NAVIGATION CONFERENCE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8392, 6 April 1907, Page 5

NAVIGATION CONFERENCE.

Beoeived April 5, 9-12 p.m. LONDON, April 5. At the Navigation Conference, Sir William Lyne read a memorandum replying to the shipowners' statement on the practical .difficulties resulting in loss of uniformity in the merchant shipping legislation. The shipowners remarked that since 1900 British seamen in the merchantmen service had increased by 6,000 although there, had been a Royal Commission who based their recommendations on the | decline of the British seamen. Sir William Lyne replied that there were still nearly 40,000 foreigners employed in the British merchantmen service besides Asiatics. He denied .that Australian legislation placed the British ships at a disadvantage as compared with foreigners. Referring to the liability of shipowners, Sir William Lyne maintained that the Sea Carriage Act should be continued. He emphasised Australia's great desire to give British owners preference against foreigners. He considered that shipowners ought to recognise that fact more. He defined the Australian views .as follows: It is necessary and desirable that foreign ships must be subjected to all .the .requirements of British shi ps, i The latter, in the carriage of goods, i shall have the preference against .foreigners. The .proportion .of British .seamen can and ought to be increased until the foreigner is redumlor eliminated. The Australian coasting ; trade shall be restricted to vessels complying with Australian conditions, preference being given t© British ships engaged :in the coast trade -as far ;as practicable. The i shipping laws requirements should be uniform throughout the Empire. Sir William Lyne considered that the .lines of New Zealand and Australian legislation ought generally to constitute the basi3 of the uniform ilawEach British colony should give preference to British vessels. Received April 5, :9iii9;p.m. LONDON, April "5. On Sir Joseph Ward's motion, the ; Navigation Conference .agreed to the ifollowing resolutions*.- —That the , issue of Board of Trade survey certificates in the caae of non-passenger vessels and also that the Board of Trade standards and certificates respecting hutll, machinery, boilers, and!life-saving appliances should be accepted for British ships in Australia and Zealand and shodldlhavK the same effect as loccil■ certificates. The agreed -that the prowisions>of sthe scale of JI9OG .of the Imperial Act be accepted :for use on British ships not -registered :in Aus- ' tralasia, and agreed to the.provisions ' that British ships, when ;pa3sed by 1: Imperial officers, should -be exempt \ from further inspection in Aus--1 tralia texoept on complaint or if the authorities had reason to bellieve an inspection was necessary.