U.S. SHIPPING POLICY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11248, 28 June 1922, Page 7

U.S. SHIPPING POLICY

ANTIPODEAN MAILS DEFINITE ASSURANCE OBTAINED (Auckland "Star's” Correspondent.) SAN FRANCISCO, June 2. Shortly prior to the sailing of the New Zealand mail steamer from San Francisco, Mr Fred S. Samuels, manager of the Oceanic Steamship Company, plying between Sydney and San Francisco, arrived back in the Californian metropolis from Washington, bringing with him definite assurance from the Secretary of the U.S. Navy, the Secretary of Commerce, the Postmaster-General, and Mr A. D. Lasker, chairman of the United States Shipping Board, that a recommendation would be made for the immediate passage of an emergency bill to appropriate 750,000 dollars as the basis of a two-years’ contract with the Oceanic Steamship Company to carry American mails between San Francisco and Australia. Mr Samuels intimated that he hoped to have definite word before July 10th that the measure had been passed in Washington. This action is the direct result of the recent statement of officials of that company that unless Government aid were extended the Oceanic Company would be compelled to discontinue the run of its ships to the Antipodes. Mr Samuels went back to Washington to place before the proper officials the conditions as they exist and the measures to which they would have to resort should aid be denied the Oceanic Company. These were briefly; The Government would be required to pay at least 125,000 dollars to a British shipping firm to carry the mails to and from Australia, and in the event of it being neoessary, to send naval men to Samoa ft cruiser or a transport would have to be pressed into the service for that purpose. The cost of theee, Mr Samuels pointed out, would be as great, if not greater, than would he the cost of giving financial support to an American steamship company. He further stated that the removal of the American flag from the Pacific would cause a great howl to go up. With the promise of a definite subsidy in view, executives of the Oceanic Company are planning, so Mr Samuels intimated, to proceed with the building of two new modern vessels to be placed in the Pacific run just as soon ae shipping condition© return to normal. Nobody can predict when this time may arrive, however.