FREIGHT VESSELS FOR PRODUCE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 13493, 23 September 1914, Page 8

FREIGHT VESSELS FOR PRODUCE.

PREMIER GETS REASSURING ADVICE. -PLENTY OF TONNAGE AVAILABLE. (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day.. In the course of answering a question by Mr Anderson, who' desired the Government to stipulate "that -vessels guaranteed .for the shipment of produce should make the Bluff a port of call, tho Prime Minister explained that negotiations had taken place with the shipping companies for a sufficientsupply of vessels to carry on the export business of the country. : This applied not only to the next two or three months, but 'from, "say, three 1 months after Christmas. ' Any arrangement made would be m the direction that the vessels must call at those ports where cargo was offering. Later in* the sitting the. Premier informed the House that- he had instructed a capable officer to make inquiries, and that, officer. had informed him that there were plenty of .vessels to carry tho produce of the Dominion up to December 31. Since, receiving that report he had been iii communication with London. If possible he wished to work with the snipping " companies trading to this country," but he had been, informed from London that ' he would be able to obtain a .sufficient numjber of ships witi refrigerated space to carry the whole of - the produce of this country, even" if the vessels taking away the expeditionary force were not back'in "tiihe. His'oWn opinion was that there Would be no difficulty that the Govefflmeht -could not deal with. In any Case-, no stone would be left unturned to secure vessels for the producers to export their produce. Sir Joseph Ward expressed the hope that the Prime Minister was right, as •he had been advised- of the likelihood of a serious shortage of freight vessels well on m October. * ■ .",-.'' Tlie Prime' Minister : There is -is no doubt about it. I have ".been given, the names of the ships. ".'.... "-.:. RATES OF INSURANCE-: A. BILL .passed/ ■.■.".". Ay.:. : .. The War Risk Insurance" Bill, which authorises the Government 'lo take insurance risks riot_ exceeding- £lO>ooo per vessel, was put .through all stages m the House. The measure is Intended to meet the need 'of shippers -of signments too small id warrant making arrangements by : cable - with '.thtsr ( War Risk Insurance Officer. London.;; . : : r Sir Joseph Ward asked y-af^e-'Prime Minister had inquired ■ of local '-merchants what they .paid," because" r he knew that the Yates i they paid' were much higher than 2 per -cent; The high rate of war insurance was- one of the reasons given by the shipping;'companies for increasing *by 25 -per cent, tlie freight on wool, flax, hemp^ "grain, and other products. There" was no 'one m this country who could ."jive: '! exporters cover upon their goods, \ and tlie trouble was that the rate fluctuated day by day. After .the unfortunate news to-day regarding the capture of ships m the Bay of Bengal fates .would go_ up. He knew of people', who had paid 4 and 5 per ceiit. and upwards. 'The Prime Minister rophed that he had quoted the rates prevailing on Saturday. Tlie freights went .up by 25 per cent, when rates wore liicrh, but they had 'gone down' since; which was the reason why freights ha^ gone down to contract shippers. •