THE SHIPPING MERGER.

North Otago Times, Volume CV, Issue 13936, 19 July 1917, Page 8

THE SHIPPING MERGER.

HOW IT WILL AFFECT THE PRODUCER.

The Hon. Mr Russell, who spent tho week-end in Christchurch, told a representative of the Lyttelton Times.that at the recent meeting of 'Parliamentarians to consider the above he pointed out that "before the war the freight on dumped, greasy wool was ii-d per pound, which was id per pound.more than was paid from Australia, in both cases, of course, to London. One penny per pound on New Zealand wool represents an''increased freight of about £8li0,00l) a year, so that the woolgrowers have been paying over £200,000 per year more than the growers in Australia. After the war broke out •lid per pound was put on, thus raising the freight to lijd per pound. Then came the fusion between the New Zealand Shipping Company and the P. and O. Company. 1 Subsequent to this, lam advised that the freight for New Zealand wool increased by 7d per pound, representing 'an increase of 280 per cent,, as against pre-war rates, and representing in cost £1,500,000 more, to carry wool from the Dominion to the Mother Country. True, this is at present a charge against the Imperial Government, but I ask; What is patriotism if a concern like the P. and O. Company during war time has this huge increase placed on this absolutely necessary produce for the clothing of the troops of the Empire, which was the primary object of the Government in making the purchases'? I venture to. say that had New Zealand owned the ships that were transporting wool from New Zealand to the heart of the Empire, no such huge charge as that would have been demanded for transport, for no one would'dare say that any such increase was demanded on what was an absolute necessity. "There is, however, another aspect which has to be considered, The influence of the P, and O. Company in forcing the merger through, in defiance of the expressed wishes of the New Zealand Government, has been nianifest. Let me remind you that in 1010 the P. and 0,. Gomnanv commenced

running ships to New Zealand as a terminus. . Those-sliips were maimed with Lascar and other coloured labour, The late Hon. J. A. Millar, then Minister of Marine, tarried through Parliament the Ship and Seamen's . Amendment Act, 1910,- for'the purpose of fighting the P. and 0. Company in the matter. The object of the Minister, was to insist that the ships trading between Australia anil New Zealand should be compelled to pay the colonial scale of wages. Being a shipping measure, the - assent of the Crown had to be received, and that failing to be obtained, the Bill did not become law.'' Mr Russell, added that Cabinet has yet to determine whether a Royal Commission or a Parliamentary Committee shall investigate the whole question. . v