FOREIGN SHIPPING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20978, 15 September 1931, Page 12

FOREIGN SHIPPING.

Sir, —Will you permit me to say how profoundly I differ from tho view expressed in your leading columns of Saturday on this subject. 1 mako no excuse for labouring tho point; our interest in it is too vital. It is surely beside tho issue to refer to past declarations of British shipowners or to quote even as eminent an authority as Sir Archibald Hurd when wo are told to-day by the British Government that British credit has been brought to its knees because for tho first time in British history her "invisible imports." consisting of tho earnings of British ships on tho seven seas and tho interest on British investments abroad, had failed to maintain her trade equilibrium. That is tho only result of tho British shipowners' declarations in favour of "freedom and fair play, free seas and open ports," and we can reconcile ourselves to tho fact that all the declarations and representations in the world are not going to open ono port that is at present closed to British ships. As we cannot, therefore, prevent foreign slapping competition, and as we cannot remove tho restrictions and tho unequal and unfair conditions which hamper British shipping, surely tho rational view and, indeed, the only view, is for tho British peoples to givo their whole support to British shipping. Otherwise, wo face national bankruptcy. We know that a vast amount of British capital is invested in the steamers which comprise the fleet of our great New Zealand company, and that the shrinkago in tho earnings of these vessels owing to unequal foroign competition has had its share in bringing British credit to the brink of the abyss. Wo are informed in your news columns of the intolerable burdens of taxation that are to bo imposed on tho British people in order to make up the deficiency, and further, that the bulk of the vast sums thus to be raised is to go to swell the coffers of the most formidable foreign shipping competitor of Britain's mercantile marine. Wo in this primary producing district note these things with fear and dismay, because wo cannot see how tho British people, who provide practically our only market, are over going to pay any higher price (or even as high a price) than that ruling to-day for our butter and cheese, our meat and wool, our flax and honey. Tho plain facts of the case aro staring us in the face, and surely our people are not going to bo so insane, so suicidal, as to feed with their fares and freights any foreign shipping competitor. J. D. Ghat. Matafeana, September 12, 1931.