THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1224. SHIPPING SERVICES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19311, 24 October 1924, Page 6

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1224. SHIPPING SERVICES.

The disabilities suffered by the South Island owing to inadequate and unsatisfactory shipping services have long been a source of complaint on the part of its trading community. The exasperation of both importers and exporters has been forcibly expressed on many occasions, without, however, any favourable result. The existing state of affairs is seriously detrimental to the South Island and is impeding its progress. Recognising that the time has come to assert themselves more vigorously in the hope of securing improved services, representatives of South Island organisations closely interested in this matter have wisely turned their thoughts in the direction of combined effort. The conference which was held yesterday afforded evidence of a very desirable degree of unanimity on the part of importers and exporters in Canterbury, Otago, and Southland in a determination to discover the means whereby the handicaps which they at present suffer may be removed. There are difficulties in the way, it is to be admitted. Otherwise there would have been no need for a conference. It may be assumed that success in the removal of these difficulties is broadly dependent upon the ability of the South Island traders to demonstrate that their interests are important enough to merit better consideration at the hands of the shipping companies. In present circumstances the overseas liners which bring imports for the south visit the North Island first, and, in the majority of cases, move between northern ports for anything from two to five weeks before, they discharge at southern ports. Upon the damaging effects which this delay has on the interests of southern merchants it is unnecessary to enlarge. The ground has been frequently traversed and was covered again at yesterday's conference. The figures quoted .by Mr Gow relative to the ports of arrival and departure of South Island imports and exports are, however, very illuminating. They show that last year imports from the United Kingdom to the amount of 40,204 tons out of 53,841 tons came to Dunedin via North Island ports, while of 36,286 tons of exports from Dunedin the whole -wqpt via North Island ports. Mr Turner’s' references to the requirements of the fruit industry in respect of shipping facilities indicate the importance which the fruitgrowers of Otago attach to the loading of their produce at the port of this province and to Port Chalmers being a port of final departure or nearly so. It was observed at the conference that all the deliberations *of embarrassed shippers must be futile unless it is possible to bring effective pressure to bear upon the shipping companies. Concerning the value in that direction of the various resolutions that were adopted the delegates were themselves probably not entirely sanguine. The shipping companies not unnaturally adopt in New Zealand waters the itinerary which they find most profitable. That this happens to be prejudicial to the development of trade and industry in the South Island is not necessarily a matter of concern to them. The appeal that will really influence them must be one touching their own interests. At the root of the matter is the question of volume of trade. It seems reasonable to suggest that if, through a concentration of shipments, the arrangement for which would b© a matter of organisation, the South Island could demonstrate that it had the requisite attractions to offer in the way of freight the claims for a direct service to southern ports would not much longer go unsatisfied. There is another and by no means unimportant aspect of the situation—that of the possibility of a fresh arrangement altogether on the part of southern traders with a view to securing special consideration for their shipping requirements. That alternative has been dealt with by the conference in its resolution relative to the proposition, formulated by Mr Austin Wilson as representative of the London and North-Eastern Railway Company, respecting a direct service between Hull and the ports of the South Island. This matter stands referred to a special committee, with, it is suggested, the possibility of favourable developments.