PREFERENTIAL SHIPPING -RATES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6072, 8 January 1898, Page 7

PREFERENTIAL SHIPPING -RATES.

" It. is just as- well that a little light should .'be thrown." says. .the. XSdtiirddy itewt-fo'j.of Nov. 20, ''on 'the disastrous "influence of the Shipping Ring,.i}pon. r British trade. .. Sir . Thomas Sutn'erland #nd Sir Donald.CiVrri'j''are.'no._'idupi' ardent paper patriots; but that .does not prevent, them from doing their best to ruin English trade by favouring our foreign rivals in the matter of freights. The P. and 0. Company is' subsidised by the British Government at the rate of .£IOOO a day. In return it has handed over the British trade in steel and iron for India to Belgium and Germany. The mode of proceeding was to charge 15s 9d a ton on iron, from London to India, and. 10s a ton from Amsterdam, Now the rates have been equalised, but the mischief has been done. Belgian and German manufacturers have obtained a footing in India which they had long striven to obtain, and from which it will be impossible to dislodge them. To Java and other Eastern ports the preferential rates in favour of our foreign competitors still exist. Sir Thomas Sutherland is the chairman of the PI and 0. Company ; he is also the Liberal-Unionist M.P, for Greenock. Sir Donald Curries Castle line of steamships plays the same game with the freights to South Africa, and Sir Donald Currie is .the Liberal-Unionist member for West .Perthshire. ! In the future we shall know~exactly How niuch the professions of patriotism of these two honourable knights are worth."