PRODUCTS ACCUMULATING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16925, 10 August 1918, Page 9

PRODUCTS ACCUMULATING.

HUGE AUSTRALIAN STOCKS.

SCARCITY OF SHIPS ACUTE.

SYDNEY, July 26. The following figures indicate the huge quantities of primary produce which aro accumulating in Australia because of the dearth of shipping. The quantities are increasing weekly, and no relief appears possible this year :— Wheat, bushels ... ... 176.000,000 Wool, bales ... 1,260,000 Beef, tons 30,000 Lamb and mutton, tons ... 5,000 Rabbits, tons 17,000 Butter, tons 1.000 To-day representatives of the primary producers waited upon Mr. Poynton, Act-ing-Minister for the Navy and Minister for Shipping with reference to the dearth of ships available to shifts the ever-increas-ing stores of produce that are so urgently needed by Britain and her allies. Mr. Povnton promised inquiry into the matter, and asked that he should be given all possible information available on the subject. More than a year ago, before it was found necessary to withdraw certain tonnage, the shipping available for Australia could not nearly cope with the demand. Owing to the great distance separating Britain and Australia, food ships had to go to the Argentine, where the same primary products as those produced in the Commonwealth could be obtained in much quicker time. Since the withdrawal of the British ships the great bulk of our primary products has had to remain at home, and today the figures are extraordinarily high. Wheat is the most urgently needed item, but there is to-day on hand in Australia 175,000,000 bushels, all bought and paid for, but undelivered. With refrigerated ships, the scarcity jo even more acute. Wheat can be shifted by almost any type of vessel, but with-the carriage of meat it is different. The shortage has brought about an accumulation of 30.C00 tons of beef and 5000 tons of lamb and mutton, and 1000 tons of butter, all of which is in cold storage. In the same class stands an item of 17,000 tons of rabbits. Wool, which does not require a special class of steamer, is also piling up, and there are now 1.250.000 bales waitipj; for tonnage. There is also a huge amount, of flour, the exact figures of which are unknown. Those products head the list, but there are many other lines in store in the Commonwealth.

Mr. Hughes's statement that he was unable to arrange for a better service means that until such time a* our own ships are built the process of accumulation must steadily go on.