BRITISH SHIPPING.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 April 1925, Page 3

BRITISH SHIPPING.

«*> MEDDLING THAI' STOPS J’ROG RIiSS. I’RIVILIvGK'S OF FOREIGN COM PETIT ui;>. LONDON, February 18,

In the report for DEM submitted yesterday to the meeting of the Liverpool •Steam Ship Owners’ Association, which represents more than 5,800,0()€ tons gross of shipping, a serious fall in British coal shipments is announced, compared with a heavy increase in ll'-.5. although as lar as can he estimated there was an im-iease in the general export trade.. ! lie i ontrol] ing I actor in recovering our overseas markets, states the report, lies in producing commodities which other countries nut only want, hut cai also afford to buy, and all that ship-

owners <-nu <!u is to provide service at rcasntiaMe cost. This, it is claimed, has been achieved. and the financial re-

sults of representative companies for Hie. past year prove that freights cannot he further reduced a.s the voyage profits have hardly covered depreciation.

While British shipowners have never aske.l lor subsidies nor for any privileges not slutted by foreign competitors —in spite of discrimination shown against them in many foreign countries and competition by ships run by Dominion Governments largely at the expense of their taxpayers- it is vital that shipowners faiing these conditions should not lie unfairly handicapped by rostra five regulations from which for-

eign ships are exempt. .MORE STRINGENT RULES

Considerable additional obligations are now borne by the industry from increased tecs for Government supervision and new and more stringent Board of Trade regulations., the wisdom and necessity -of which are open to grave doubt, and from which foreign shipowners are exempt. Already the British standard with regard to health and comfort of the crew and safety oT those on hoard is higher than that in ships of any other nation, and further requirements at heavy cost would appear to he appropriate for international agreement rat V-r than for domestic legislation. Apart Irom those reasons, suel, cxros ire regulation, hinder pro-

gross nid | I--V- hi ilcvelo) incut of new ideas and the building of new types of vessels to meet modern requircmeii; AVAR. LOSSES REPLACED.

AVar losses have now been replaced by new tonnage, mainly by vessels delivered sin e the conclusion of peace, hut as the losses were largely anionthe newer ships and as shipowners wo e forbidden by law from February 12, 1915, to August 31, 1921, to sell oven their older ships the average age of tonnage now in servite is greater than in 1913.

The cost of replacement after the war, when the work done was inferior in quality, has been from two and a half to three times the original building cost, and the total sum paid h the shipping industry to make good war losses has keen approximately £2BO- - while trade has not been such an to show prospects of an adequate return on the huge capital outlay. NO STATE assistance.

Sir P. Cunliffe-Lister, President, Board of Trade, asked in the House of Commons yesterday if he would tako action to deni with the handicap of the shipbuilding industry in competing with foreign firms by assistance in respect of local rates ami national taxation, said it would not be possible to single out one industry for special treatment.