MARITIME CONFERENCE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 6179, 10 April 1907, Page 7

MARITIME CONFERENCE.

COLONIAL CONDITIONS OVERSEA SHIPS AND COMMONWEALTH LAW 7 . ALL VESSELS LIABLE. 87 Telegraph-Presa Association-Copyright. '(Received April 9. 10 p.m.) LONDON. April 9. At its yesterday’s sitting tho Navigation Conference discussed tho classes of voyages of merchant ships to which Australasian conditions should bo made applicable. Ultimately a resolution, moved by Mr AV. M. Hughes, Commonwealth repre. gentative, was carried unanimously. This proposes that vessels registered in tho colonies shall bo rendered liable to tho Australasian law while trading in Australasian waters; and also nil other vessels, wherever registered, while engaged in coastal trade. All vessels shall bo deemed to be traders if they tak© cargo or passengers from any colonial port for any other colonial port. Mr Norman Hill, of the P. and O. Company, representing the shipowners, believed*that, if the Commonwealth applied Australasian conditions to oversea vessels doing incidental .coasting trade, some of the British services might be compelled to withdraw. Mr Dugald Thomson, a Commonweal tl\ delegate, dissented from any attempt being made to shut out British oversea vessels from incidental coastal trade, which chiefly concerned passenger traffic. Sir William Lyne, Federal Minister for Trade and Customs, denied that there was anv hostility towards oversea shipment. Tho. Australian proposals were merely part * and parcel of tho contracts law, to prevent the importation of workmen at lower rates than wore paid locally.