THE SHIPPING PROBLEM

Nelson Evening Mail, 19 May 1917, Page 8

THE SHIPPING PROBLEM

POSSIBILITIES OF THE FUTURE. GHRISTCHURCH, May 14. Discussing the shipping problem today Mr A. \V- Bennett, eonoral. mana- j •-■ci- of the New Zealand Shipping 9°. m " ,panv, Limited, said' tllat the position was" undoubtedly serious." says the Cliristchurch correspondent of tho Herald. ' Tlia departures for England during the next few weeks were likely to bo very few. The Imperial Government had already diverted many New -s?nn.- , land shins to tho American-Bi'itish trade. The position, really was ithat the . ; whole of tho Australasian-fleet had.been requisitioned' by _t ho authorities. The ; compares concerned were thus , trad- , inc on sufferance, and if told, sayto divert a number of ships to Russia., thoy would liavo to do so. The New Zealand Shipping Company's passenger time- • table had already been seriously interrupted. As legards the strictly cargooarrving steamers, it was not alvyays possible to know when they would England, because exports had dwindlou, so considerably from there that it was often a matter, of difficulty to. fill the ship. Pn spite of the urgency of space, requirements hero, it would not pay to sencf out a half-filled, vessel. Mean- > while produce was accumulating here at a rate which was really alarming. At present it was impossible to cope with the arrears. This was really a matter for the producers, but believed. that over two and a half millions of ; frozen sheep carcases were stored in tlie fiopzing companies' works, and also over. t 250,000 boxes of butter. Other pro- M duce included at least 150,000 bales. Pi, wool, besides large quantities of goods such as tallow, pelts, gum, grain. ' • , ber, case meat§, coora, etc. Mr Bennett. . added that the diverting of even one large cargo : boat, from. ' the Dominion trade, which, by the way, was oil lin- • probable contingency, would cause, the -1 trouble to become acute. <