SHIPPING & WAR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2297, 3 November 1914, Page 3

SHIPPING & WAR

INTERRUPTED CARGOES THE POSITION EXPLAINED At yest-erday's meeting of- the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, the secretary read the following letter, which had been received from the Sydney Chamber of Commerce:— •'With reference to the vessels detained in Australian ports there is no necessity whatever to apply ,to the Prize Court for a clearance; the usual course is that of satisfying the Customs Department as to the' ownership of th? goods, the nationality of the owners, and, on payment of the cost of bringing the steamers on to .Sydney, or other ports, the Commonwealth Crown Solicitor stamps .the bill of lading authorising delivery. For each individual consignee to apply : to the Prize Court for an order would, cost at least £3000 law expenses, which is being avoided in consequence of the simplification of the' process adopted. • "We cannot understand the insurance companies at your end adopting the attitude which you advise, as 110 such steps are being taken here; in short, if their requirements have got to be complied with, it will only mean increased cost to themselves. Regarding steamers detained at Cape Town, the latest cable advices from Sir George Reid, the High Commissioner for Australia in Great Britain, make it clear that eventually .these steamers will be allowed to come on to Australia and discharge as originally intended. Special regulations, 'or rules, are being framed to euable this to be done. There is not the smallest probability of New Zealand cargo being. transhipped at Cape Town, as it is sure to be stow-, ed under Adelaide and' Melbourne cargo. At one stage it seemed possible that someone might have to be sent from Australia to attend to the cargo ex these steamers, but I do not think this course will now be necessary. "As regards vessels in Java ports, the position is surrounded by grave difficulties. ,Tt is true that the,tea shipped at Colombo by the Roon has been transhipped, 'but for. a variety ,'of reasons this was imperatively necessary on account of its being perishable cargo. If it had been held up there indefinitely, it would have proved valueless from a general average point of; view._ The great difficulty regarding the N.D.L. steamers is that consignees are : asked to sign a general average bond,' supported by bank guarantee for an indefinite amount, and this, of course, no one will agree to. •As regards; the GermanAustralian steamers, the owneTS of this line have absolutely refused to permit cargo to be transhipped 'from their steamers, either from Java ports or at Loanda, and apparently there will be nothing for it but wait the termination of the war for their release, or it might be that Portugal and Holland have to abandon their neutrality. Then, the steamers might be got moving. Respecting the above reference to insurance, it may be,mentioned that the Wellington Chamber' informed the Sydney body that:—"The insurance companies here advised..that to get the benefit of insuranco which includes .war risk, consignees must get clearanfco fiom the Prize Court, and we i weie ■given to understand thatj in any case, clearance is necessary.'?. -

Commerce Department's Advice, At tlie same meeting the following letter was received from the secretary of the' New Zealand Commerce Departnient:—"lt is understood that vessels detained in one port" will be sent _if necessary under guard to complete discharging at other ports in ' Australia for wliich they have cargo. The New Zealand Trade Commissioner suggests that if the original destination of any vessol was New Zealand, application should be made to the Court bv tile consignees for an extension of this .procedure and for a permit for_ such vessels to sail under guard ,at their expense to the Dominion, and so avoid the'necessity for -transhipment;;; -He'doubts whe-' . ther such a. permit' would be . granted by the Court, but in any ' case .there would be few,' if any,' German vessels - amongst those captured which' had intended visiting New Zealand.' If tho final port of detained vessels- was in -. Australia, the Trade Commissioner would be prepared to act as agent for:;tho consignees. Ho should ])e so'appointed with authority to, accept delivery- and to. tranship the goods at the expense or the consignees. It would 'be necessary for him to engage counsel to appear bep fore the Court, and tho consignees who ; appoint him their agent wculd have to telegraph to liini particulars of their ' cargo, so that lie might instruct counsel. There should follow by tile first mail documents authorising payment of . freight and charges unpaid, and -of a proportion of the expense of unloading. Such consignees as desire to make use of the services of the New Zealand Trade Commissioner in this connection should communicate with him direct. Information from Melbourne. The Melbourne Chamber 'of Commerce, replying to the Wellington Chamber' s letter regarding detained German ships at Cape Town, stated that it had taken prompt steps.with regard to the ships detained at Cape Town, viz., tile Hamm, Apolda, and Birkenfels. At one • time it ■; looked as though the- vessels would-not be allowed to proceed from Cape Town, but the Australian High Commissioner in London finally, cabled that he had the permission of the Imperial authorities to state that the Admiralty would make arrangements for the vessels to continue their voyages under Prize Court Ilules, Order No. 29. The latest information from Cape Town was that only the Cape cargo had been landed from these boats, and that tho Australian cargo would be retained on board and sent to Australia.The question of .'insurance : would, of course,; have to be arranged between the individuals and the insurance companies, and each individual consignee _ should consult his own marine underwriter to find .out exactly the position in which he stood. Otherwise, all that was necessary, for- , Ne- Zealand consignees /to do was to 'awdiV" the arrival of the vessels in Australian ports, and then proceed as for-merly-with regard to the transhipment."