POST-WAR PROBLEMS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12351, 22 June 1918, Page 9

POST-WAR PROBLEMS.

IMPORTANT REPORTS. Sale of Enemy Shipping Urged. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright, lieuter's Telegrams. LONDOIT, June 20. The report of the committee appointed to consider the position of shipping r.iul the slap-building industries after the war, declares that it will be necessary to make th e restoration of tho wnrnntil,»,uinriiie the first charge on the national resources. The recommendations include the removal from Government control of all shipping. A cssels still required for Government purpose, the report urges, should bu thartered a; market rates, and any advantage enjoyed by foreign, shippers regarding tatcs should cease at the termination of the war, if not earlier. Immediate steps should be taken to bring the rates paid by the Government t'» British shipowners to a level insuring n lensonablc return on the vessels built at. present prices. The report proceeds: "No peace will be satisfactory which docs not enforce the surrender of enemy shipping, and drastic, exemplary punishment of, enemy crimes at s-ea. Enemy countries should be required to surrender to the Allies ill their merchant shipping, whether in enemy or neutral ports, at the close of hostilities, and to forfeit all ships iaid up since the outbreak of war in ports of countries which have become involved in the war or have broken ofr diplomatic relations with them, and to restore to the, Allies all Allied shipping in their possession. The shipping thus taken from the enemy should be _ utilised as far as possible 'o assist in demobilisation, and to leleaso for trade purposes Allied shipping absorbed by transport work. "When demobilisation is completed all unsold enemy ships should he auctioned in the various countries, the proceeds being treated as part of the common war indemnity paid by the enemy countries. Provided that this is possible, we think that a scheme of distribution, which would secure the allocation of enemy tonnage among the Allies in some rough proportion to the losses sustained by individual Allied countries, would offer many advantages. Otherwise enemy vessels should he sold by auction to the various countries' representatives. In Allied interests the conditions of sale should prevent the retransfer of vessels to enemy states." Regarding the Coasting and InterImpcriaTTrado Committee, the report recommends the strict apnlieation to foreian ships calling at British port? of nil safety and health requirements imposed on British ships. The committee doubts the expediency of the exclusion of foreign flags from tho coasting and inter-Tmperial trades, hut j does not support the Dominions Royal Commission's recommendation of subsidised mail services and mail subsidies being subject to certain freight conditions. The report of the committee appointed by Ministry of Reconstruction rrcommended methods of increasing home-grown food supplies. The report states that in a future crisis like the present Britain must be independent of overseas supplies for corn, potatoes and dairy produce, and recommends n minimum wage for agricultural labourers, and that minimum prices for wheat and oats should he guaranteed. There should be Government assistance for the establishment of the sugar bret industry and the continuance of the present sur-tax for ten years. In the House. of Commons .Air Bonar T,aw said that the Government was in constant conruunication with the Allies on the subject of oxeluding German ships and goods from the Allies' ports for a stipulated period after the war.