SHIPPING CONTROL

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLV, Issue 12064, 28 May 1920, Page 5

SHIPPING CONTROL

Per Press Association. WELLINGTON Last Night. At the Producers' Conference today, Mr James Findlay (Shaw, Savill Company) said he Avas unable to give any information as to when the Imperial Government control of insulated tonnage Avould end. Speaking for his own company, he thought there would be ample space available. Mr J R. Roper (Commonwealth and Dominion line), said his company's war losses had been replaced by eight larger vessels, and at the end of the year there would be two more. There would be space for 2,653,000 carcases per annum, if the ships made tAvo trips a year, but there were many delays which were against that. Mr G B. Bullock (New Zealand Shipping Company) said that if the producers Avould only leave themselves in the hands of the shipping companies 'he Avas quite sure they would be absolutely all right. Mr Findlav pointed out that attei providing space for dairy produce there there would be available space for the carriage of 10,400,000 carcases per year, while NeAV Zealand's production 'was equivalent to J. 000.000 carcases. There would, m fact, be more space available than could actually be filled. When asked to say something with regard to the future freight rates to be charged by shipping companies, Mr Findlay said there was not the slightest chance of any information on that point being available at tnat moment. The shipping companies would endeavour to give producers as cheap a rate as they possibly could. Distance for distance, it was as cheap as any country in the world, but when it came to saying what the. freights would be, he must say "No. It was useles to try and corkscrew out of him any opinion at all as to what the freights would be. The conference at this stage adjourned for a separate discussion of the particular interests of the producers, shipowners, freezing companies and exporters.