Shipbuilding in Australia
p. 78 · Read in the full issue
Sir Walter Carpenter is Critical
Sir Walter Carpenter, At The
annual meeting of his firm on August 25, said some pointed things about the failure of the Australian Government to assist the local shipping industry. It appears that the firm offered to build a 10,000 tons vessel in Australia if the Gov ernment were prepared to absorb the difference in cost between building in Aus tralia and building in England. But the Government would not bite.
Said Sir Walter: “The shipping venture of this company has been in existence for six years and during that period we have not received one pound of Government cargo from England although the Government has been importing very large quantities.
“The shipping industry is looked upon as the most important any country can possess, but such does not seem to be the opinion of Australian statesmen, as this Autralian industry has been systematically ignored. All other industries, however small, are protected up to the hill. To give an instance, a wireless set casting £2 10/- in America has a protection of £B/15/- duty. The Government is inter ested in this industry.”