THE SHIPPING COMBINE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8935, 28 September 1907, Page 2

THE SHIPPING COMBINE.

Discussed in Fedora! House. Press Association- Copyright. MEtiTiotTUNK, September 27. Mr Sinclair moved the adjournment of the House to discuss the shipping combine. Ho stated that one of the_ lines interested in the combine was subsidised by the Federal Government to carry mails to England and elsewhere and under the recent contract for the carriage of butter shippers were compelled to ship the whole of their butter by mail steamers. This left exporters in the hands of the mail steamers. Ho urged Government in accepting the new mail contract to impose the conditions and prevent the recurrence of this sort ot

Mr Watson declared that developments of Into wore in the direction of concentration and greater combination with a view to attracting improper prices and freights from the public. Ho douWod the effectiveness of the Ana- Trust Bill to deal with the matter. _ It could not deal with oversea lines. Tno Commonwealth would soon bo driven into the construction of boats of their own. Air Joseph Cook hold it was the du„y of Government to see that they (lid not subsidise any company which treated the Commonwealth or its citizens unequally. Several members were of opinion that the only way to deal with a combine was the - establishment of a lino of State owned steamers. Mr Bold said that if a good hue ot steamers woro established it would have to stand tho battle of competition with all tho ships of tho world and would bo one of the most desperate attempts tho Commonwealth could take on. If Socialism was to bo tried, hotter start on the land as they woro not masters of the sea vet. Men who denounced the combine of ship owners must denounce tho combine of trades unions. There was no difference in principle. If any trust used its power for the purpose of crushing honest competition he would treat it as he would

| treat a sneak thief. , ‘ Sydney, September 27. i Tho shipping agents, intorviewsdv | have strongly reiterated that the : Goad Combine will have a serious j effect upon tho Now Zealand timber trade. The result is that vessels being unable to load back coal, predicts au increase in New Zealand timber freight up to 50 per cent. It was expressed as a hope tbat the How Zealand and Federal Governments would probe the- alleged Combine to the bottom. Mimnouium, September 27In the House Sir W. .Lyuo said ’ that Mr Doakin, when dealing with ■ the new mail contract, would doubt- ; ■ less take action regardingthe alleged 1 ! Shipping Combine. It any vend or ! combine was doing serious injury i.o the public Government would take '■ action. ' Mr Reid and tho Opposition members promised to support the GovcruPiant there,