INSULATED CARGO

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 150, 22 December 1914, Page 4

INSULATED CARGO

WILL THERE BE CONGESTION? THE SHIPS AND THE PRODUCE. According to a recent statement made by the Prime Minister, there should be here in January •and February the- following steamers to take away produce, insulated or otherwise :—: — January — Orari, Whakatane, Somerset, Waiwera, Mamari, Kia Ora, Delphic, Indrapura, El Cotdobee, Dorset (all insulated), Queen Margaret, Mottispont (both uninsulated), or twelve ships as against seven, tho estimated number required. February — Otaki, Remuera, Waimate, Kaikoura, Matatua, M?J<arini, Corinthic, Waimana, Westmere, Mimiro (all insulated), Wirral, Daldrock (both uninsulatedf; thirteen ships as against eleven, the estimated number required. At the same time it has to be admitted that, notwithstanding the Prime Mm? | ister's assurance, there is a feeling of uneasiness on the part of those engaged in the pastoral industry as to whether they will obtain all the space they say they can fill. They, fear, it seems, that they will have a lot. of stock on their hands that they will be unable to feed, and that the available freezing storage in the Dominion will prove inadequate to- carry the stock if killed. Mr. N. G. Oribble, representing the New Zealand Farmers' "Onion at Hamilton, Waikato, and graziers generally m that district, assured a Poet representative that "we shall kill in January 60,000 sheep, and we can only obtain space for 15,000. That means we shall have to carry over 45,000 sheep into February. , Mr. Massey has been satisfied a? to the sufficiency of insulated space available in January, but he certainly appears to be pessimistic as to February. Producers recognise that in view of the commandeering by the Imperial Government of tonnage in the New Zealand trade, and tonnage that might be expected to com© here from Australia., the shipping companies are.doing all they con in the present trying circumstances; but they feel also that the Prime Minister eho\ild take steps at once to relieve the uneasiness as to the future on the part of those arranging to get the stuff away and bring the producer out of the fool's paradise into wnich he has been lured. We in the Waikato at any rate feel that the Government needs the assistance now and hereafter of a practical business man who is thoroughly conversant with shipping and trade generally, to whom we can go in crises like that that has arisen through the dislocation of the transport service by the withdrawal of ships for Expeditionary purposes. "Further, some arrangement should be made, even now if possible, between the New Zealand Government and the Imperial Government for the release of transports in equitable proportion to the lines concerned; in other words, therft should not be more boats of one line than another taken. For instance, eight boats of the Federal-Shire Line have been taken, equivalent to 900,000 carcases capacity. The Federal-Shire Lin© should have had cix steamers here for January, February; and March loading ; now there will be but two of such steamers. "We want all the insulated space we can get for tfie West Coast (U.K.) markets, as well as for the London market. "I have said the Federal-Shire Lino can give us two boats, but it>t one of them— the El Cordobes— space is available for only -50,000 , carcases, whereas applications for that f vessel amount to 150,000. Patea Freezing Works, I understand, applied for epace for 10,000 carcases, and can only obtain space for 2000. Of this 10.000 some 8000 were wanted for the Bristol and Dominions Association. Wanganui's application for space for 10,000 carcases cannot be satisfied, 2000 only being available, and at, Wanganui the killing is at the rate of 60,000 carcases a month. This will probably mean a closing down of those works at the end of January with 100,000 carcases in store. I believe the Neleon works in Gisborne will have to close down before the end of January for the same reason — cannot get the stuff away> if the space, thought to be available has been already allotted." Since Mr. Gribble made thie statement he ha« been advised by the Prim© Minister that the position will be relieved at Auckland, as the following telegram from Mr Massey shows : — "Glad to advise you a frozen meat increase in steamer Whakatane from 15,000 to 22,000 sheep. Steamer Waimate going Auckland thereabout 20th January for balance meat." It was pointed out by a shipping company's manager that the Dorset is not among the vessels available for loading in New Zealand in January. It has been further ascertained that the Limerick has been retained by the Imperial Government, and was to have left Egypt for Gibraltar. The Morayshire, which was on the loading berth for New Zealand, and should have left Liverpool for this country on 10th January, has been taken by the Imperial Government. She would have been due here in March, and would carry the equivalent of 99,600 carcases. The Matatua, which was to have sailed from London early in December and load in New Zealand in February, will not now leave London till 24th December, which will make her departure from New Zealand at least a fortnight late. The situation has been rather accentuated by the action of the Commonwealth Government ill retaining the Commonwealth and Dominion Line's Star of Victoria and 'Marere, which would ' possibly have been available. They are now required by the Australian Government for the despatch of a third Expeditionary Force. The Hawkes Bay and Star of India, vessels of this line, which were used as transports for New Zealand troops, have been instructed to call at Gibraltar for orders, and not to take down any of their fittings. • They will have to proceed to London in any case, but^whether they will be released is another matter. Three steamers of the other lines have now left for New Zealand to load here. ' They are the Athenic, Waimana, and Orari, and are due here about the middle of next month. The uneasiness of producers and shippers is not shared by come who are in a good position to know what insulated Bpace will be available and what the probable amount of meat and dairy cargo offering will be. In any case, it is held, the difficulties as they arise will be satisfactorily overcome. There may or may not be some inconveniences and delay, but there will be no serious disturbance in the export of the produce — certainly no crisis due to congestion of cargo awaiting shipment.