MEAT EXPORT TRADE.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15222, 9 March 1915, Page 8

MEAT EXPORT TRADE.

STATEMENT BY THE PRIME

MINISTER. (rHEBS ASSOCIATION TELBOKAW.) AUCKLAND, March 8. "Nothing is to bo gained by the Go vernment commandeering refrigerating space/ declared the Prime' Ministe: to-night, "because it would not roak< a single additional inch available. Be sides that, there are difficulties in th< way. as our legislation does not provid< for anything of the sort. The authorities who can commandeer space are th< Imperial Government,' anting on the advice of the Board of Trade. It luu to be remembered that such action breaks existing, contracts, a result of which wDiiki 1>« that freights which arc lower I'rom New Zealand to Great Britain than from the- Argentine or Australia, would yo mi with a bound. "There him been a great deal tif criticism,' , ;idded the I , rime Minister, '"in regard to the .shortage of shipping, but it must bi> siiid that circumstances during the present season hare been exceptional, and we have not had the best of good fortune in connexion with insulated steamers. First of all. the Knipara was sunk, and then the Tokomaru met a .submarine. The Naimshiro was commandeered by the Imperial Government, and afterwards took fire. The Muritai wn.s dnmaged by collision, and only the other day we were informed by cablegram that the Surrey had boon torpedoed. Several of the ships trading to Xew Zealand, and which call at Australian ports, have been commandeered by the Australian (JovermutUit, and several others by the British Government. "VVe requited in the early part of the season a certain number of insulated ships to take the first ICxnoditionary Force to Fgypt. By nrrnngemonU? with the shipping companies. I brought thrw of' these vessels back in ballast at" very considerable expense to the country, but by so doing effected a great saving of timeto the producers, who were naturally anxious to get their meat away. I also arranged , for the Muritai, after being repaired, to come back in ballast. At nry request, the Canadian Govern- j ment released a portion of our ships j which they had commandeered, and tne Australian Government allowed three to go which it contemplated taking posaoesion of. Just lately the Austral ifrn Government gave mc an assurance that it did not propose to interfere ivi th six shirks of tho Shaw, Savill and Albion Line, whioh are in Commonwealth waters at present, and will come to Now Zealand. Then the Imperial Government, I learn from communications which have reached mc, is negotiating with shipowners in Great Britain to have as many vessels a«s possible made available for the carriage of frozen meat for tho use of the Allied forces.

"in spite or au these cnmcuiwes, tip to January 31st we iiad sent away ©qual< to 1,740,652,carca5es of mutton, as compared -<vitK 866,877 for the corresponding period of last year. This increase was maintained in - the same proportion right through February, so I fee] certain that we are ahead of this time last year by at least 1.000,000. "As to prices?' continuea Mr Mas- , sey, "I have endeavoured to arrange a ' scale of prices which would be fair to the Imperial; Government and also to the producer of this country. Up to tho present I have not received a single oomplaint, and . I believe that the greater number of the producers and the people connected with the. meat trade are of .the opinion that it has been done satisfactorily. It is quite likely that we shall get the first ship away -with meat for the Imperial Go- ' vermnent before the end of this week. The steamer concerned is the RuaMne, which is timed to leave Wellington on Thursday. I.t has been suggested that Lhere might be some delay with regard to the payments for meat, but I am making , arrangements so that payment will be made Toromptly, either at the dead office at Wellington or at any of the banks doing business in New Zealand, on presentation of the necessary

fA local i-iew«if the eitaalion will be found on page 3.^