SHORTAGE OF SHIPPING.

Otago Witness, Issue 3291, 11 April 1917, Page 10

SHORTAGE OF SHIPPING.

The shortage of shipping is proving a serious matter, and threatens to get worse and worse, and apparently once again the storage capacity of the various freezing works will be taxed to their full capacity. Farmers no doubt realise thaf there can be no sentiment in the taking of Jtoodstuff s by the Imperial Government, "and that they will lift it from just where it suits them best. They, fortunately for us, are keenly desirous of securing, our output of meat and cheese, and will use every endeavour to move their purchases, but if they can get similar foodstuffs from America in half or a third of the time it takes to move a similar amount from New Zealand or the Commonwealth, it means that we shall have to wait, as it is imperative that the United Kingdom should have food in the quickest possible time. No doubt there will be a scramble for insulated tonnage. It will be remembered that at about this time of the year in 1915 we experienced a strenuous time"; what with the drought in Canterbury and rush of killing only half finished stock, the storage available was soon used up. Insulated tonnage was scarce, and the outlook was not very satisfactory. That ordeal, however, we survived, and no doubt we shall get the better of this, if all pull together. Feed is plentiful, and that is something. One infers, from the interview given by the general manager of the New Zealand Refrigerating Company to the Christchurch Press, that the position is decidedly serious in regard to the limited space allotted to his company, and that temporary paralysis of the freezing industry is threatened in the South Island. Tonnage is in demand the world over, but as the Imperial Government are practically the owners of our exportable products we can surely trust that they will do their utmost to move their goods. It seems that foodstuffs will be cleared from the freezing stores in certain order —that is, according to what is most desired by the army, which is natural enough and what we desire. The stores, therefore, will be drawn upon in the order of beef first, then mutton, then cheese, while lambs will have to wait until ample shipping is guaranteed available. Judging from the allocations allotted to the New Zealand Refrigerating Company for April by the Overseas Committee in Wellington, suffi-' cient clearances from southern works to allow of uninterrupted operations do not appear likely. It is alleged that not 25 per cent, of their requirements has been allotted to them for this month. It is a serious matter, and the position warrants the consideration of every man who has to do v/ith lambs. It is not at all unlikely that there will be a drop in the price of lambs, owing to the limited allotments. The prospects anay, hojveyer, improve sooner than expected, but in any case we would impress upon holders of lambs that it is only wise to commence right away, and see that their feed will make a job of the wether lambs, and if they are forced to carry over the winter more stock than contemplated, then see that they have left on hand the best of the ewe lambs. The position is very similar to what it was two years ago, only the outlook in regard to the shortage of ships is worse in some respects. Feed is fairly plentiful, however, and we can be assured that the Shipping Committee in London are doing their very best for us, as they want the food in the United Kingdom as soon as it can be moved.