SHIPPING PROBLEM

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3147, 27 July 1917, Page 6

SHIPPING PROBLEM

SOME PROPOSALS. - FOR- OVERCOMING THE DIFFICULTY The committee set up at Wednesday's sitting, of. the Farmers' Union ■ Conierenco ■to formulate proposals for overcoming produce and shipping problems, reported yesterday as follows;— "Your committee has the honour to report that in. its opinion thero are eenuine grounds for believing that neither the shipping nor the meat control is -working-•■satisfactorily. Therefore it makes the following recommendations to ue forwarded to the Government of New Zealand urging it to take into consideration -.the following reforms which vour committee considers to bo both urgent and essential:—

"1. That the Government be urged to jnake. arrangements to centralise the shipping so that as far as practicable boats should be loaded at Home so os to be unloaded at the central New Zealand, port, with the object of expediting reloading with frozen meat from one. or two ports; meat and other produce to be delivered as far as is necessary in insulated coastal -steamers as well as by rail frpm the adjoining works. It to be understood that-the main, ports in turn shaU'-b6 - :the Ibatling; centres, exceptions to be made only for those minor ports where the meat could not be'safely transhipped.

"2. That this conference strongly protests against the apportionment of shipping space for ewe and lamb mutton particularly to Wellington exporters, and demands that the Government should see to it that it should be apportioned enuitably according to tho amount of produce awaiting shipment from each shipping ,port. Wo .consider that this can only be satisfactorily carried out by the appointment of an individual or a committee answerable only to the New Zealand Government, and which is not associated ■with either the meat or shipping industry. . ' \

"3. It is advisable that / the shipning ;• should bo controlled in the United King- : dom by a shipping controller answerable only to tho Imperial Government, who should be kept suppied by the New Zeaand Government with , data rrgarding the produce in store in New Zealand to enable him to estimate what shipping is i. required at this end.

"i. All the shipping companies trading to New Zealand and plying for freight and passenger traffic should be declared by statute law to be common carriers.

"5. That the Commercial Trusts Act of 1910 and its amendments should' be made applicable to shipping. This Act prohibits the giving of secret commissions or creating any monopoly. "6. That immediate steps should be taken by the Government of New Zealand, either alone or in conjunction with the-farmers and mercantile firms of'the Dominion, to acquire sufficient ships to relieve the serious shortage of shipping for both inter-colqnial and Home trade, and at the same time to be a controlling factor in settling the freight rates to be charged; and if necessary to compulsorily acquire some of the New Zealand trading ships that have been or are being sold to outside companies.

'"}.' Strong representations should be made to the Imperial authorities to provide a legislative enactment that will forbid the granting of secret commissions and rebates on freight and the creation of shipping monopolies in England; in other words to adopt our Commercial Trusts Act as it stands to-day, with shipping included.

"8. That tho Government of New Zea:land! should at once "communicate and endeavour to arrange for the Imperial Government's consent to discontinue the system of nomination at .this end proTided for in connection with the sale of meat to the Imperial authorities, as it is mainly beneficial to such firms as work in conjunction with the meat trusts.

"9. That a, committee or an individual answerable only to the Imperial Govern-ment,-and in no way associated with any firm or company engaged in the buying and selling of meat, should be appointed to control the handling of the eurplus meat in England; and, further, that •this committee or individual should arTange that any meat not required for Army and Navy purposes is sold in the United Kingdom through channels which are known not to be associated with the -Meat Trust, for sale to consumers at the actual coat, plus all proper charges and Teasonable allowances.

'"'—"10. That the Government of New Zoa. land should take immediate steps to communicate direct to Mr. Lloyd George, Prime Minister.of England, the above suggestions =o far as they affect the Imperial authorities, asking for his and his Government's'assistance in having effect given to-the resolutions of this conference, -as this conference. feels that very grave injustices, are being, done, to the detriment of"{he Eeprlish consumers and of the Empire and its Allies in,the present great national struggle. "11. That as tho producers have supplied their meat at less than the market value, and as the present arrangement is playing into the hands of the trust operators through the prompt, payments which they aro making/ and as some of our ships have been necessarily, or otherwise, diverted from the New Zealand trade, this conference urges that it would be a fair arrangement and in publio interest that payment should .be mado on the hooks by the Government.

"12." Tha'fe'takiug into consideration the facts and figures before this conference, it is prolwble that some millions of sheep and lambs, may be shut out <.f the "freezing works, and that cons&jiHntly the farmers of the ]>e recommended to provide as much winter feed as possible. ■ "13. That in the opinion of this conference representations should be n.ade to the freezing and dairying companies of New Zealand to provide further cold storage, for butter, cheese, and mea', -Vith .the double purpose of relisvij)g the present serious congestion, mid also to provide for the essential needs of these industries, 'so as to equalise tho distribution of our produce upon the Home market. ■ "]■}. That the New Zealand Government should bo urged to make strong representations to the Imperial Government to facilitate tho manufacture and shipment of meat-freezing accessories •necessary for the construction of additional- storage, and that where a cpmpany is too weak financially to build increased storage capacity the Government advance money, at reasonable rates of interest.

"15. That dairying companies should be urged by the Government to provide additional* storage, particularly for butter, a« all the frozen space for meat will be ■urgently required for the meat industry. "Iβ. That the-Government be requested to grant to the Farmers' Union a representative at the conference between the Government and the freezing companies.' The recommendations were adopted.