STATE-OWNED FLEET.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 May 1919, Page 2

STATE-OWNED FLEET.

PATEA COUNTY FAVORABLE. At the last meeting of the Patea County Council a circular letter from Milton Borough Council suggesting that a fleet of State-owned mercantile steamers should be established, created a fair amount of comment. The chairman. Mr. G. V. Pearce, MP., stated that about two and a-half years ago a largo meeting was held In Wellington of fce'p'resentat ve men and others connected with co-op. associations. The general feeling there was against a purely State-owned fleet. A suggestion put forward by TaranaH, which be (the chairman) represented, was for a tine of steamers largely owned by New Zealand producers, with the Government holding, say, a million pounds' worth of Interest, something on the lines of the Bank of New Zealand, with representation on the board of directors. It was also then sug&ested that the Government legislate In the direction of allowing a levy to be made on the produce exported, not in the way of cost, but given back In the way of shares In the company. A committee was set up and Mr. Massey interviewed. The Premier then reported that at the war Conference Mr, Lloyd Geot'ge moved a resolution that the Governments of the Empire should at the end of the war take action to establish cheap and quick communication between all parts of the Empire. That was held to mean that arrangements should be made either for a subsidised shipping company with a stated rate of freight or some other means of establishing cheaper and quicker communication. Producers must look to it that they had some say lit shipping matters, otherwise they might suffer very considerably. D'rectly there was further opportunity for action the committee would be called together again, and probably all the leading representative producer* and business men of both islands. He moved Utah some action was necessary to imgrove producers', shipping freights between New Zealand and the Mother Country. Cr. Belton, in seconding, trusted the committee wouldj prevent ; the shipping company being purely §tate,owned. The company shoulil go further merely than-control shipping: they 'Should provide Btafage St the other end. This ™s in the ,h»nds. of trusts also, 1 and was 'as great a menace" as shtjiphig combines. Crs. GltJb's' Snd Dickie also expressed themselves as favorable: ito-.,the 'proposal, which was then carried. ; ~ ..,. ..