SHIPPING FREIGHTS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18068, 20 April 1933, Page 11

SHIPPING FREIGHTS

ONE-WAY TRAFFIC TROUBLE AUSTRALIAN TARIFF POLICY Tlio position with respect to overseas shipping freights on meat and wool is a difficult one, remarks tho Pastoral Review. Oil the one hand producers of those commodities, financially embarrassed as they are by unparalleled low prices and continued production at a heavy loss, must endeavor to reduce their cost of transport. On the other hand, oversea shipowners are also up against grave difficulties. “One-way” traffic, the fruit of the tariff policy which prevents free international interchange of commodities, necessitates most of the cost oi round voyages being borne by Homeward cargoes. “Little or no attempt has been made by Governments in Australia to reduce the excessive and overlapping port and light dues, etc. (states tho Review), that have so long made this country a byword among shipowners engaged in the Australian trade, and tho later are, if possible, being even more harassed than before by taxation impositions and tho incidence of Customs duties on their stores, etc. In effect, for both the shipper and the shipowner the transport of our meat and wool is, under present conditions, a flat, stale, and unprofitable business, and it is impossible to see how it can be otherwise until by reduction of costs the shipowner is placed in a position to reduce freights. Each party to the contract is essentially dependent bn the other;. If tho producer is forced by persistent losses out of the export trade, the shipowner is forced to lay ftp his ships, and without tho shipowner pi'6vides the service the producer cannot continue to export. “Negotiations between the two.parties, are being conducted with a view to arriving at a fresh agreement satisfactory to both, but it will readily be seen that the solution of the problem is far front simple. Wo still feel that the key to it life's mainly with our Governments, and if they would even now do what they should have done long ago in thfe way of lessening tho unreasonable costs and handicaps they impose oh the shipping trade, exporters would lie very considerably assisted in the submission of the.ir undeniably justifiable requests for freight concessions.”