PRIORITY FOR SHIPS

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26395, 13 April 1951, Page 6

PRIORITY FOR SHIPS

SPECIAL COMMITTEE SET UP SPACE FOR ESSENTIAL SUPPLIES (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, April 12. The Minister of Labour (Mr W. Sullivan) announced to-day that a coastal shipping priority committee had been set up in Wellington to determine the itinerary of coastal vessels which have been manned with naval crews for the carriage of essential supplies. Copies of the itinerary had been forwarded to the essential supplies committees at the various ports and these committees would determine the allocation of space for the shipment of essential supplies by coastal vessels.

"Priority will, of course, be given to the shipment of hospital supplies, coal, flour, sugar, apples and other essential foodstuffs, but ft is expected that space will also be available for other essential commodities,” said Mr Sullivan. “Merchants requiring space for the shipment of essential supplies should therefore place their requests before the Mayor’s committee at the port of loading." Mr Sullivan said that the fixing of itineraries for coastal shipping would allow the various essential supplies committees at the ports to allocate reasonable shipping space an . thus enable essential commodities to be supplied to the community.