AUSTRALIA'S SEABORNE TRADE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1361, 12 February 1912, Page 8

AUSTRALIA'S SEABORNE TRADE.

ITS FUTURE DEVELOPMENT. THE SUEZ CANAL. The prediction made recently by tie P. and 0. Company that sta 'transport would become dearer in the in'-.-;-' future was supported by Mr. V. .' ,-i.: Green in a speech made at the n:ir-,-' meeting of tho Orient Company i . ■>;■.• don. in December. He stated thai in . idition to 'the increases in tho | ;■!. - >■' coal and other supplies,, the i- : wages had become a serious facti r was true.that a higher average r '••! '. wages might menn a 'prosperous st'• (.-. ;v business, for it seemed that whew • •• .% business was prosperous all thosr :n----necte<l with-it wanted to havo ash ;• if tho prosperity j but it was well t- .<-sr in mind that if wages increased th- ,m!>lic must eventually pay more, otl ■■■wi-o business woulil cease, for the us ;.•''> reason that no fresh woul J !>• forthcoming, because the capitalist ueuld not see a satisfactory return for his investment. "If," Mr. Green continu'!. "the public and the Labour leaders Mu.id realise this, I am sure that much trov.'-'.•• and suffering would lie avoided." Speaking of the future business of « companv, ho said: "You can easilj <-.■:, derstanil that if the exports from . . tralia should show any serious dir.: ration, such as a drought would cause, -•:-. earnings would be reduced, and event.:'i'.y our emigration trado curtailed—a 'r :■<.-. which the Commonw-falth GovcrrnM'i has done much to foster lately, at i <\> which the future prosperity of Ajis>-'•!>' and of our company largely depends. 1 ■■:■■ tide of emigration has during the .-■■'. year shown 'a healthy and eonictiuv -: embarrassing expansion, so much so i. .i. there was some reason for the stateiv. '>' that one time tho tonnage facilities v.n not equal to the demand; but 1 <lo -;'i think shipowners can altogether •• blamed for that. Our company lias r creased its capacity for carrying tl■ ...- class passengers Si per cent, above ■ .'.:■.. it was two or three years ago. and <■■;■ companies have shown a similar gr, y Ship owners, as a rule, are not backv. .. to prnvido tonnage when trading -is r- ■ riue but von can understand that s.i ; suitable for carrying emigrants caunc: : : obtained without due notice, and ~.;. rapid growth in the ■ mwraiit tai< Australia, was quite suddeu and '"jfr. Green had bten reported b\ ' as living that the Commonwealth Goveminent'has secured as good a mail service as the Orient Company could supply nndcr present conditions and for tho subsidy paid- In support of this conten- ' W he stafcd that "the speed of «i mi cervico to Australia is entirely different f om Hie speed of vessels, trading m otter waters, or in other directions, »bge coaling en route is not wanted. Oreater "peed means greater coal .eonw"P''?P; Mid that, in a steamer built especially r connnercial P»rPo*V.»<«» W*. sir- At present the exigencies of the. rout* va the Sum Canal act as a limit No doubt, as the canal continues t >\* create iu depth, the tonnage o ,Ain» that route w ' mewsf, ton. in* manner; of the Orient Company were fullv alive to tho fact that larger stoaMr Green said the f«r-»cr n-rt v-s ;V. hour'furthor from T.ij-W (he other, but it ha* lb; *"?" wr ' tliiH<) age of a commodious harl o«r. ace 'J the larecst s earners in *"*"« X £&. ditions. The change ha< «■ %„ ro9 .