FREIGHT CONTRACT

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 35, 10 August 1933, Page 14

FREIGHT CONTRACT

STILL NEGOTIATING

Dnltea Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyrlgnt. (Received August 10, 10 a.m.) LONDON", August 9. Negotiations for the new freight agreement for the carriage of New Zealand produce are being continued. But a decision is believed to be possible in the course of a few days. The principal parties to the agreement, referred to are the New Zealand Meat Prod-jeers' Board, the New Zealand Dairy Produce Board, and the New Zealand Fruit Board, with the shipping companies at present engaged in the New ZealandUnited Kingdom trade, the Shaw, Savill, and Albion, New Zealand Shipping, Federal, and Commonwealth and . Dominion Lines. The present agreement between the parties expires on August 31, 1933. > If reductions are made x in the rates under the new contract" Australian exporters will expect similar reductions so as to place them on a footing with New Zealand. The Australian Overseas Transport Association, however, does not admit that the circumstances of the two countries are comparable, as a vessel employed in the Australian trade had to steam many more thousands of miles than a similar vessel employed in the New Zealand trade, and that close investigation of the position had shown that at present rates of freight the return from a vessel employed in the Australian trade is worse than the return from a vessel in the New Zealand trade. j the Australian shipowners offered the 1 following reductions in freight rates on refrigerated cargo:—Beef, 2% per cent.; mutton, 5 per cent.; lamb, VA per cent.; veal, 10 per ce,nt.; pork, 12% per cent.; sundries, 2% per cent.; rabbits, 2% per cent.; butter, 5 per cent.; cheese, 5 per cent.; eggs, 2%. per • cent. Woolgrowers also asked for lower rates." No agreement was reached.