OVERSEA SHIPPING

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2406, 11 March 1915, Page 3

OVERSEA SHIPPING

BRITISH TRADE IN WAR

CONGESTION OF TRAFFIC

A report on tho oversea trade of the United Kingdom, with special reference to the present congestion of traffic at the ports, was in January presented to the Liverpool Steamship Owners' Association. ' This report, which is signed by Sir Norman Hill, throws a very valuable light on the conditions which are contributing to raise freights, apart from any variations under ivar conditions, in the proportion of available tonnage to the cargoes to be carried. The report. gives the following 'interesting tables: — United 'Kingdom Imports. Percentage 1913. 1914. of de- £ £ crcase. Aug. ... 55,975,704 42,362,034 24 Sept. ... 61,355,725 45,051,937 27 Oct. ...; 71,730,176 51,559,289 28 Nov. ... 68,467,075 55,987,058 18 Dcc. 71,114,874 67,554,960 5 328,643,554 262,515,278 20 United Kingdom Exports. Percentage 1 1913. 1914. of de- £ £ crease. Aug. ... 44,110,729 24,211,271 45 Sept. ... 42,424,864 26,674,101 37 Oct 46,622,699 28,601,815 39 Nov. ... 44,756,188 24,601,619 45 Dee. .... 43,326,920 26,278,928. . 39 ' 221,241,400 130,367,734 ' 41 United Kingdom Shipping Entrances. Net Tonnage. Percentage . 1913. 1914. of de--1 £ '£ crease. Aug. ... 4,246,064 3,229,542 24 Sept. 4,621,781 2,732,650 41 Oct. .... 4;487,310 3,172,060 29 Nov. ... 3,928,075 3,009,006 23 Dec. ... 4,219,128 • 2,988,161 29

21,502,363 15,131,419 29 Commenting on these facts the report says:—•

The volume of the imports has fallen 21 per cent., whilst the shipping tonnage carrying those imports has decreased by 29 per cent. In Liverpool tho volume of imports. has fallen by-5 per'cent, and of exports by 20 per cent., whilst the shipping tonnage entered and cleared has decreased by 3 per cent, inwards and by 12 per cent, outwards.

. Ari: examination of the oversea trade of other, nations shows a very similar position. There have been withdrawn the ships- of Germany, 'Austria, and Hungary, which represent about 14 per. cent, of the world s shipping. On the' other hand, the oversea trade of those countries ..and of Belgium (which . together represented in. normal times about 22 per cent, of the trade of the world) has vanished, and the trade of the Baltic and of the Black Sea- has almost ceased to exist.' The trade of some of the neutral' countries has increased, but it is probable that the oversea tradeof the world has suffered not less than the oversea trade of the United Kingdom,; that is, to the extent, of about 30 per cent. . The number of British vesseh available for oversea trade has been seriously diminished-by the requirements of the Admiralty, who have taken up about 25 per cent, of the ships. .

| Congestion at the Ports.' , There is nothing, in ;any. of the above figures to account for the congestion of the ports. Fewer vessels have been available, but .there has probably been as great a fall in the volume of the trade carried. The tonnage remaining available has been sufficient ,to carry the cargoes offering, for cargoes have not had to be shut out.

The ports of the United Kingdom had proved in\ 1913 their capacity to deal with 21 per cent; more imports than they had to handle in the last five months. In Liverpool the great congestion of 1912 had been wonted off,J and we were able in 1913 to deal with o per cent, more imports and with 20 per cent, more exports than, we have been called upon to deal in the last five months.

Although in the trade of the United Kingdom the amount of cargo carried in each particular ship has not substantially increased, , the' time occupied in the discharge has increased most seriously. In London and Liverpool vessels have to wait for days for discharging berths, and when' they can obtain berths the discharge is hampered and delayed by the block on.'the quays and on the railways. . ~ It .is' clear, therefore, that the causes of the congestion must be other than the want of ships or the want of quay space. ' Labour Shortage. The main cause is beyond question the shortage of labour.. The position must be faced that so long as this shortage continues neither the ships nor the ports will be able to deal with the volume of trade that can be dealt with in normal times. The shortage of labour is not only on thg quays, but a'so in all the transport .services by which the quays are cleared.

The shortage of men causetl by the numbers who have joined the Army and Navy could in part be made good by energetic and more continuous work on the part of the men remaining. In Liverpool many of the men have worked their best ; 'but the majority have failed to recognise that the war calls for personal sacrifices at the expense of their leisure and inclination. There is no question of their being called upon tb suffer in pocket, for the dook labourer who will put in a week's continuous work, with a reasonable amount, of overtime, can earn from £4 to £5.

But even if every man now available were-to work his best, it is clear that we should still want, more men on the ships,_ oh the quays; for the carts, and on the railways.

The maintenance of our oversea'trade is no mere shipowners' question, it is essential to the continuance of our fighting strength:-.- It is only by means of that trade that we can feed and clothe not only our fighting forces, but the nation itself.. '

If the block in the ports cannot ■be removed, freights and prices must go on rising, until- we are faced with the risk of actual shortage in our supplies of food and raw material.