SHIPPING DEPRESSION

Hokitika Guardian, 23 March 1921, Page 1

SHIPPING DEPRESSION

RESULT OF OVER-BUILDING

AUCKLAND, March 21

Interesting views on the shipping position were expressed to-day by Sii Henry Samman, of Hull, who arrived on Sunday from Sydney. Sir Henry who formerly owned a number of cargo vessels is the second oldest member of Lloyd’s Management Committee. He was one of the few British shipowners who fpUesaw f,he slfump in shipping and disposed of his vessels before the depression set in. Referring to the causes of the shipping slump Sir Henry said, at the close of the war, every country that could do so feverishly undertook a shipbuilding programme, with a rosudt that there was now afloat a surplus of 10,000,000 tons, as compared with the pre-war tonnage. Great Britain had as many, if not more, ships than she had before the war, owing to her energetic shipbuilding programme, and to the fact that she had taken over anumber of enemy vessels. America had built ships at a great rate, and shipbuilding orders placed by Norway and Sweden were being cancelled. I here were already several million tons of shipping laid up in English and American porta. Sir Henry mentioned that the people of Hull were anxious to extend the trade connexion of that port with New Zealand. The Hull Chamber of Commerce. of which he was vice-president was doing all it could to bring this about. There were great faeilties for marketing fruit and other perishables goods at Hull, and he was hopeful the trade with the Dominion would-be extended.

Sir Henry said some remarks of his in Sydney, in-reference to Australia s need of population had been rather unfairly criticised. He had expressed the opinion that Australia’s greatest need was population: such a vast country required population to develop it, and the matter of attracting people to the tropical parts of the Continent was a serious problem. Meanwhile large numbers of Asiatics werc getting a footing i°n certain parts of Australia, and race complications wer sure to ensue In addition the tendency of country people to drift to the cities was commonly complained of in Australia. Some definite action was necessary to off-set this, and to adequately people and develop the great empty spaces.