COMPETITION IN SHIPPING

Taranaki Daily News, 9 June 1932, Page 4

COMPETITION IN SHIPPING

AMERICAN SUBSIDISED LINES

OTTAWA CONFERENCE SUBJECT.

promise by prime minister.

DEPUTATION F&OM NAVY LEAGUE

By Telegraph.—Pres* Association.

Wellington, Last Night. The question of foreign competition with New Zealand shipping will be brought up for discussion as part of the agenda at the Ottawa conference, according to a reply by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, to representations from the New Zealand branch of the Navy League to-day. The president of the league, Mr. W. Perry, said the continuance of New Zealand and Australian vessels and the livelihood of the crews were seriously threatened by the competition of American vessels subsidised by their GOverntoent to a grotesque extent, and either built with Government money or, in the caSe of cargo lines, sold to the present owners by the Government at extraordinarily low prices. The annual value of the assistance received from the Government by three large vessels' of the Matson Line, of which two were now running and one would be ready shortly, apparently amounted to over £400,000 a year, while cargo lines from United States Pacific ports to New Zealand and Australia ‘ were running under contracts under which the subsidies amounted to £76,000 a year.

The Prime Minister in reply said the New Zealand delegation to the conference would see that the subject came up for discussion. What was really required was the removal of some Of the present restrictions in fairness to all parts of the Empire. The spirit of the day was to see how far the nation* of the world could co-operate. New Zealand’s merchant shipping must be maintained. It was pretty hard hit just now.