MIXED CARGOES

Evening Post, Issue 52, 2 March 1935, Page 12

MIXED CARGOES

SHIP OWNERS' PROBLEMS

UNWANTED TONNAGE

iFrcm "The Host's' Henieseniaiive.) LONDON, February 2. Mr. J. 'T«. Hooper, a director of tlic Commonwealth and Dominion Line, speaking at a luncheon 'on board tbc new liner Port Wyndham, compared the shipping trade conditions of Australia and New Zealand with those of the Argentine, in older to strongly emphasise the difference. In the Argentine trade, said Mr. Uoopir, they had the simple problem of loading chilled ,or frozen meat. "This ship, the Port Wyudhain; on the other bund, s-.:id Mi*. 'Koopei. "■lias got.to be designed tn carry as well butter, apples, cheese, eg'-'s, and even orangus, all of which require different temperatures. Some, like the chilled beef want CO2 gas, others, like apples, get suffocated if they have too much of it. Some of these cargoes, such, as oranges and cheese, cause us worry because the smell they give off is liable to. taint other cargo,' such as Hour, (He. [n the' Argentine trade ships go out in ballast, or practically so.'- and load at one or perhaps two ports.- direct from lite iue:it works into a number of small.j i-otnpai.tnicuU. - Siu-li mi ■ arrangement is ii'jt possible iii -the Dominions trades o-ivhv.; lo' the variety of cargoes thai have to be carried, and owing to the fact that sled wile, large' motor-trucks, turbines, "uluetrical machinery, and so on have to be i-iirriod outward-;." . , There was one other matter in which lie asked for the co-operation of all connected with JJominiou export interests. He referred to the avoidance of "the appalling losses ■ caused to . the ship owners through the action-nf-our Board of Trade aiuJ Ministry of,-Agriculture in suddenly limiting the quantities of meat or dairy produce which may be exported. "I do not think you can exaggerate the enormous loss which is occasioned to ship owners ■when vessels:. are sent out some three months before they are to load home, only to find when- they get to the other side that the cargo booked for them cannot be shipped. "I am not seeking to place blame in any quarter, but I do ask your co-opera-tion by impressing on your Premiers and Prime Ministers that they should insist on due notice of at least six months, when a curtailment is expected. Delay or procrastination in.'agreeing to the quotas sugnested by the British Government must entail incalculable losses on ship owners, mid also on the freezing works and dairy produce stoics, who are compelled to keep meat or dairy produce in store much longer than they bargained for.":