CARRIAGE OF NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2253, 6 May 1897, Page 14

CARRIAGE OF NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE.

IMPORTANT MEETING. (Fhom Our Own Correspondent.)

London, Mnrch 20,

An important meeting convened by the Agent-general for New Zealand was he!d on the 9th inst. at the offices of the New Zealand Shipping Company. Practically it was a conference between the Agent-general, Mr MacEwan (the dairy expert), Mr Henry Gray (produce surveyor to the New Zealand Government), and Mr Thoaaas Mackenzie (London manager of the New Zealand Farmers' Cooperative Association) on the ono hand, and the representatives of the various ehippiDg companies trading to New Znalind and of the London Dock Companies on tho other Tbe special objpcb was to consider the question of the carriage of New Zealand produce and its treatment on arrival. The shipping and doak companies were very iufluenlially represented, thos9 present being Mr Temple (chairman of the Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company), Mr Potter (general manager of tbe game company), Mr Johnson (director of the New Zealand Shipping Company), Mr Strickland (manager of the same company). Sir Edwyn Dawep, Mr Westray, Captain M'Curdy (marine superintendent of the White Star line), Mr A. E. Williams (chairman of tbe United Docks Association), Captain Lawson, Captain Badcock, and others connected with the shipping and dock interests. Mr W. P. Reeves presided.

The chairman explained tbat, the object of the meeting was to listen to what Mr MacEwan bad to tell them regarding his investigations in connection with the dairy produce trade in England, Denmark, and Norway, and also to discuss with those connected with the shipping interests here ths various points revised as the result of those iuvesbigationa.

j Mr MacEwan then gave a most interesting Bccouufc of his experiences and observations, and pointed out where he thought it wag pos- | sible to improve matters in connection wibh the I handliug ot produce at the port of discharge. : A long discussion arose on the question of j cool chambers fpr cheese, Mr MacEwan advocating a regular temperature of 40deg aud a dry atmosphere, and instancing the successful I results that had been thus secured with the I Canadian trade. Mr Strickland said that their arrangement in the New Zsalaud Shipping Company's veEsels was a bteady temperature of 44deg, which was found best. Mr Tetnple remarked that the trade and dairy association? asked for a tompsrature of 50deg to 55deg, adding that that had been found sufficiently low for all purpose-?, and tbaj no faulty shipments had beeu landed by their companies during the past two years. Mr Potter said 40>1eg had at one time been adopted, but whit was most required was a better system of delivery. The produce was frequently neglected by cousiguees here, and allowed to remain in the sheds too long before removal, and the shipping cjmpanie3 had not power to compel speedy removal. Mr T. Mackenzie suggested demurrage being charged after a reasonable time had been given for delivery. Mr Keevts supported that suggestion, and after some further diacus3iou, in which Messrs Gray, Potter, and Temple took part, it was finally agreed tbaL a clause should be added to the bills of lading empowering the shipping | companies to insist on the produce being rei moved to cool stores if not taken tielivery of within 24- hours of its being landed from the ship. A keen debate took plaoe betwean Mr Williams and Mr Temple on the alleged inade1 quacy of the storage accommodation. Mr Williams said that he had for years recognised tho dreadful loss occurring from the mode of handling here, but that the shipping co/npanips had naturalfy opposed all his efforts towards reform. He wished to see sorting sheds crested. Mr Temple replied to Mr Wil'iams with some heat, and contended that the position as stated by Mr Williams was inaccurate. He asserted that instead of Mr Williams aiding a speedy discharge of the produce he had actually refused to take delivery of parcels of sheep on arrival Mr Temple conc'uded by saying that Mr Williams was t*lking absolute Jiousense. Mr Williams, however, did not respond. In reply to Mr Maoßwao, Meesrs Potter and Temple said that the general condition of the produce shipped ia New Zealand was satisfactory. Tne company could not promise a reductiou in freight. They were very careful about receiving consignmeuts, and refused a shipment of cheese recently at Wellington, \n consequence of which they were now threatened with an action at law. The chees.e was, in their opinion, not fit for shipping here. The practice of mixing cargoes in the sheds was next dealt with. The Agent-general strongly condemned it, and sft'd he had seen butter kegs and wool bales mixed up in a t^mperatuie of 67dt?g, and the smell was sufficient to destroy any produce. The rc-presentßtives of the shipping companies s*id that they u»ed every care iv separating parcels now, and that system was strictly enforced. The quest.on of appointing meat inspectors in the cjlony was then aUuded to, and the shipping oorouanitjs strongly favoured the appointment bcio^ aiade bj' the Government instead of being Mb ia the bands of the freezing companies, as waa now done. In reference to the dec'sion to cease running to Dunedin, Mr Thomas Mackenzie asked the directors of the shipping companies what was to bo done with re<*peafc to sending the ocean steamers v>p to tho Dunedia wharf with cargo. | The reply received was to the effect that the j shipping t'ompAiiiea could nob return to the old 8^ stem of sending their boats up to tho ' Dunedin wharf. They had not quite decided i what policy they would jollow, but probably they woul.i' undertake the delivery of 'inward cargo there at im additional charge of 2-3 6d per tor. Only two sailing ships of theirs had been able to go to Dunedin comfortably during the past aeasoD. Practically tbe net results of the conference may be fummed up as consisting in a general agreement on tbe following points :—(1): — (1) That the storage now available at the docks was nob large enough. (2) That a sorting shed waa not likely to ba erected until arrangements were made with tbe firms which got their stuff direct iato the lighters. (3) That there were only four absolutely inaulated lighters en the river, and that these were not much in use. (4) That there were a number of partly insulated lighters, and that these were in much use. (5) Tha, 1 ! certain consignees are in the habit of having their consignment} of produce in the shipping sheds for days and weeks after its arrival. (6) That the shipping companies are entirely powerless to prevent this, although thoy would be very glad to do so if they could. (7) That the baab remedy would be au agreement to the effect that future bills of lading executed by cansiguors should giveshippiug compauies power, in tho event of the produce not being removed within 24- hours after its arrival, i to store it in the old stores at the docks at tho ) expense of either the consignors or the conj s'gnecs. (8) That if producers wish to have , Iheic butler, while in course of its beiug car- ' ried by sea, kept at a temie-ature of 20d-g to 25Jeg aud their cheese at 40ieg to 45dpg, the shipping companies will have no difficulty whatever in complying with this wish and jvould gladly do so. (9) That the shipping componits williugly undertake to do their best, wheu produce is left in the shsd?, to see bbab dairy produce and wool are placad as far apart as possible. Thife. they say, bhey generally do now, but it is noi always the case. The shipping companies are strongly in favour of bho inspector of New Zealand meab being a servant of the Government, and not of the freezing companies. Mr Keeves expressed his very strong concurrence in this opinion He held that the inspector at this end should most certainly be the servant of the Government, and not the repreI seutative of one branch of the trade, else conj flictinq inteiesU would ba sure to arihe on such questions as temperature, &3. He wa3 convinced

that the appointment of' an inspector would be of no use unless he were under tbe Government. Mr Reeves further expressed his opinion that whatever faults there might have been in the past — and no doubt there had been grave faults — the shipping companies were now doiDg their best to meet all modern requirements. They had even gone to the extent of refusing to accept meat which they considered not properly frozen. This was a very invidious duty to undertake, and one of the companies was at the present moment threatened with lo^al proceedings because they had so refused. The meeting then terminated.