SHIPPING

Southland Times, Issue 18975, 23 June 1923, Page 5

SHIPPING

SOUTH ISLAND POSITION. REVISION OF SHIPPING FREIGHTS WANTED. (Special to the Times.) CHRISTCHURCH, June 22. The joint Committee on South Island Shipping, set up by the Chamber of Commerce and the Canterbury Progress League met to-day. The chairman (Mr J .J. Herdman), said the object of the meeting was to consider whether it was advisable to take any action in regard to the revision of shipping freights. At present the South Island was penalised by not having a flat rate. The secretary (Mr H. Antil Adley) said a sub-committee had been set up, but so far it had not obtained sufficient information to make a report. Mr A. L. Macfarlane said there was a flat rate to Auckland and Wellington but on cargo transhipped to the Souui isluiiu they had to pay the coastal rate. Mr J. D. MacFarlane said Wellington and Auckland had the advantage over the South Island ports. The South Island paid its share of the subsidy and got none of the benefits. The transhipment rates from Wellington to Lyttelton added 50 per cent, to the shipping freights on oversea goods. The South Island was being isolated. It was already cut out of the Sydney-San Francisco and the Island trade. He thought they should place the position before their members in Parliament. The Union Company used to charge the same freight for all ports. Mr Jenkin moved that a sub-committee be set up to interview the local members of Parliament and place the facts before them. This was agreed to.

Mr J. D. MacFarlane said he had one instance in mind. Fruit recently imported from Raratonga was landed at Wellington at 4s per case, while the cost for landing at Lyttelton was 6s per case. People asked why fruit was dearer in the South than in the North Island but they did not know the difference in freight rates. Mr P. R. Climie said the sub-committee was making the investigation on behalf of the shippers of the South Island, but the latter had not given the support they should have done. The sub-committee had sent out 35 circular letters to Christchurch shippers, and had received only some halfdozen replies, and these had not offered much information. Mr J. D. MacFarlane: It is that apathy which has placed the South Island in its present position. It was agreed to inform the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce of the steps taken.