SHIPPING SPACE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2499, 28 June 1915, Page 7

SHIPPING SPACE

THREE EXTRA SHIPS

SUBSTANTIAL RELIEF

AFFORDED

AN EFFECTIVE PROTEST

BY THE PRIME MINISTER

The Primo Minister has received a cabjegram from the High Commissioner notifying that an additional steamer will be added to the list for August, and two additional steamers for September. On Saturday last Mr. Massey sent the following cablegram to the High Commissioner:—

"With referenca to the supply of insulated tonnage to enable the pressure in the freezing 6tores to be removed and to allow of killing to be resumed, and for tie industry to be maintained in a prosperous condition, I must again ask you to be good enough to confer with the Board of Trade with the object of having more steamers provided in August, and to advise upon the matter, and, further, to ascertain and advise what action will be taken to provide steamers for the period from October until the end of the' year. I must ask you to convey to the Board of Trade my sincere and emphatic protest at what has taken place in diverting steamers regularly employed in the New Zealand frozen meat trade, such as happened in the case of the three steamers diverted to the Argentine, and to express my groat disappointment that this was done without my being consulted, and to further say that producers and shippers throughout the Dominion are bitterly resenting this want of consideration of their interests. Day after day I am in receipt of complaints from producers and shippers, at the treatment they have received, and indicating the straits in whieli they are placed in consequence of tlie congestion 'and the absence of adequate relief. At present there is only one steamer loading frozen meat in New Zealand, and there are over two million carcasses in stores. Slaughtering is practically stopped, with the consequence that hands are deprived of their employment, and this at a time when it is of the utmost importance that their earnings should not be affected. _ From reports I have received, and which I regard as authentic, it is made nleaT to me that things are exceedingly bad, and that unless plentiful relief is afforded to clear the stores before the new season commcnces in October, the position is going to be much worse." The following reply to the foregoing cablegram was received by Mr. Massej 011 Saturday from the High Commissioner:—"With referenco to your telegram of June :8, and my telegram of June 1!), I am pleased to report that after much negotiation with the Board of Trade and Tonnage Committee, I have succeeded in having added to the list of steamers available for loading in Now Zealand the Indrapnra during August, Whakarua and Niwara during September, thus procuring additional space for three hundred thousand carcasses for these two_ months, which I hoped to get as indicated in my telegram of June 17. Tlie Tonnage Committee propose to allocate only insulated space of these steamers to New Zealand, and to fill up with general cargo in Australia. This makes available for loading in New Zealand nine steamers during July, eight during August, and oightduring September.