COLONIAL SUGAR TRADE

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27096, 20 July 1953, Page 8

COLONIAL SUGAR TRADE

PROTEST AT USE OF FOREIGN SHIPS

The use of foreign ships in the intercolonial sugar trade was criticised by the Combined Waterfront Organisation at Auckland, in a statement by the president (Mr R. Freeland). The organisation claimed that the Colonial Sugar Refining Company was using Chinese and Japanese ships in preference to British ships at a time when New Zealand and Australian ships and seamen were idle through lack of trade. It was also claimed that, although foreign ships were able to underquote British shipping companies because of lower pay and standards of conditions for seamen, the retail price of sugar had increased. Mr Freeland said feeling had arisen that the tactics savoured of victimisation of New Zealand and Australian seamen. The Combined Waterfront Organisation intended to protest to the authorities concerned, particularly the Colonial Sugar Refining Company. The secretary of the Auckland branch* of the Seamen’s Union (Mr T. Anderson) has said that the seamen will support the protest. The manager of the Colonial Sugar Refining Company’s Chelsea works (Mr R. M. Saddington) said that all arrangements for shipping raw sugar to the Chelsea works were made by the company’s Sydney office. In the case of the Japanese ship that recently discharged raw sugar from Formosa sugar bought from Xpreign sources was dispatched by the seller, he said.