SHIPPING INTERESTS

Hokitika Guardian, 21 February 1930, Page 5

SHIPPING INTERESTS

[United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph .—Copyright. ]

(Received this dav at 12.25. p.m.' LONDON, Feb. 20.

In a presidential address at a meeting of the Chamber of. Shipping, Sir Arthur Sutherland said the fortunes of the shipping, industry seem at the lowest ebb. Freights were actually below the pre-war level, while the working costs were above seventy . per i ae.nt above pre-war. He instanced* freight from Australia, which a year ago was 37s 6cj a ton, was now barely 22s 6d, of which port charges, loading and discharging expenses absorbed 13® sd ’ ]eavin S shipowners with 9s 2d for sea. carriage over. 11,055 miles, equal to a penny per ton per hundred miles.' “You could not run a baby Austin car at anything like such a low, cost. Shipowners however do not despair, feeling sure the dark clouds will disperse and there will be some recovery this year.” The meeting passed a resolution welcoming the calling of the Imperial Conference as offering an opportunity of a strong combined effort on the part of all members of the British '‘Commonwealth of Nations to develop the Empire’s trade and resources bv increasing production and exchange of goods and services within the Empire. It expressed tli9 opinion that more systematic methods were required to attain this object to the fullest extent as quicklv as nossible. The Governments of the Empire should be used to create the necessary machinery to this end.