AUSTRALIA'S SHIPPING INDUSTRY, 1909.

The Advertiser, Adelaide, Saturday 27 February, 1909.

AUSTRALIA'S SHIPPING

INDUSTRY. 

QUESTION OF DEFENCE.

Melbourne, February 20

At a reception to-day on board the Adelaide 

Steamship Company's new steamer Koombana 

the Federal Attorney-General (Mr. W. Hughes), 

in responding to the toast of the "Commonwealth 

Parliament," referred to the immense proportions 

the Australian shipping industry had assumed 

during late years. Legislation in connection 

with it he said should be only resorted to 

when desirable, and should not be meddlesome. 

The shipping industry was a signal example of 

Australian success. 

Senator Pearce, Minister of Defence pointed out 

that the German Emperor when, speaking lately 

with regard to the £2.500,000 voted by his 

Government for German naval defence, said

the German navy was required to protect German 

interests in the Pacific. Australia had interests 

valued at £16.000.000 in her coastal trade, and 

what were German interests compared with those? 

What should Australia be prepared to pay to

safeguard her £16,000,000 worth? Australia also 

had large interests in the East.

While German trade was at a standstill Australian 

trade was increasing vastly. With these facts before 

them they, would not be true to their country if they

did not help to prepare for her safety in time of stress 

and war. (Cheers.) 

They might have a powerful military arm, but

that could not keep the way open for the

coastal trade. It was because of this that the 

Government had seen the necessity and taken 

steps towards the foundation of an Australian navy. (Cheers.)

The Minister of Home Affairs (Mr. Mahon) said 

the Government should be prepared to subsidise 

in a generous manner ships and steamship 

companies like the Koombana and the Adelaide 

Steamship Company. The coastal trade which they

had built up was one of Australia's most

precious possessions, and no sacrifice should

be too great to preserve it.

This was a significant newspaper report. 14 December, 1904, Edward Trelawney, appearing at the Royal Commission had the following to report:

- coastal steamship companies enjoyed a very profitable trade

- new steamers were being bought from revenue and not borrowed capital

- coastal trade was a monopoly

- the Australian Steamship Owners' Federation, combine (ring), decided the standard freight rates and as an incentive provided the shippers with a 10% rebate at the end of each year = control

- shipowners' prosperity gained at the expense of shippers

- shipowners resisted interference into the manner with which they ran their businesses.

- exempt from liability to the shipper for any losses or damage to cargo

Steamers of the coastal trade required labour-intensive manning, low efficiency as cargo-carriers. 'Meddling' legislation in the form of the Sea Carriage of Goods Act, December, 1904, elicited the following response from the Adelaide Steamship Company: 'began to deny them their original role of carrying passengers and cargo on their own terms.'

The Adelaide Steamship Company's steamers: Kadina; Willyama; Nardoo and Tarcoola required intensive input to maintain sufficient steam for the route between Port Pirie and Newcastle. The solution? Offer young men free passage in exchange for their labour as stokers!

Belfrage was quoted as saying 'The Life of the ship and the lives of the crew and passengers are not being protected, when allowed to proceed to sea without a complete crew'.

To some extent the power and support of the state government thwarted efforts made by local bureaucracies to challenge the 'combine' status quo and might explain why there was not much love lost between the Adelaide Port authorities and the company and her steamers. See:

http://yongalarevisited.blogspot.co.za/2016/08/complaint-against-custom-regulation.html

With reference to the above report, the Royal Commission on Ocean Shipping Services, 2 October, 1906, recommended the formation of a national fleet of merchant ships. In effect, with regard to Koombana and other mail steamers (hence RMS Koombana) losses would not be encouraged but 'returning a profit would be of secondary importance'. No wonder Koombana was fitted out to the nines!

Big, 'meddling', changes were to come in the formation of the Federated Seamens' Union of Australasia (F.S.U.A), 21 September, 1906. At last protection of crew in terms of pay, work hours, conditions and safety were about to stab into the heart of profits made by companies such as the Adelaide Steamship Company, and in 1912 alone, the company had to appear six times before the Arbitration Court. In fairness to the coastal shipowners they did pay their crew more than that paid by Britain to theirs.

http://yongalarevisited.blogspot.co.za/2016/09/trouble-with-coal-lumpers.html

Action by seamen was about to take on new dimension with regard to Koombana, November, 1911. I shall return to this pivotal event in coming posts.

The times were a'changing and the autonomy of the coastal shipping companies, challenged.

Koombana (1910) - courtesy State Library of Western Australia.

courtesy:

Articles of agreement: The Seamen's Union of Australia, 1904 - 1943, a study of antagonised labour. 

Donald Sinclair Fraser.

file:///C:/Users/user/Downloads/02Whole%20(2).pdf