LOADLINE CONFERENCE ENDS IN LONDON.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19118, 10 July 1930, Page 1

LOADLINE CONFERENCE ENDS IN LONDON.

CONVENTION SIGNED BY 27 COUNTRIES. (United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) RUGBY, July 8. A convention giving a maximum loading for all merchant ships, belonging to the twenty-seven nations engaged in international trade, has been signed at the International Loadline Conference, which has just ended in London. The convention was signed on behalf of the following Governments:—Australia, Canada, Chile, Cuba, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Iceland, India, Irish Free State, Japan, Latvia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Union of South Africa, Russian Soviet Republics and the United States of America. Admiral of the Fleet Sir Henry Oliver, who presided, in his concluding speech, described the convention as “ a great means of placing the international, oversea, carrying trade of the world on a basis of safety such as has never hitherto been attained.” The convention provides for increases of freeboards in the winter months, particularly in the smaller classes of ships. It defines with increased precision the methods to secure, in bad weather, the closing of openings in the decks and sides of ships, and for the protection of the crew. It revises the season-ares*! to the loading limits of ai' ■ *