THE CRIME OF SHIPOWNING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11534, 20 November 1900, Page 4

THE CRIME OF SHIPOWNING.

That the shipping of an important and growing port should be compelled to suffer needless and inexcusable delays at the hands of public officials is only possible in a Latin port, or in the British colony of New Zealand. On Sunday night the Union Company's steamer Talune, from Sydney, was delayed all night because of the refusal of the health officer to examine her, he presumably acting under instructions from Wellington, as such incidents are of occasional occurrence. Since the inspection and examination are now of a very light character, there is absolutely no reason why vessels should not be passed whenever they arrive, day or night. Indeed, we see no reason why any special examination at all should be made of vessels arriving from clean ports. But granted that an examination is necessary, it would seem hardly disputable that it should be proceeded with as soon as possible. Under the existing system, mails are seriously delayed, anxious passengers are detained, the crew are deprived of scanty-enough shore-time, and the company is put to increased trouble and expense. We shall have to alter this unsatisfactory treatment of our shipping if we are to be the great maritime nation of which Mr. Seddon dilates. At present, shipowning is officially regarded as almost a crime, and travelling into New Zealand as quite a misdemeanour. Other Teutonic countries strain every nerve to encourage and facilitate their commerce, to avoid unnecessary embargoes, and to make necessary embargoes as mild as possible. But we seem to have got our system from those seafaring Latin races, who are fearsome that every night-prowling ship is an enemy or a pirate in disguise, and who look upon those who travel by water as fair prey. If such incidents happened in the South we should very soon see the cause of complaint removed. But any stick is good enough to beat Auckland with.