SHIPPING DAIRY PRODUCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3277, 3 January 1917, Page 8

SHIPPING DAIRY PRODUCE.

Immediate relief is (says our Wellington correspondent) to be given to the dairy industry in the matter of shipping space, about which Mr Masscy has been in touch with the Board of Trade in London lately. There has never been rcallw a shortage of ships loading here. The difficulty of the butter and cheese people is that hitherto the space has been almost wholly reserved for meat. At the instruction of the Board of Trade, meat was given preference, and now the preference is to bo relaxed to allow a normal export of butter and cheeso during the next three months. By this rangement about 250,000 boxes of butter will be taken away, and the present congestion of butter will be relieved. The greatest difficulty is in the storage of cheese. However, it is understood that the Imperial Government is asking now for information as to how much New Zealand cheese will be ready for shipment by January 15. Some space will be provided for this cheese, but the amount is not yet stated. It is believed' that the Imperial Government will buy the cheese, taking it over on arrival in England. An enormous amount of cheese is held in New Zealand now—not less than 200,000 crates, of which 58.000 are at, the port of Wellington. A good deal of the cheese is not well stored, and there is a risk of deterioration of some of it. It was never contemplated that siich a huge quantity would have to be stored in New Zealand, and the dairy companies and exporters have never deemed it necessary to build storage accommodation for such a very big holding. There will shortly be in store butter made and to be made amounting to 185..000 boxes (in the North Island), and 195 : 000 crates of cheese (both islands) awaiting shipment, says the Wellington Post. This, so far as cheese alone is concerned would be sufficient to allow shipment of 20,000 crates each for nine or 10 steamers if such were available.The prospects of getting any considerate portion of this enormous and increasing quantity of cheese away to the United

Kingdom, where it is urgently needed, are etill remote. However, it is understood that arrangements have been made by which a limited amount of insulated spacewill be provided on outgoing steamers for the carriage of oheeso during January. There will also bo in store for shipment tho quantity of butter referred to, but this will be exclusive of some 22,000 boxes of butter, which are already arranged for. During January, February, and March provision, however, will bo made for the carriage of butter in insulated space which had previously been reserved absolutely for meat. It is hoped, then, that the new arrangements will afford some, if not all, the relief required for the shipment of accumulated dairy produce and the turning of it into money to the relief of exporters, dairy companies, or merchants.