BRITISH SHIPPING

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18530, 17 October 1934, Page 5

BRITISH SHIPPING

SUBSIDISED COMPETITION STR A. ANDERSON’S VIEWS FREMANTLE, Oct. 4. “British shipping is still suffering greatly because of the operations of foreign subsidised shipping,’’ said Sir Alan Anderson, chairman of the Orient Line, when interviewed on board the Otranto, on which lie is travelling to Melbourne to attend the Centenary celebrations.

British shipowners now realised that the time had come when action would have to be taken to protect them from disaster, as a result of the competition from foreign subsidised lines, ho said. Shipowners and all commercial men in Great Britain thought it entirely unfair for o'ther nations to dump shipping services in tho world’s market at a great cost to their taxpayers, and so ruin the British owners, who were trying to make ends meet without a subsidy. This had led British owners to say to the Government that, where any section of British mercantile marine proved that the subsidised shipping of other nations ruins it, then the Government must intervene in whatever way would best meet the position, and at the same time do the least amount of damage to shipping generally. It was felt that the time had come when British owners must do something before the position became more disastrous. The position of the tramp tonnage was a vital factor in any consideration of the position.. There was still a huge surplus of British tonnage, and it was necessary that the glut should be considerably reduced. The proposed British subsidy for this tonnage should prove helpful, but as yet no decision hail been made as to how the Government subsidy of £2,000,000 was to be distributed.

ECONOMIC CONDITIONS Speaking of economic conditions, Sir Alan Anderson said that Britain and Australia had made great recoveries in the last two years. Their leaders had dared to tell the truth, and had rallied the people to face the known danger. The rate at which complete prosperity would be restored would depend on the nations themselves. The question was whether the world would allow itself to trade and prosper, oi whether one nation after another vvould debase civilisation and the happiness of its people and reject the trade of its neighbors. How soon would the creditor nations learn from history and hardships that they must buy foreign goods apd services in order that they might be paid past debts or for current exports; that the initiative in world trade rested with them as creditors, and thnt it they failed to take tho payments their nationals would suffer as much as anyone!

Could the nations of the Empire, by example and co-operation, help the world to give the right answer to these questions without paimul delay? Those were questions that the organised commerce of Great Britain had anxiously debated. World trade and world 'trade alone would rebuild the broken bridge of exchange and set free the healthy demand which would absorb supplies and maintain prices.