PRODUCE EXPORT.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15111, 29 October 1914, Page 10

PRODUCE EXPORT.

SHIPPING FREIGHTS. REPORT OF PAUi/iAMENTARY COMMITTEE. trp.ESS ASSOCIATION" TELEGRAM.) WELLINGTON, October 2S. The Shipping i'reigats and Charges Committee pieseuted itio following, report- to tho House of Representatives this afternoon : — Tho Committee was appciiiuxl to examine and report. uv;-:>n sueii questions relating to freights and charges levicni by shipping companies upoii prouuto and gooJ.-> or any Kind Miippou 10 or tro:n .sow Zealand, as it i:k'.\ rtiink do , ' suable. The reason i;>r tne r>t-tti;ig up oi tho Committee was twotoici: r irst, tJic in ircifciuii oi? ;nnen igeiattM ot -•"> per ce;i:.. wtiich was levied by the shipping <.omp;ii:;c-> shortly atter S tne outbreak of mc war. Trio other J question, which is of mu?:ii greater im- | portanoe, was whether there was a reasonable guarantee ;>i Iho export, trade of tiie coin!try being maintained during tho cuming season. With regard to tho increase in freights, your Committee lias ascertained that ihi* docs net apply to either frozen or dairy produce, but only u> woo!, lias, and other Tinrefrigerated cargo. This h tho result of fired contracts previously msdo by the parties. The increase of LVj per cont. on general cargo i« to some extent j;:.-;iiio;i ::r. present by tho 'ncreased cost of insurance, through the addition of a war iM;, the vxtra. cost of coal and provisions, and the. prubablo shortage of c:u;-o on the return trips from Great Britain. Hut your Comnntteo is strongly v:l opinion that as tho e.">nditiot'..s Ix'c-fii'iiu normal, tho increase should bo iih'jiiihed. It is clear that tho increase in freight on flax, coupled with tho reduction in value caused by the war. will have a detrimental effect upon that industry, and n:i it employ* a very largo amount of labour, tho Com-iittee :.s of opinion that tho Government .sTiould consider how tile industry could by most lx>neficia'.lv assisted in order that it might bft maintained until normal conditions prevail. Kvidenco given before tho Commilteo showed that, outside refrigerated steamers cannot ho chartered, but, that tho shipping available can be made to meet all probable demands for space for meat, butter, and cheese, during the months of October. November. December, and January, it may be desirable fru- the Government to bring down legislation to enable thorn to make necessary arrangements v/itli the owners and pay compensation for tho delay of ships. It may t>» reasonably expected that by the time tho refrigerated ships ttiat are. delayed will have got away, tho commandeered ships will havo returned, and will be able to tako up their ordinary running. To ensure this, the Government should arrange with tho Admiralty and tho owners for tho return of tho ships To .New Zealand ■with all possible speed. Tho chief difficulty which presents lo the Committee relates to the export of cheese. The trado in this product is growing so rapidly that the shipping companies will require, in making arrangements for the future, to bear in mind the very great imjjortanco of this branch of our "exports. For the coming season wo recognise the difliciiltiV. of the position, and consider that they can only bo met by special consideration on the part of the shipping companies in ? 0 anticipating and arrnncrin.e for space as to secure certainty of shipment. Snjrcresfions wero rmr brforo tho ComrniHpo t,K-u tlio National T.-niry Association conic! nil tho *r>ace, OTf ! ovcJi-de of.ber s'-inrvs nM members of tlio .\r*o~inHon. The CoTurnit-t-eo finds thai the. As«v><-mtii->n have. Tit loftr-r +r> the \VvmTiittp/>. expressed the"- wilTi nrrnojc: f o .<;'•«ro tbo snno" and to nV'pr dinner? a proportion of thi» .aHnrfof? cm,-,-, fo. f ) ;M V v pv 0 r7,,,,^ Our on Up mnfforv vo<v., TOf ] to tl<s ; Ir>nrl it« jr, v o «.•>■**» mprirl •***.«. -y Pl liflvinrr ~l«nrJv rlofpi,vl nO"'p»- c ~f „„ . ""7 rorror'Uncr t»,« fr.orln. indnstriw, and commerce <>f contif.rr. THE IHSCUSSIOX. In reply to Mr .Ngata, Sir Walter Buchanajj said ifc was not proposed to print the evidence, as it had been, to .some extent, given confidentially. Mr Ngata said there were pei-sistenfc rumours :is to the existeiico of the Meat '(rust, and a shipping ring in tins Dominion. How was the public to iorai an opinion as to the correctness or otherwise of those rumours if tho evidence was not published? MY Wilkinson said tho existence of combines was to a Rreat extent disproved before tho Committee. TJi c Naj tiora} Dairy Association was a desirable joombmatmn, and had dono sroat pood to the farmer, but it had never stood in the way _of those outside its ranks getting their produce away. ! « n°- W-Rnssell: Th c only remedy the Comnnttee could sec for the short! sJmllV V Wa . S to , insis t that no ship shall b B allou-ed to )eav c New Zealand during February and March with ordinary cargo in her refrigerating space that the shippms companies and the beef trust were practically ono and the same thing and that they were bo « aided and abetted by tho Government: Mr Payno urged that, wo should set up our own steam service Sir Joseph Ward said' he did not agree with the proposal to print tho oniric f Th f. C J is not ™ 2"'""- '"to shipping r laes and meat trusts and there w as no referenco in tJie evidence to monopolies of that kind Much tmormation of a confidentiai nature was g.v Giy to iho Committee wnic-h could not bo published to tt« worid. Ho was apainst anything in the shapo ot monopoly. He wanted to thc incrs and producers, and so Ion" as the State owned the railway a'"d tiie farmers controlled tho bulk of tlio treeing works no meat "trust coiid flourish ,n this Dominian. He fV-,vo°r e tho appointment of a Board of Trade .ihe Prime Minister said under the ciministancc, it would b a a bSirl, o laith to publish the evidence. He saw no reason why thero shcn!<j b<. a vl iol -U the fromo marlvots. a,,d J, o provwi the suggestion that a Hoard ho appointed. The report was adoptsd.