THE COLONIST. SATURDAY, 19, 1917. THE ORGANISATION OF SHIPPING AND CARGO.

Colonist, Volume LVIII, Issue 14408, 19 May 1917, Page 4

THE COLONIST. SATURDAY, 19, 1917. THE ORGANISATION OF SHIPPING AND CARGO.

The pressing problems arising out of I the war bave resulted in the adoption by the British peoples and the Allied nations of many large schemes of organisation affecting industry and commerce. It is probable that none of these is more far reaching than the system of control and organisation which is now being applied to a great part of the ocean shipping of the world, primarily by the British authorities. Starting with the ordinary requisitionng of ships for military purposes at tre beginning of the war/ the system has grown up by degrees; its exi&tence was brought home sharply to the man on shore when Sir Joseph Maclay was appointed Controller, of Shipping in Britain, and after the formation of Mr. Lloyd George's new Cabinet in December of last year, coupled with the adoption and publication of a bolder shipping policy than had hitherto been believed to be possible. The system has extended! to all parts of the world, and ras now reached Australia and New Zealand. The organisation of shipping necessitates organisation on land to make the most of the available facilities for tho transport of cargo, and to ensure that what cargo can be dealt with shall be limited to essentials. It is of interest to observe the methods adopted by tre Australian authorities to meet the new situation. They were described a week or so ago by the Melbourne "Age.?' At the present moment the Prime Minister, as chairman of the Shipping Board, is really the Shipping Minister, witt' Senator Rubsell?as his second in command. Some of the most important work of the board is connected with the allotment and arrangement of freights, and* in this work the board acts in accordance with the broad lines of policy laid down by tie British Government. The British Government states generally what proportion of tonnage should be allotted to the various necessary primary products and cargoes; in the meanwhile vessels, now properly organised and arranged, are approacling Australia; upon arrival they are handled by the usual agents in the old vi ay; but the exact cargoes they will take.back, the proportions of thoße cargoes and the ports of loading are fixed by the Shipping Board, which endeavours to arrange that the ships shall be loaded at one. port, and therefore speeded up in their departure, and that there shall be a better organisation of the waterside labour to facilitate prompt handling. Each steamer is, as it were, a unit in a big Imperial machine, or ring. It takes tho wheat, or other cargo, allotted to it. by the Government and the controlling board, working in accordance with the Imperial policy. Most importa-nt work, in which tre Federal Government led the way, is that in connection with the fixing of freight rates and the elimination of competition by the appointment, of Government chartering agents'. The average rate paid by the Gonimonwealtb for wheat steamers has been under 100s per ton, and it is estimated that large sums have been Bayed to the Commonwealth by this form ..of control. In the case of tramp and other steamers actually requisitioned by the British authorities, the rire is fixed at what are known as Government "Blue Book rates," the owners of the vessels being paid certain sums tor their ships in proportion to tho tonnage. The system of control governs practically the greater proportion of tre world's merchant shipping. Other steps, apart from the requisitioning of vessels for wheat carrying, that have been taken by the British authorities, relate to the mapping put of the world's trade and shipping to secure better organisation; the expediting of tre building of ships and marine engines; the building of standardised, vessels; tho conversion of passenger boats that \v ere building to cargo-carrying purposes, and the perfecting of a cooperative system "under which the ship--1 owners themselves run tl" eir ships according to the arrangements arrived at by the various committees and j boards.