EXPORT PROBLEM CARRIAGE OF FROZEN CARGOES

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue LXXXVIII, 12 September 1914, Page 8

EXPORT PROBLEM CARRIAGE OF FROZEN CARGOES

THE -QUESTION OP SHIPS NEW ZEALAND AND GREAT BRITAIN. The Government is already, or may presently be, confronted with' a problem which it will find rather difficult to solve. The question is : Will there be ► sufficient steamers with refrigerating machinery to carry all the produce- available for export this season ? It is not an easy question to answer, and yet very much depends upon the way, in which it is answered, not only for the people of this country, but for the people of the Old Country also. Of the SO odd steamers fitted up with refrigerating machinery which are en* gaged in this trade, one has been sunk by Germans in the Atlantic and eight have been taken for transports. Thus nine steamers have been withdrawn from this trade. The eight afloat are capable of carrying the following cargoes of mutton : — Ship. Carcases. Arawa ... 95,600 Athenic ... ..< 106,500 Limerick „.. „, 91,800 Orari ... >„ „., 102,400 Ruapehu 92,800 Star of India 108,000 Waimana 118,000 Hawkes Bay 120,000 835,100 ' Kaipara (sunk) ... 100,500 Total 935,600 For boxes of butter these figures may be multiplied by 3. It will thus be seen, that refrigerated chambers to carry nearly a million car* cases of mutton and lamb have been suddenly taken out of commission. And the position, is likely to be intensified by the^ facts thai (1) the sheep returns show an increase of nearly half a million sheep and lambs to 30th April ; (2) the weather has been of such a kindly character that the lambing is good, and milk production will be very heavy} and (3) the frozen produce was never more urgently needed in the United Kingdom than it is to-day. Had these ships that have been, withdrawn from their time-ta.ble« been kept in their trades some of them would have been loaded and away to London before this; and some would have been in the various ports taking in cargo for the United Kingdom. In any case all Would have been back to New Zealand in ample time to help to carry away the produce of the year to its markets in Britain. THE DEMAND FOR FOOD. The war has enhanced prices for meat, cheese and butter, and all other foods. As the Northern winter advances these prices will probably still further increase, as_ Continental supplies for the United Kingdom will be stopped. Without desiring in any way to profit by, Britain's I shortage of food, the New Zealand producer is quite naturally anxious to get his wares as quickly as possible to market, there to sell them for the price of the day. If the feelings of dairymen and' meatmen in New Zealand could be accurately ascertained, it would most likely be found that they would like to so arrange the market as to sell at the lowest possible price that the circumstahces would allow. But they are not alone in Smithfield and Tooley-street. There are non-British producers also in those markets, and they, of course, cannot be expected to reason otherwise than that "there's no — — sentiment in business!" It has already been pointed out in, The Post, but it may be here repeated, that the sooner the produce of this court* try is on board the ships tho sooner the money for it, or a considerable part of it, is available. Large buying houses have their agents in New Zealand and have their credits, or money, in the banks for the express purpose of buying dairy produce here. That money is ready to go into circulation as soon a& the produce is in the ship's refrigerating chamber, and as a matter 1 of fact it is probably being spent while the fully-laden ship is steaming out of port on her way to London via the Horn. This is a simple way of putting the case, but it shows how essential it is for New Zealand itself that there should be no hitch in her shipping arrangements. Last year, when a phenomenal production was looked for, there occurred the strike to delay shipping. This year there is the war. A QUESTION OF TIME. If the transports (which are still lingering in port) were to cast off to-day and steam straight for Europe, it is doubtful if they would arrive in the Channel before the second week in Nx>vember, the speed of the flee*, being determined by its slowest unit. T>he unit in. this case is the Limerick. Then, when the transports do reach the Channel, or wherever else they will be ordered to, no one knows whether they will be &x> liberty to resume cargo carrying. They are now fitted up as transports, and are under Imperial control. It is not at all unKkely that as soon as they have discharged the New Zealand Expeditionary Force they will be used as transports for other forces, or at least held in reserve for such a purpose. In, any case they -will not at once turn round and come back to New Zealand as soon as they have landed the men and horses and guns with which they are freighted. They will all be due in New' Zealand in the ordinary course, or at lea&t all available refrigerated tonnage will be required her© in December and January next, and there is no means of knowing whether the transports will be- back here in time or whether they 'will be back at a-11 for any part of this season now just open. It seems that- the ships now used as transports may be eliminated as cargo carriers. Sliips are not fitted up with refrigerating machinery in, a day or so, and there appear to be only just sufficient such vessels for the purpose. The following are the fleets of 'ships engaged j in the meat and other refrigerated cargo in the Australasian and South American trades : — Trade. SH>oamere. Carcases. Australia ... 67 3,410,100 New Zealand ... 52 5,041,700 Australia and or Sonth America 17 1,490,600 South America ... 73 ' 6,133,400 Supplementary, including building 20 1,312,800 . . . 229. 17,388,600 These are steamers engaged in carrying to the United Kingdom, but some of those loading South American meat are reserved for or are already in the New • York trade. In any case, New Zealand can look to no other country to make good the refrigerated tonnage that has been withdrawn for troopships, not even to Australia, which has had 20 ships taken for transports, nor to South America. England wants the foods, New Zealand wants the money. Both arc particularly anxious to do business just now, war or no war, but particularly so as there is war, because England does most urgently need the goods and New Zealand docs not urgently need the

nionoy in order that it may bo spent in England, to help England to send out English manufactures in exchange for N-ew Zealand produce ; to enable importing houses in New Zealand, from the proceeds arising from the realisation of the produce, to discharge their obligations to suppliers in the United Kingdom ; and to keep British people clothed and fed from the fruits of their own labour and not by charity—however , kindly meant, however liberally performed. Again, if the ships are not available when required, it will be impossible for all our New Zealand cold storage to hold our perishable export produce which will have to be accommodated during tho months of January, February, and March.; There is not the storage capacity available^ Nor is there time to erect and eauip such additional storage accommodation as would be required to hold the cargoes that would in other times be ready. Th© position Is a very difficult one. Has the Government realised it? If so, how will it be overcome? These 1 questions are being asked by producers to-day; and they are asked in all aeriousness and with genuine concern when rumours to the effect that other refrigerated steamers may be taken a* transports are current, which will still further accehtuate the difficulty. The uneasiness as to the future export of cargoes in, freezing chambers is now very real, and by no means iuia.llayed. A statement made by the Government with respect to this matter would probably do much to dispel tho uncertainty,