqe pee ,m the good sense of the Brj.iah working! man, and ■ I welcome every opportunity . of paying higher wages for a better day*- work. f As for the- remarkable sbipbuildirig effort v .which America has put forward' during the pas; ft must be ' observed that the ««« loot-, is .considerably sniallfr ’-han /what ! was expected—l believe about _naJf j |secondly, that. wooden ships, Which, are not suitable for international, commerce,, form a'substantial proportion of the new thirdly, that high as are the costs of building and operating ships in Great Britain to-day-, they are fftr higher in America; and, fourthly, that the , United States, being a cont tinerital and not an island Tower, is not under the same, imperative Compulsion to develop'-a large foreign trade or to maintain a first-class mercantile marine as we are. Sir Joseph Maday was hinting the other day that the time might not he very -far . off when some of the newcomers into the shipping industry would' be glad to transfer their vessels to the British register. I am' rather inclined to subscribe to that view. mv confident anticipation i s that when the Government hp set free the shipping industry, the British merchant service will win hack pretty nearly the whole of its -pre-war supremacy. It may take a dogged and united effort to do it, but it can and | will be done.” i