Mr CORSER (Wide Bay) (4:23 AM) . - I quite agree with the honorable member for Henty (Mr. Boyd) that it is better to leave most of these enterprises under the control of the companies or individuals than that of the Government. But in the present case there is something to which the honorable member has not referred, and that is the fact that if we gave up the control of those ships tomorrow, the probability is that, within two months, there would not be a ship on this coast.

Mr McWilliams - The ships could not be taken away.

Mr CORSER - The owners could take them away and dispose of them for double the amount they would have got before the war. What would be the condition of the trade of Australia without any shipping here? I do not see how the Government, could have done anything else in the interest of the community than keep control of the shipping, at any rate, up to the time proposed in the Bill. It is absolutely essential that the Commonwealth should continue control if InterState trading is not to lapse into chaos.

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