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Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 123, 26 May 1937, Page 12

MAIN PROVISIONS

OPERATION DEFERRED The Protection of British Shipping Act was passed by the New Zealand Parliament last session, but the restrictions and prohibitions which it imposes do not become operative until appropriate Orders in Council are gazetted. The object of the Act is to protect British shipping against competition from foreign shipping in the carriage of passengers and goods between New Zealand and Australia, if such foreign shipping is by the laws of its own country protected against competition from British shipping in the carriage of passengers or goods between ports or territories of that country. The grounds on which the Act may be applied to ships of a foreign country are as follows:— (a) That by the laws of that country British ships are prohibited from carrying goods or passengers between ports of that/country or between the country and any territories of that country; or (b) That by the laws of that country restrictive conditions that are not applicable to ships of that country are imposed on the carriage by British ships of passengers or goods between any.ports or territories of that country; or (c) That the ships of that country receive from any source any subsidies, concessions, rebates, allowances, or other valuable privileges which enable them -to compete on unequal terms with British shipping in the carriage of any goods or passengers. Ships of countries to which restrictions are applied will be debarred from receiving passengers or goods in. New Zealand for carriage to Australia, or from landing in New Zealand any passengers or goods received on board such a ship in any part of the Commonwealth. It is also unlawful for any person to embark on such a ship for any. port in the Commonwealth, whether or not that port is his final destination, or to consign any goods on such a ship to any port in the Commonwealth. / Should any person land in New Zealand or embark in New Zealand contrary to the provisions of the Act, he is liable to a fine of £100, and the master and owner are severally liable to a fine of £100 in respect of every \ such person. . . ' . . ■ , Any goods landed in New Zealand] contrary to the Act are liable to forfeiture to the Crown, and the owner and master of the ship are severally liable to a fine of £100. Similarly, m the case of goods shipped in New Zealand contrary to the Act, the owner and the master of the ship and. the consignor of the goods are severally liable to a fine of £100. Finally, provision is made for the detention of a ship if any officer of Customs has reason to believe that an offence against the Act had been committed by the owner or master of the ship, and for the institution of proceedings against them for such an offence.