DUES ON TRANSPORTS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 268, 1 August 1918, Page 5

DUES ON TRANSPORTS

*- VIEWS OF THE MINISTER OF . MARINE. The much-debated topic of the refusal of the Government to pay any dues on transports even when engaged in the carrying of commercial freight was discussed by tho Harbours' Association Conference vesterday. In an address to tho conference tho Minister of Marine (Hon. T. M. Wilford) made the following observations on the matter:— "No dues have been paid on troopships, as section IK! of the Harbours Act, 1908, provides that any ship in the sorvico of the New Zealand Government or tho Government of any British possession is exempt from dues. I realise thnt some of the harbour boards have lost considerable revenue owing to tho exemption of vessels taken ovor for the Government service which paid dues when engaged in ordinary trading before Ihey wero • so taken over. . In. Great Britain to-day a percentage of similar dues is paid by the Imperial Government. I havo. submitted to Cabinet a report on the whole subject, including the information obtained from the eighth annual report of the Port of London Authority for the year ending March 31, 1917. lam aware that one harbour board lost in dues on Government cargo between tho years 1914 and 1917 over <£25,0!H), whidi "amount is exclusive of transport, coal, or goods. I am sorry that I have been unable to obtain a final decision. of Cabinet on the matter prior to your annual conference. 1 am satisfied that if a ship taken by the Government for transportwork is ongaged solely on any one trip in carrying cargo only to, sav, America, that port should not lose the* dues. "I am at present considering tile question of introducing legislation dealing with the inspection of products exported. Tho only products about tho inspection of which we have dealt with so far aro flax and tow. The recommendations of tho commission on this subject have just reached mo, and will bo considered as soon as possible,, although I do not expect any definite announcement to be mado on this point until after the return of tho Right' Hon. the Prime Minister and the Eight Hon. Sir Joseph Ward."