THE EXPORT TRADE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16646, 3 September 1914, Page 8

THE EXPORT TRADE.

SIATEKENI BY THE PRIME MINISTER.

DAIRY PRODUCERS SATISFIED. [From Our Correspondent.] WELLINGTON, September 2. A deputation representing .the dairy interest interviewed the Prime Minister to-night in regard to their difficulty in getting their produce to London. Mr Morton, of the National Dairy; Association, stated that the Shaw, Savill and the New Zealand Shipping Companies had informed him that, owing to the vessels being taken up for military purposes, they could not guarantee fulfilment of the contracts to convey dairy produce Home in insulated vessels Mr Morton stated that the vessels'were only just sufficient in number to cope with, tho trade, so that the chartering of them as transports created a serious difficulty. The deputation hoped that the Government would, if possible, avoid taking further boats having refrigerated space. The dairy complies were also anxious about the question whether. _ the banks would financo them against store warrants if the produce had to be held up for any length of time. the Prime Minister: What is the difficulty? '..',', ,• , Mr Mor.ton: They might bo short of The Prime Minister emphatically assured the deputation that it need have no anxiety on account of the banks, which were in a particularly strong position. ' The Government recognised the absolute necessity of keeping the country's trade going by getting its products to the markets of the world. The deputation would find that there were sufficient ships to carry the produce when it came to h"nd, but if the ordinary companies could not get ships the Government would have to look elsewhere. However, he believed that ships could bo found without trouble. One ship, reserved for transport purposes, was released yesterday, and the Government would fill with cargo every transport it used.