THE BRITISH NAVY.
THE RETAINING FEE FOR MERCANTILE VESSELS.
ONLY SPEEDY VESSELS TO BE SUBSIDISED.
By Telegraph—Press AssociationCopyright. Received 12.2 a.m., July 4. LONDON, July 3.
In Committee of Supply, on a vote I of £9,575,500 for contract work, Mr Arnold Foster surprised and delighted critics by announcing that the Admiralty would not renew the subsidies on merchant cruisers. He gives, on April Ist, a year’s notice | of the termination of the arrangement. He said that there are other purposes which might be served bv the subsidies where something would be obtained which it is impossible to obtain otherwise, but any subsidies voted by Parliament ought to he administered by some central authority. It might he expedient to pay a subsidy for very high speed and other qualifications. Mr Robertson emphasised that the Naval Budget totalled 39J millions, including four millions for naval works. The Bill for new construction showed a million increase.
Mr Foster, replying to general criticisms, justified the mention in the Estimates of colonial contributions promised. It would be discourteous not to mention them, but the confirmation of colonial - premiers’ promises was required before the contributions were paid. He added that the Admiralty was eliminating from the list many defective, ships, asking that every ship retained should he effective for war. At the end of 1903, they would have a larger number of effective vessels than ever before.
Received 1.3 a.m., July 4. The Admiralty’s suppression of a retaining fee on mercantile vessels saves £77,813 per annum in 1905. Mr Foster declined \to explain how far ■the Cunard Company was affected. It is understood that any subsidy in future will he exclusively to the fastest ships, jwhich otherwise would not be built.
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/GIST19030704.2.15
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 933, 4 July 1903, Page 2
Word count
Tapeke kupu
285THE BRITISH NAVY. Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 933, 4 July 1903, Page 2
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
No known copyright (New Zealand)
To the best of the National Library of New Zealand’s knowledge, under New Zealand law, there is no copyright in this item in New Zealand.
You can copy this item, share it, and post it on a blog or website. It can be modified, remixed and built upon. It can be used commercially. If reproducing this item, it is helpful to include the source.
For further information please refer to the Copyright guide.