‘ShippingPlan Needed'

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31089, 18 June 1966, Page 3

‘ShippingPlan Needed'

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, June 17. A national plan would be necessary to solve the multitude of problems associated with large-scale conversion to containers and pallets for cargohandling, the transport spokesman for the Associated Freezing Companies of New Zealand (Mr W. R. Mathieson) said today. If the pallet system was to be effective the shore facilities must match the performance of the vessel and there must be an efficient transport system to maintain the flow, Mr Mathieson said. The freezing industry welcomed the decision of the British shipping lines serving

New Zealand to appoint a committee to obtain quickly a report on the most advanced techniques of shipping New Zealand export cargoes.

Mr Mathieson said he hoped representatives of the freezing industry would be co-opted to the committee. The freezing companies paid two-thirds of the annual £3O million frozen cargo freight bill and contributed substantially to the £7.5 million general cargo freight charges, making the freezing industry the bearer of the bulk of New Zealand’s export freight costs. Mr .Mathieson said the industry had a special interest in the techniques of cargo handling because of the perishable nature of its cargoes, and because of the need to process, package and transport its products under conditions designed to ensure the best possible returns in overseas markets.

Container operations would affect the whole internal transport system. Because the freezing industry was aware of the savings which could be brought about by greater mechanisation and improved handling techniques, it had already done much to mechanise the handling of meat inside the freezing works. The industry had built several cool stores suitable for the handling of meat in pallets awaiting shipment overseas, and it had successfully experimented with some shipments of meat in pallets. The freezing companies had asked the Railways if it would be possible to put pallets of meat into insulated railway waggons. They had also asked the Road Carriers’ Federation if transport operators would be able to offer efficient and competitive service if the freezing companies adopted the container system.