PROPOSED STATE MERCANTILE FLEET.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 15836, 5 June 1919, Page 5

PROPOSED STATE MERCANTILE FLEET.

PATEA'S MOVEMENT. The Patea Harbour Board has received the following letter from .Sir James Allen, Acting-Prime Minister; “I am in receipt of your letter of the Cth ult., urging that the Government should take steps to secure a Slateowned mercantile fleet, in reply I have te state that this matter must, o I necessity, stand over until the return of the Prime Minister and Sir Joseph AVard te the Dominion, when it, will he referred to them for consideration.'’ OPINION OF MR G. V. PEARCE, M.P. Mr G. V. Pearce, M.P., also wrote te tho Board as follows: “1 am in receipt of yours of May sth with resolution re State-owned mercantile fleet. The matter will have my most careful attention. Some time ago a meeting in connection with establishing a line of shipping b«v tween here and the Mother Country was held in Wellington. _ The suggestion adopted by the meeting was that a shipping company should be formed partly owned by the producers and portly by tho State. A committee of aerea was set up to go further inte the matter, consisting of Sir James Wilson (chairman), Sir Walter Buchanan, Mr Panne tt (chairman of the Canterbury Farmers’ Co-op ), Mr Ralph (managing director), Mr Vavasour (Blenheim), Mr W. D. Lysnar (Gisborne), and myself. On account of the war and the price of steamers the matter has been held in abeyance, but no doubt when Peace i* signed a meeting will be held and tiM matter further considered.”