The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 1916. SHIPPING FREIGHT INCREASE

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 95, 20 April 1916, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 1916. SHIPPING FREIGHT INCREASE

(With which is incorporated The Tai bape Post and Waimarino News.)

If there is any one industry in the whole British Empire that should receive nationalisation considerations it is undoubtedly that of shipping. That shipping companies are making enormous profits out of the war, profits they dare not have exacted had there been no war, is undeniable. There is such shameiessness displayed by recent increases that makes one wonder what is really going to happen to our trade, and to hope that some other sources of shipping will arise to enter the competition which Germany will be forced to abandon. The Empire is giving the flower of its manhood, and spending almost untenable wealth in cutting out German shipping competition, and what are the Empire's Shipping Companies doing in return? We were led to understand that every section of the community would have to make sacrifices, but look where we will sacrifices ar eonly forced upon the masses. These shipping money-gourmands have an insatiable appetite and are impervious to all criticism of their extortions. Cables received during the last two days form an indictment that should shame any man with one thread of moral fibre. Some British newspapers are telling the truth about this disgraceful shipping business. The IWestminster Gazette protests against the scandalous injustice of increasing freights when the shipping companies are paying larger dividends and bonuses. It is shown that the Clan line is paying a dividend of 31 per cent; that other Companies paid more in dividends last year—in one year—than the whole of their paid up capital. In the name of all that is honourable what can explain this a.way? Shortage of shipping, higher wages, maritime difficulties, they plead as the excuse for still raising freights while they are pocketing profits, in one year greater than the Avholo of their paid capital; while they are already making 31 per cent profit. Let. us say to the producers and merchants of this small portion of the Empire, that had the Government put an added duty on the export of their produce, or on imports, there would hftve been one of the greatest howls ever heard on these shores.

Putting five shillings a ton on the freight of produce raises its value to that extent; every penny extra cost tends to lessen demand, and to prevent the opening up of new markets. It is, therefore, a distinct disadvantage to any producing country. What is the Empire doing for these shipping companies while they are dishonourably piling up their monetary extortions from the masses? What are the masses doing for them? The people are being taxed soul and body to pay for a navy so that their ships may sail along in safety. Admiral Sir Cyprian Bridge said, last Monday, that for nineteen months of war British shipping had suffered only to the extent of four per cent. He goes on to say: this is due to the Navy's vigilance and enterprise, to which we must now look, and which has made the failure of the present submarine raid as complete as the former. Britain's huge navy, with hundreds of thousands of British lives, is giving .perpetual vigilance over icy and 'stormy seas to enable shipping companies to make scandalous exactions from British subjects. Still shipowners' capacious maws cannot be satisfied; they want more ships to make their profits greater. It appears that owing to the vital necessity for men at the front and in munition factories, the completion of merchant shipping on the stocks has been delayed. Labour is unavailable, but Government is coming to the rescue of these poor shipowners, and delivery of these ships is to be given in the least possible space of time. Government i s urging all shipyard workers and those engaged in engineering establishments to work full speed and as many hours as powers of endurance will permit, to give whole-heart-ed service so that the shipowners may increase the volume of their 31 per cent profit earning business. Do they cffer any inducement to workers such as that accruing to shipowners? Not at all, they get their usual pay, speed up as they will. Every patriot must admit that workers, shipowners and to the last individual in the Empire should strain to the last effort in keeping his country free, but it is necessary that it should be kept as free from the vulture within as from the eagle without. With employers that are hard hit by the war, and there are none so detrimentally affected as provincial newspapers, everyone will sympathise, but while we ar e taxed to keep hundreds of thousands of men continuously at sea with the greatest navy in the world; while the life of the Empire is being drained to keep Britain mistress of the seas, fighting against German attempts to wrest that position from her ; while Government is applying the whip to labour, the masses of the people here and elsewhere throughout the Empire must view with execration the indecent profits exacted by shipping pompanies, in some cases amounting to 31 per cent, in others dividends in one year amounting to more than the total capital. These self-interested people are pluming themselves with the idea that Governments will suffer from after war restrictions that will shelve any attempt to create State ownership. They will see who most correctly gauges the temper of the people, a temper that is difficult to hold in check even while war is proceeding.