SHORTAGE OF FREIGHT.

Northern Advocate, 23 April 1915, Page 6

SHORTAGE OF FREIGHT.

VITAL TO ALL DISTRICTS. ISLINGTON WORKS CLOSE DOWN. /CHRISTCHURCH, Tuesday. The chairman of the New Zealand Overseas Shipowners'' Committee has replied to an urgent telegram, sent from representatives of a Canterbury committee set up at a recent conference, as follows:,—"Your telegram of the 16th inst. was considered to-day by the committee, who have asked me to send the following reply. The committee have to deal with the export of meat from New Zealand as a whole and, with a limited tonnage at their disposal, made allotments for May shipments on what they considered a fair and equitable basis to all frozen meat companies. Tho conditions of | the present season are quite abnormal, and, consequently, it is impossible to treat the figures of any previous season as a reliable basis for comparison with the present one. We regret that no alteration in the allotment for May can be made." The Canterbury committee thereupon sent the following telegram to Wellington to-day:—" We have to thank you. for your telegram of yesterday. We quite recognise that with the limited tonnage at your committee's, disposal, you can only allot May shipments on what you consider a fair and equitable basis. We have given the matter fullest consideration, having due regard to the reasonable claims of Other districts, but we are still quite unable to imagine what basis could possibly justify such an allocation as has been notified to the companies con- j trolling eight factories, previously referred to, more particularly in consideration of the extraordinarily heavy shipments the North Island has already been granted.

"The matter is vital to all the districts effectod, but on account Of the gravity of the feed position, more particularly to Canterbury, we consider we are justified on behalf of the community, in asking for a definite announcement as to the actual basis upon which you have based your allotments.

"Islington works will close down to-morrow, and it ia not expected that any relief will be obtained until the first week in May. After that, killing will probably be intermittent. Burnside works are practically closed, and the works at Timaru and Pukeuri aj*e in the same state, and there seems little hope of relief until the $nd of May. Tho Belfast works «.re closed until May 3, when killing will recommence for a little, followed by intermittent work. Fairfield, closes this week, and opens and carries on the same as Belfast. Parorora will run on, killing in a small, way, until about the middle of May, when it will follow suit and work very intermittently.