SHIPPING FREIGHTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3611, 29 May 1923, Page 47

SHIPPING FREIGHTS.

ALLEGED PAYINGS TO WOOLGROWERS. (FaOil A CORRESPONDENT.) WELLINGTON, May 26. Sir M alter Buchanan’s reiterated assertliat the shipping company with which he is associated has saved the wool-growers of the dominion many thousands of pounds during the last few years by compelling the large companies to reduce their rates of freight is not being taken very seriously b.v the local representatives of these big ! concerns. They suggest that Sir ('.'alter s stories in regard to the exactions of the older companies are intended to assist un appeal to the farmers for additional capital for his own company : but they think ho should have been able to put the claims of his own company before them in a sufficiently alluring form without implying that the other companies were in business merely for the purpose of extortin'- the uttermost .shilling from the shippers. Last month Sir Walter Buchanan’s company issued a very lengthy circular in winch all its own a-l.ieveiiienis and all tho improprieties of the other companies were set out in considerable detail. In this circular it was claimed that the company with only £IOO.OOO of capital and with only one or two comparatively small chartered vessels, had saved the New Zealand sheep farmers since 1897 well over £2.000.000 by offering bettor terms than the big companies were giving. "The liners.” it was declared, “bitterly opposed our first, loading of steamers, but after a year or two of freight-cutting, net only accepted Tie position but loaded their steamers at tho rates annually fixed bv this company.” But tho parties behind the “liners.” quoting chapter and verse in support of their contention. insist that for many years they have fixed the rate for wool at the beginning of the season, many months ahead of the arrival of the chartered steamers, and that Sir Walter’s company lias accepted those rates without the slightest demur. It certainly seems incredible that a firm loading two or three small sic oners would fix the rates for a fleet of some 90 great liners. The representatives of the big companies i do not question the right of Sir Walter j Buchanan, or of any other individual who ! cares to employ his money and his energies in this direction, to charter steamers to carry the farmers’ produce to their markets at the other end of the world. But, trying to take a broad view of the question, as they say. they doubt if the farmers are consulting their own permanent interests in attempting to divert business from the regular liners to vessels which admittedly are unable to cope with more I than a mere fraction of the trade, and have ! no national obligations, so to speak, to 1 discharge. The purpose of the appeal now I being made on behalf of Sir Walter’s eom- ! panv is to obtain sufficient capital to place j six chartered ships in the trade, instead of ■ two or three, and so carry twice as much | wool ns is being carried at present. The j company has no refrigerated space and | consequently can carry no meat, nor ! butter, nor other perishable products; but ! it seeks to divert the cream of the .vcol- ! carrying trade from the liners and to leave them to serve the country in every ether resneet. The big companies do pot suggest for a moment that the continued diversion of wool from their vessels would ultimately result in a deterioration of the services ’lev are rendering to iho eornmunitv in general and to the farmers in particular. But iliev submit that their readiness to accept oil kinds of freight, the costly provision thev have made for the carriage of perishable products, their regular sailings, tho high class of their vessels and their reliability ought to save them from such criticism as that conjured up to advance the ends of a private venture. When a proposal to establish a State shinning _l.no was before a Parliamentary Committee some wars aso, bir W “Iter Buchanan suggested that six insulated ships should be provided for the carriage of meat ?n<l butter, and it was su!v«nuently shown ibnt vessels of tlm t voo he had in mind v r.nld post, something in the neighbourhood of half a million nnieoe Now f-b* W alter is adopting a different line of attack. He hones with a mir'nl of a rum Her of a million to divert the most profitable part of the trade from tb» big companies and to leave thorn with the costly part of tho service.