THE FIRST MEETING

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 136, 10 June 1937, Page 9

THE FIRST MEETING

PRESENTATION OF FACTS

(From -The Post's" Representative.) LONDON, May 19. Mr. W. Nash, the New Zealand Minister of Finance, presided at. the first meeting of the sub-committee of the Imperial Conference dealing with ship- ' XAn official communique stated that a general discussion.took place on shipping and its- vital, importance to tM British Commonwealth. It, was added that the discussions would be resumed at a second nieeting to be held at an early date. The threat to Empire communications of foreign shipping subsidies and flag discrimination was among the subjects reviewed. To acquaint the various delegates with the fullest information dri this subject, it has been decided to collect certain relevant statistics concerning shipping and to circulate various documents dealing with the menace of foreign competition. An opportunity will be taken to compare the present position of British shipping with that existing^before, the wah As the Liverpool Steam Ship "Owners' Association has pointed out in its last annual report, only about twofifths of the world's international overseas trade is now carried, as against one-half before the war. British power vessels of 2000 tons gross and upwards (excluding those registered outside the United Kingdom) increased from tf.OOO.QQO tons in,191 4 to 1^,600,000 tons in 1929, and declined to 15,000,000 tons in 1936. Foreign shipsj on the other hand, increased from 16i000,000 tons in. 1914 to 34,000,000 tons in 1929, at which figure they remained in 1936.. to ..counter discrimination against British shipping it has been urged that the Government Should put to the forefront of all trade agreements the interests of British vessels. A fair opportunity should be given of participating in the transport of all'traffic with the country concerned; , . ... . ■ Lord Essendon, discussing this sub : ject has stated that, the only other method of relieving the shipping industry is that subsidies and discrimination should be met by counter-subsidies and counter-discrimination. It must •be made apparent to fbreign- competitors, he has urged, that British shipping cannot continually be ousted from trades which it has served for generations without effective measures of protection being given. ... ..'