RABBITS AND THE SHIPPING PROBLEM

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 241, 29 June 1918, Page 10

RABBITS AND THE SHIPPING PROBLEM

o EXPORTERS WAIT ON SIR JAMES ALLEN. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Dunedin, Juno 23. A deputation of rabbit exporters waited ou Sir .lames Allen to-day, and represented the urgency of sending Homo quantities of rabbits now in store, bo tar only about 15 per cent, of llto 1917 puck has been shipped. The loss to exporters on the slocks held was over XMO a week, and the deputation urged that preference should bo given in the shipping of these goods. The stock in hand equalled, roughly, 6000 freight carcasses. The exporters wore increasing their indebtedness to the storage companies and the banks daily. The exporters were not buying this season, and there lvqs.-,little hope ot their doing so. The Minister promised to lay the deputation's representations before the Minister in Charge of Imperial Supplies. The shipping; problem was more serious than Inst year, but Mr. Massoy had been doing al! that was possible in England to improve the conditions. All the Government could do was to represent the position to the Imperial Government. The Minister said the Government would send a cablegram to Mr. Masse.v, informing him of the wishes of the deputation. A deputation, representing rabbitskin shippers asked Sir James Allen to send a cable message to the United States Government to ascertain whnt, restrictions were placed on the importation of raw rabbitskins into America, and urge that New Zealand exporters ho able to export nil the skins possible, provided they d ; d not get into the enemies' hands. The. 'Minister promised to cable for the information desired.