CONTROL OF AUSTRALIAN SHIPPING.

Hokitika Guardian, 31 August 1921, Page 3

CONTROL OF AUSTRALIAN SHIPPING.

FEDERAL NAVIGATION ACT. SYDNEY, Aug. 1(5 When one gets all the facts in line, the recent decision of thoKederal High Court that the federal Navigation Act does not apply to inter-State shipping is very interesting. The constitutional struggle goes on I here constantly. Federation was a ' hard-driven bargain among the States, | with the result that only within certain strictly denned limits has the ConimonI wealth got supreme authority. Generally speaking, sovereign powers remain with the States, and as each petty hti! State Parliament jealously guards it< privileges, the division of authority is ;> tremendous handicap upon the development of Australia. A- trade in I dustry, and finance, following on federation, became Australian-wide, instead of being confined to separate States, the disadvantages of 'file ('•■ monwealtlrs limited jurisdiction became more marked. Under the pressure of public opinion, the Commonwealth always trying to increase its powers, , and the States arc. always resisting I these advances. j The Navigation Act is a case in point. 1 It was passed before the war b\ a Fed oral Labour Government. Its chief pro\isions are that it lays down in detail ' the kind of accommodation which must he provided for employees a hoard -hips, and it compels all companies trading on the Australian coast to comply with these conditions. Oversea ships calling at a series of Australian ports wore affected by this to a marked degree. There was such an outcry against the Act by the shipping interests, wlm said that they could not possibly rearrange the interior of ilieir ships within rht' time allowed, that the coming into operation of the Act was postponed. As the provision which had to be made for crows in many instances . was ridiculous; many of the overs si rump. were compelled to withdraw from the coastal trade, .fust tie however, the war broke out, and the Art was suspended for some live years. Finally, however, .July Ist, lb'Jl, was lised as the date on which the mine drastic previsions oi the Act were to operate. All the oversea companies arrordingl\ withdrew ironi the coastal trade -a severe blow to Australia i coastal passenger traffic. Luxurious liners bound lor F.urope puss round tln* coast from lirisbanc to I’eitli— or. :■ iug to ibe East, come round from Adelaide io lirisbanc—and no one is lowed to travel by them, lustra:!. I bey must go oil to the tar less comfortable and over-crowded coastal steam ei *. Hut tin* Art was framed to more Ilian oversea steamers. It was reckoned tba;, under it. all siiin on tbe Australian coast, even the ier.y----l oats in the harbours, passed undrr tiie eolnrol of the ('omnieiiwealili. d ; ommonwealth said it could do t is under the Constitution, the .Stat M s dared that they controlled sbippin ■ which did not move out ot tliep ecu waters. They claimed intro-Stale shipjjing, bill gave tbe Commonwealth control of inter-State shipping. The I lie; Court decided in favour of the States. Tin* was a surprise, in many w 'v* The ferry compands ill Sydney, for i" stance, were getting ready to alter even their ferry service. Each ferry now has a skipper and a bunch of deck 'Jlie Navigation Act says that sue vessels must cany also a mate, and larger new. and makes all sorts of absurd stipulations in regird to the quarto; s for the crew.

The Commonwealth now eontnllinu only a few inler-State coinpnnies i wondering-what it is going to do its new. elaborate, and costly Federal Xnvignii n Department.