SHORTAGE OF SHIPS

Nelson Evening Mail, 18 May 1917, Page 6

SHORTAGE OF SHIPS

AN AUCKLAND SUGGESTION. {Umitbd FxKsa Association.) AUCKLAND, iMay 16. In connection with the shortage of shipping. Mr Guirson, the Auckland representative of the National Efficiency Board, has forwarded the following telegram to the chairman of the Board : "It has been suggested to me, and it seems an excellent proposal, that the ißritish Government should be requested to negotiate with the Canadian and American Government to receive and credit the respective Governments with all meat, cheese, and butter they can take on their western coasts, and supply, from their eastern seaboards to England an equivalent amount of American and Canadian product. The suggestion is that all freight vessels from New Zealand should be diverted to the west i/oast of North America. Half the vessels would carry equivalent freights, owing to the short voyage, and that through seas clear of submarines. I suggest that this proposal is of sufficient importance to justify it being communicated at once to the Acting-Prime Minister." Commenting on the question, Mr Cudson said there was a large population on the west coast of America, and the cost of transportation of products from east to west is as great as the cost of sea carriage from New Zealand to ports on th e western seaport.