NEW ZEALAND TRADE

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2218, 3 August 1914, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND TRADE

MEAT ON THE WATER WAR SPECULATIONS

A. representative of the Ohristctrarch ' "Press" had "several conversations with Christchurch business men, the subject of the interviews being tlio war and its probable, effect on the trade of tlio country. , ; It was emphasised in every case that: the opinions uttered were merely speculations, as no one at present could tell definitely what would happen with re- . ga-rd to the European conflagration. i Some inquirios were made, from a business man interested in the. frozen meat industry, and. ho- stated that.' at the-present.time there were approximately half a million carcassos .of mutton and. lamb afloat.. "As matters" are fat present," ho said, "I am afraid . that wo can give you very little moro infor- ' mation on the question than the man in the street: Luckily for the farmer, this trouble has come at a time when it will not affget him greatly, so 'far as the export of meat, is concerned. The meatseason is to": a ii intents and at an end for this year, and it will not reopen until about December, by which time - it is to be hoped that everything will be settled. Should the trouble con" tinue, and England become embroiled, there is no doubt that the price of foodstuffs will rise greatly; in fact, they may reach, a. sta-go when it may pay shippers here to pay the enhanced insurance risks and take all chances of getting meat and. other produce Home to wherei'.it-.is heeded''most. "If the British Navy found that it had enough to do without policing- the trade-routes, there.is alrta-vs ft chance of consignments being captured bv the enemy, and in that caso the loser would not- be the farmer, unless he was shipping Home 011 his own account, but the •merchants,. and ultimately, I suppose, the iusuranco companies." "A long continuation of'' thenar*' ogens. ug piosgec^.

for Now Zealand. This Dominion is. 6t entirely dependent upon the export 01, ' Iter primary products tliat a stoppage of trade would be positively disastrous. A certain percentage of tho-surplus meat might bo got rid of by export to America, but tho United States could only take a proportion, and probably t/io price given for that would not be as good as, is being received at the present time. Ihe Government would be unable to get money, public works would naturally have to .bo stopped, and . there would almost certainly bo'great aistress. Ihe exports for the last Srnnm 8 "ere valued at about £25,000,000, and oyer 80 per cent, of that came from tho primary products, x? ,l( U ls easy to imagine the result to tho Dominion if this source of wealth was stopped. ' / ■ . "I should say that in 'that ovent al? the freezing companies would be'forced. to oloso down: they could do nothing > else. _ Manufacturers would have to do likewise, as-it would be no use making goods that could neither be sold in the Dominion nor, exported to the outside markets. Raw material, such as wool, nould also . drof> heavily, because "amfactaring, or practically all, would have ceased in England. The only bright spot, so far as New Zealand is conoerned, is the thought that we could not get starved out. If the meat we produce here could not be export- * ed, we should soon have a huge surplus in a very short time,.'there woulc not be. enough food, and it would eithei nave to be disposed of, at very low prices or got rid of somehow/ However, it is a little futile to speculate ' upon all these j>ossibilities until some- ' thing more definite in the way of newr is to hand." ■ , . a s hipping man remarked that ft - effect of. the war on the Dominion ship . ping_ would depend .'very much upon ■ the insurance companies. He pointed out that it was fairly easy nowadays to ; get insurance, though if the war became..general, the risks would go up to considerably beyond what they were at present. This would mean an ! augmentation of freight rates. "It ispossible, though," he said, "that the Prices of commodities at Home would be so high that it' might be worth while 'for New. .Zealand shippers .to pav tho increased freight and increased insurance rates, on their, goods, and chanca sending them. Home. The shipping .. companies would certainly send ship 3, • between the two countries if cargo was certain,- and if the shippers found, it possible to. pay the increased freight and .charges necessisated by tho higher rates, of-insurance." . V

WELLINGTON. PRECAUTIONS

HARBOUR. UNDER MILITARY CONTROL. ■ FOREIGN SHIPS TO BE STOPPED. In view of the possiblo necessity for calling for a volunteer expeditionary force from New' Zealand, officers of the New Zealand Defence Headquarters Staff were yesterday busy making necessary'preliminary arrangements,! in order to have 'everything in readiness should it :;bo ; .tb call for volunteers. .No statement wasmado to the Press, regarding the'steps, taken, but it believed, that'such'; details as ambulance and' stretcher companies, arid the'dis- • position of the units of. tile force have already been decided 0n... \The Harbourmaster' has been made > acquainted with the fact that the Defence Department will to-day take : over complete control of "Wellington Har-; hour. All foreigii-owned shipping will be stopped, .and other shipping, will " have to receive official permission before entering or leaving the port-. This is merely "a measure, taken- 011 such momentous occasions. • ■

"NOT THE JJNGQ SPIRIT."

SQENE AT CENTRAL MISSION. V The Central Mission Silver Band, ', which plays, in. the open prior to the- ; Sunday evening services of tbe . Mis-, sion, had two requests last night frorii a gathering of young men to play tho National Aiitliem. The first request was made in Ghuznee Street, and was responded ,to there. Tho crowd followed .1 the band to the Empress Theatre, where again the National Anthem had to he rendered in the street. It was enthusiastically ,y received on both occasions. Before ' commencing .service in the .Theatre, the Rev. Khowlcs Smith, in the course,of a few words, , said that it was not the "Jingo" spirit , that was'wanted, but the spirit that realised and recognised the ■ graye responsibilities of the .occasion. In that spirit thov would sing the National Anthem. The audience rose and heartily joined in the' singing.. ' '

"FAT IN THE FIRE"

"EXAMINATION SERVICE"- <... , , .OIIDERED. . General Sir A. Godley, Commandant . of the Forces, when communicated with. last evening, stated that the "examination service" of vessels uning ..the harbour had been put into a v precautionary measure, which meant the placing of guards over our magazines and foi;ts and keeping an eyo on . all incoming shipping. On being informed of the- fact that Germany had declared war-against Russia, the General' said that he thought "the fat would be in tho fire" as far as England was concerned, and if (jiat was so we /would soon probably hear something. more about the expeditionary force.

"THE DEATH KNELL OF TEN THOUSANDS" '

REFERENCES BY,: REV. DR. GIBB.' night in St; Jolui!s ; Church, preaching to a'very largo congregation, Dr. Gibb took as'his theme, "The.Spirit of War' and the Spirit of Christ." To- . wards the close of his 6ermon Dr. Gibb said that* if Britain were; drawn into ' the deadly strife her sons would play" tho man, as thev had done on many a , blood-bospattereu deck; but until that, fateful hour had struck, every Christian, every liumano man, must surely ; coutmuo in unceasing supplication that ! Almighty God might avert from us this unspeakable,horror. War between England and Germany, ho said, would spell / . out bankruptcy for both nations. Even |wo here in New Zealand will feel it to \ the quick. The loss of precious human lives through wounds and disease were also dwelt on. The South. African war cost us many, thousand lives and millions of treasure, but it was child's plajcompared with the.gigantic strife that would follow the throwing dowu of the , ' gago of battle to Germany. The horrors of the battlefield and'the woes of the lands whicli.'wouM be the theatre of the' war were impressively detailed. Hero ' Dr. Gibb, paused to say that at this , . point in his preparations lie'bad learned that Germany had drawn the sword from the scabbard/ and hafl declared war on Russia. What the end would t be oiilv God knew. It might be Armageddon. Tho death knell hid struck for, tcus of thousands of' their fellowmen. To-morrow it might 'strike for tens of thousands .of their fellowcountrymen. Could England keep qut of the welter? Was God about to purge , the earth with the red flame of war? Was He about to scourge them for their worldliness anil unbelief an:l soulde'stroyicg forgetfulhoss oF Him? Lot them turn to God with penitent hearts and earnest supplication for His mercy. > Let them pray that our own nation might not be embroiled in . the strife. Let thorn entreat Him to liave mercy o.t all tho peoples of the earth, on tho peoples now at '• war, and on all man.kind. miserere, liavo pity . > on us Lord, from tho depths wo cry to • _JEheel- •