SHIPS FOR FARMERS

Marlborough Express, Volume LIV, Issue 185, 6 August 1920, Page 6

SHIPS FOR FARMERS

A CONFERENCE POSTPONED

That the farmers of the Dominion should lose no time in establishing a co-operative shipping company was urged by delegates "to the conference of the New Zealand Farmers' Union.

Mr J. Boddie (Auckland) said that x.ntii such time as the producers took steps to secure' their own ships they would remain in the hands of the shipping monopolies. He moved that tiie producers a.sk the Prime Minister to call a conference of farmers and trading- interests to discuss the question of establishing- a. shipping line, and take action if necessary. In reply to Mr R. Evans (Kaiapoi) Sir James Wilson said that shipping companies would be prepared to sell farmers any number of their old ships uz high prices, and build new ones afterwards. That was the great danger.

Mr C. Iv. Wilson <,Te Kuiti) stated that they should keep the shipping proposal before the Government, and use it as a lever when they were negotiating with v the shipping conipaiiies regarding freights. The motion was carried.