PRODUCE AND FREIGHTAGE.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14350, 9 May 1912, Page 7

PRODUCE AND FREIGHTAGE.

THE ALLEGED SHORTAGE OF SPACE.

SHIP OWNERS IN REPLY.

Tho ocnip'aint uttered by tho Hon. T. Buxton, Min:»tcc of Industries and Commerce, regarding the shortage in the amount of cargo space available for the export of grain and produce, and his telegram to tho Prime Minister on the mutter when published in "The Press*' yesterday 7 produced profound astonishment in local shipping circle*. Mx J. J. Kinsoy, a leading shipping agent, informed a •'Press" representative yesterday that a considerable quantity ot grain was bcuig taken by tho Everto.i Grange, an extra steamer, which was to be put on this month to load moat aud ;'i\i.'n. The Surrey also was taking a large quantity of gram. To charts:' a special vessel would cost Ts (id per ton umre than was nt«present being cinirg.'d fo- freights. If tho.Government were prepared to pay tho dif-ieri'iH-e, well and good ; if not, tho shippers would have to jwiy more. There wa.s no khmiu why the companies should stand the lo_>. Whi-u tho JCverton Grange was put on as an extra steamer there was really no prospect of freight ahead, but n.s it happened thero had horn eiicjuirics for j>_hico for meat and other produce. An extra quantity of ;;rain wns also being taken aud tho Company had gnne out of their way to meet &hippo;_ in this respect. The freight to London ou cats-and wheat was •J-'is per ton. and no steamer could be chartered to carry jiroduco nt that rate. In Australia the feeight was •S-Js Od. and it would really hove paid the company to send tho ship to Australia to load- As far as the complaint relating to the preference given to frozen meat was concerned he Would point out that the present season was a very late one for meat, tho result being that the grain came along before the meat was disposed of. In ordinary seasons the out: of freight followed the other, and they did not como on to a large extent together as had happened this aeasou. On making ttmher enquiries at the office, of the New Zealand Shipping Co. our representative was informed that thifue had bueu a shortage of spaco for grain, but to meet the difficulty tho Company had offered to charter a bteamer~ aud to charge tho shipper*, what it cost them, namely, 32s per ton, but shippers would pot agreo to pay that sum. It was impossible to charier a special ship for the current rato of 2os per ton, tor tlio Australian freights were 32s Oil and ships could do much letter by loading there. The improvement in the market for grain in Aus- ■ tralia was having tho offect of causing | shippers to a-.nd the grain there instead of to England, and only that day a ia'rgo shipper had requested tlio Company to cancel tho grain (space ho hod taken for June, July, and August on account of tho diversion of the grain to Australia. fteverii.. shipping agents in Lyttajtor wero also questioned on tho matter. Ono prominent agent stated that tbo busy season for tho. export Of frozen mutton started about tho, efitl of October, and continued well on to Slay, : find tho export of wool was particularly heavy from November to tho on<l °t : February. Butter nnd cheese came forward in heavy shipments right up till May, and consequently with the profitable freights ottering in these lines to till their steamers, tho companies hod littlo space nvailablo fpr tho shipment of grain. „ Another agent remarked that tho steamers of tlio lines represented by his firm had Wen dripping grain to .England for several weeks. Nona >va* offering up till March, and tho.steamer leaving thnt month had taken all that was offering. Tho Federal-Houlder-Khiro Lino, and the Tyscr Lino have been shipping grain from New Zealand tor tho I'nitcd Kingdom for somo weeks. The New Zealand Shipping Company and tho 6haw, Savill and Albion Company had also taken several parcols. for London.. The Pakehai belonging to tho Shaw. Savill and AJbjon Line-would bo loading grain at Lyttolton this wqck, and other ■ atcmnors of both companies would bo following shortly. .Shippers would find it practically impossible to charter ni*outsid« vessel for grain loading for tho United Kingdom tor Icrat than £1 UH at t)i« present, time. In addition to activity m most parts of tho world, there wap a boofci in coal export from Newcastle, New South Wales, to South AxaerjfA, nnd th© Far" Enat, and qv*v JOO vowels i had been chartered at high rotes for this business during tho past month.