ONE DISSENTIENT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19137, 5 October 1936, Page 6

ONE DISSENTIENT

EMPIRE CONGRESS SHIPPING POLICY MOVE QUESTION OP ASSISTANCE LONDON PARLEY URGED (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. The resolution of the Congress of Chambers of Commerce of the British Empire concerning shipping was carried with one dissentient. The resolution was to the effect that. while reaffirming adherence to the principle of free, unrestricted and unsubsidiscd ocean transport services, the congress recommended to the Governments of the United Kingdom and the Dominions that trade facilities to foreign shipping trading between Empire ports should only be granted to the shipping of those countries giving similar facilities to Empire shipping, and that they should, whether by subsidy or otherwise, afford such" assistance as would enable t!ie British mercantile marine to remain. as in the past, one of the greatest bulwarks of the Empire, whether Jn peace or war. During the discussion. Mr. .1. E. Fmlyn-Jones. representing Cardiff, expressed the wish that the problem was as simple .as the. supporters' resolution made it appeal'. He made a point that there was a. grave danger of retaliation in the Pacific. They might drive the American nation into competition with shipowners of other parts of the world. They had not been as pure in Britain as people had been led to believe. BUILDING ABROAD He said that Britain had been lending money cheaply abroad to build ships that were not required, and that brought its own nemesis in the end. What they should aim at was increased trade among the British peoples. Mr. C. Granville. Gibson, of Leeds, strongly opposed this view. He thought that Mr. Jones overlooked their' reaffirmation in the resolution of freedom in ocean transport. Mr. Gibson agreed with Sir Thomas Wilford that British shipping in the Pacific must bo maintained. Mr. J. Mailland Paxton, of Sydney, gave the history of the Vancouver and ' San Francisco services, and made a point that the main trouble was the suitability of Iho competing ships for the passenger trade. He hoped Iho resolution would be carried unanimously just, as if was worded. Air. A. Wigglcsworfh, of London, suggested thai, a, conference should be held in London with a view to deciding what was a subsidy and the form it should take. INTERESTS IN PACIFIC Sir Thomas Wilford then moved a resolution urging that all Governments concerned take early action, in the interests of British trade in the Pacific, to preserve this link in the all-Bed shipping route. Mr. A. G. Lunn, of Auckland, seconded the motion. During the discussion. Sir Montague Burton, of London, said that if there wore a resolution for the London con-' ferenee suggested by Air. Wigglesworth, he would support it. Air. Emlyii-.Tones moved an amendment that the whole question of British shipping in the Pacific, be deferred until a conference had been arranged between the countries concerned, including the United States. Objection was raised, it being urged that there was no saying where this might lead to, and the amendment waa lost and the resolution carried.