from a T.U,. correspondent
The following report appoared in the November 23rd iame of Lloyds List: “Hanging over the murky scene of the United States! ‘clumsy shackles devised by 19th century trust—bustars' was tho growing shadow of Eastern bloc shipping, warned Sir John Holt, a manager of Alfred Holt and Co, Speaking at tho biennial dimer of the Swansen Chamber of Commorce yestorday, Sir John said that it was to bo hopedthat the U.5. government would eschew the ultimate folly of oncouraging the Russians to expand their flests still further by denying then the use of the cheapost western shipping for their impending imports of grain,
"Discussing the problem of costs, Sir John said that technological inp rovements would certainly cheapen the costof manning and maintaining hulls and machinery, and porhaps of handling cargo, and there might be some econ. omy from tho growing size of ships, though that would be limited by the general cargo carriers’ respect for consumer choice, which demanded a constant flow of sorvice in mmaller operational units than the economic
"‘'Puring. this year, for example, I have loaded over 20 ships in Swan— sea for verious parte of the far Dast -‘had I offerad tha theoretically practicable and possibly cheaper alternative of two or threo sailings over the same period, my customers would not heve thanked me.' He added that to send a box of tin plates 10,000 miles to North China costs little more than the 1,000 mile journey to Bergen and only three tines as mich as the price of a day's run from Swansea to Aberdeen.
"It was the purpose of the British Liner Industry, Sir John contimied, to match the cost and, if possible, exceed the quality of compotitors! shipping service available. Dut the cbhstacles were immense, <All over the world new countries were striving to devolop morchant fleots and we must resist as bost we can artificial efforts to divert thea flow of goodp to national flags.
Later in his speach, he said: ‘Over this rather murky scene el the growing shadow of Eastern Bloc shipping, trading apparently wit for cost, and able, if they will, to destroy the maritime economy of the free world, Not surprisingly all thoso horrors have trought the tradit— ional maritime countries of Buropo closer together, Their governments and shipowners have been considering the best response to the situationwhich I have cutlined, and recently they have drawn in the traders - represonted ty the shippers! councils - who are fully aware thnt these attacks on such an important segmont of privateentorpriss may threaten tho whole system.
" tThough the ccurse is cbocurs and the outcome of the voyage uncert— ain, we can bo glad th-t tho objective is so clearly soon by this mltinational force, which still controls the greater part of the world's shippingand, as the 18 Yuropean Ministors of Transport haye declared, is only soeking to preserve the free flow of international shippins services,'"