CENTRALISATION OF SHIPPING.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18203, 2 March 1929, Page 17

CENTRALISATION OF SHIPPING.

GOVERNMENT OPPOSED TO IT. STATEMENT fiV PRIME MINISTER By Telegraph—Press Association. NAPIER, March 1. The Prime Minister to-night made a definite statement in reply to Mr W. E. Barnard, M.P. for Napier, that tho Government is opposed to centralisation in shipping. “I can assure you,” he said, “that ilia policy of the Government is that it won’t support any proposal to centralise shipping in main ports that is going to' be to the detriment of other ports. “This country possesses a number of harbours of great value and service to their districts. They cannot all be the size of those of the four main centres, but they are serving a useful purpose. If such a scheme were carried out they would become stalemate ha#>ours, and their trade would go to the main centres. This would operate against the development of the districts they servo. “If tlio Dominion had not had these local harbours years ago there would never have been the progress there has been. “New Zeahind is unlike many other countries. Wo have towns” from end to end, and many of them have their outlets in harbours that have been built. I would be very surprised to find the great shipping interests that serve this country and do their work so well ,doing anything in favour of centralisation. “As a matter of policy, I am satisfied that centralisation would be injurious to this country, and I am convinced that in adopting a policy in opposition to it we will be supported by the House of Representatives. The harbours we have now we want to develop and make more useful in serving the country.” In reply to the Mayor (Air Vigor Brown), who asked if the Prime Minister bad received a statement made by the chairman of the Napier Harbour Board, that the Railways and Marine Departments favoured centralisation, Sir Joseph Ward said that no such suggestion bad come before Cabinet. When the Minister of Marino recently attended the Harbours Conference be had the full* authority of Cabinet to oppose any movement towards centralisation. That being the case, neither the Marine nor the Railways Departments could get the authority of Cabinet to take any action. The Prime Minister arrived at Napier this evening, after having been warmly received at various stations en route, at several of which he addressed assembled crowds. Tn Napier he was welcomed by the Mayor, at the railway' station, in the of si largo gathering. To-night lie spent si considerable time hearing representations concerning local matters.