FEDERAL PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 28 September 1907, Page 5

FEDERAL PARLIAMENT.

LATEST CABLE NEWS (By Cable.-Press Association.—Copv right).

DISCISSION- ON SHIPPING COMBINE. SUGGESTED STATI-:-OWNED STEAMERS. Received Sept. 27, n.tO p.m. Melbourne, September 27. Mr. Sinclair moved the adjournment of the House to discuss the shippin.. combine. He Mated that one of the lm;s interested in ;!,:> combine was sub-sidi-rd by the Inderal Government to ;.'rry i. l;ii N to England and elsewhere. I n.ter the recent contract for the carriage r>! butter, shippers were complied to supthe whole of th-ir butter by the mad steamers. This left exporters in the hands ot mail steamers. He ur-ed the Government, in accepting a new mail contract, to impose conditions to prevent a recurrence of this sort of I thing.

Mr. Watson declared the development ot lnte were in the direction of con

i'eiiti'it'.i;.ji and greater combination, with a view (~ attracting improper prices :<M irn:jr|,ts 110 |„ tni , , m |,ij t .. i )e doubted th" eirectivciicss of the AntiTrust Bill to deal with the matter. It conM not d-a! eiih oversea lines. The i.e.iimonwcalih u.uld sonn be driven into the construction of boats of their te.vn. Mr. Joseph Co„k held it was the dale of the Government to see they did not -übsid;.-* any company which treated Commonwealth citizens unequally. Several members expressed the opinion that the only way to deal with the combine was the establishment of a line of State-owned steamers. Mr. G. H. Reid said if a Government

line of steamers were established it would have to stand the battle of competition wilh all the ships of the world, and it would be one of the most desperate attempts the Commonwealth could take on. If socialism was to lie tried, better *tart on land They were not masters of the sea yet. The men who denounced a combine of shipowners must denounce a combine of trades unions. There was no difference in principle. If any trust u,ed its power for the pur|K.-e of crushing honest competition he would treat it as he would treat a sneak thief.

Received 28th, 0.31 a.m. Melbourne, September 27. In the House Sir W. Lyne said that Mr Deakin, when dealing with the n?i\ mail contract, would doubtless take ac- •« regarding the alleged shipping com bine. If any vend or combine was doing serious injury to the ptillic, the Government would take action. Mr Reid and the Opposition members promised to support the Government there.