INCHCAPE HOPES MIGRATION GROWS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18338, 15 December 1927, Page 4

INCHCAPE HOPES MIGRATION GROWS.

HE IS PLEASED COMMONWEALTH LINE IS BEING SOLD.

By Telegraph.—Freas Asf>n. —Copyright. A.FA. and Sydney "Bun” Cable. (Received December 15, 11.40 am.) LONDON. December 14. At the annual meeting of the Peninsular and Oriental Company, Lord lnchcape said: “It is most gratifying

of the trades unions doing their utmost to secure peaceful methods of settling industrial disputes to convince the men strikes and vio* k lence usually reI stilt in misery and I want to themI selves and their 51 families. In this

connection the country is very

indebted to Mr Havelock-Wilson. If the direct local method of settling the differences, as foreshadowed by the leaders of industry, is adopted, we may see speedy allround improvement in British manufactures. Mr Hughes's idea of the Government embarking in shipping has cost the country many millions, but a wiser man. Mr Bruce, with a majority behind him, has decided to rid himself of this wasteful incubus. There seems to be a desire by a certain section of Australia to maintain the Commonwealth Line, no matter what losses are incurred, with the object of keeping down rates and ruining private lines. I presume their idea is that if private lines are driven out of the Australian trade #the Government would put up money for more ships and continue to run them at ruinous rates of freight, the taxpayers providing the capital and bearing the losses of working. This is political economy gone mad ! ” He hoped that the tide of British migration to the Dominions would regain its former volume. Any increase in the man-power of the dominions was bound to be reflected in an increase in exports, which was a crying necessity. “I think it would ultimately be of advantage to the dominions if they dirccted their efforts more to the development of the soil of the great hinterlands than to building up industries by protective tariffs, yearly increasing the cost of living and imposing hardship. I would we could onlyliave freedom of trade within the Empire and the same free exchange of commodities as exists between Eng land and Scotland, and also throughout the United States. If we had, there would be no unemployment here, but thousands of other functionaries would have to find other occupations.” Referring to the waterside strike, he said that the condition of affairs in Australia for some years, as far as shipping was concerned, reminded him of the title of a play running in London, “One Damn Thing After Another.” Some people in Australia seemed to regard him as controlling all the shipping lines serving in the trade between Britain and Australia, but the Peninsular and Oriental Corapanv had no pecuniary interest in the White Star, the Aberdeen, Blue Funnel or Commonwealth and Dominion Lines, over which it had absolutely no control. It was true that they had conference agreements regarding freights and sailings, to which, in Australia, the Commonwealth Line was a party, and under which all shippers were treated absolutely alike. Without such arrangements chao? would ensue.