THE SHORTAGE OF SHIPPING.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 144, 18 June 1915, Page 4

THE SHORTAGE OF SHIPPING.

Wo are glad to pee tiiat "Mr. Massey bus found it necessary to attempt some sort of answer to the criticism directed against tbe (iovernment in regard to tbe e-hortage ol .-hips. llitt we cannot ,-ci' lli.il vvlint be bus said ninkc-d much dilTclcllcc to iin- ipiCetiotl at issue, \v hicil i. tin- iiiipleti.s.int, fact that there is nothing like shipping avnilnlile to meet the rei|iiiieinciits of the Dominion, und that tliere iiii.'iii have 1 n ir Tv- hud been Ui.-o in lime. In one -eiii-c. ol' coiUoC, tlic Kaiser is responsible for this, and not Mr. M.Ls.soy. lint though Mr. Mn-ey ,li.l not i-iiii.-e Un- \v:ir, he failt-.l to make proper provision lor our neede, or to take precautions against ihe danger which everybody else could -cc rapidly up),roili bin.', nnd be i- therefore justly to be hliiiiu-d for llu- deplorable position in which the country finds itself no.v. To-day. when the tune for taking [irccaul ions bat, long since 2011 c by, we have Mr. .Mn.-.-ey'. assurance that lie i.- doing ins best to induce the Imperial authorities to adjust their arrangements to suit us. We an: glad to hear il. ami we ..in hardly doubt that if the facts of ihc case arc put forcibly before the l'.onr.l of Trade they will rc.ili.-e that it is to the interest 01 Eng--1 md mi.l the Allies generally to provide nli possible facilities for the shipment ol I Ist tiffs .-till produce ll..inc. L'ven if it siuis Knglan.l lx-tti-r to end -ouie of iin- in.,it t-hip- to the Argentine, there 1- no reason why a fair proportion of ihe -t. Mill.-Is .-11.-.1je.l ill the Aii.-tral.is.titi trade should not load at Nee Z-al.iii.l port..; .1:1.1 Mr. MasseT's st it i- nl leaves unaltered the nimittel lac! that tiiri'i' nt hast ~!' I lu'.,e stci 111.1----vvctc to l.'.i.J al Hri.-bane from tin Am.ri. in M. .it Trust vv,,rk-. A. regard.the tre.itm. ill that Auckland 1, lccciv inc. 1' is really astonishing that Mr Mn--c.v. vv! tight at least be suppose-! to Understand tl.c position of the Alick kind farmer and stock-r.ii.-er. has (ailed t.. grasp the i-s.s.ntial features of tin case. It ;- true that tiie Southern dis tii ts generally have far more r;i|-ra.-e----in stoic than Auckland, and therefore il is argued that they ought to get mon shipping space Hut as we have pointc out several times, Auckland works on 1 system different from that followed ir Canterbury, for example. Killing goo, on li.-!.- practically all the year rnun-1 and there is no special --.sea's. .11" ill t lit South. Tin l pr.ict.ee here has thus beci to ship continuously without ae.umulat ill'J 1.1 Ige si ink-, n li.l therefore Alick land has no grc.t amount of storagiicc,inim...|.iti..n. Hut Auckland h.i .pi.te ~. nm h stock ready for k lltut .111,1 exporting as any other centre ..n.i it :- clcirly o„ tliis ba-is that ship [•tug ispai-e should be allotted. It is tlni manifest il.at the,bare 01 space allow.-, lo Auckland for .lulv -0.."illll eartMsi...ll ..:' .0J.'.i.0 t'..r the' Dominion—is al, piir.U.v nnd tinjii.-tly disproportionate tlour just claims. As to the suggestio, jilt forward by the •■ New Zc.iitin. [Herald" lh.it tiie agitation about lie l:ick of shipping ls a political party cr\ !we pre-unie tiiat our contemporary 1 aware that the bitterest complaints an jirtitc-ts yet heard on thin subject hay etna 11,1 tc.l from Farmer.' I'nions an, Agricultural nnd Pastoral Association throughout the Dominion, und that th I members of these organisation arc, generalv- tpeaking. suppose. 1> be ardent supporters ~f Mi M.i,-scy .md the "Reform" aJminb tration. I I! course it is simply pueril to.ittrihte this outcry to parl-iisan feel line. K.ven the -New Zealand Herald [makes no attempt to prove that 011 j lig-tires ate wrong or that there is shif ping .ut.i.illy ava:!.i'.i!e for our lieodc