FARM PRODUCE

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 75, Issue 6408, 15 August 1947, Page 5

FARM PRODUCE

INCREASE DEFENDS ON SHIPPING FEDERATED FARMERS’ DISCUSSION Farmers were being asked continually to increase production. They wanted to produce more, but they would like to be assured that ships would be available to take the produce away when they were ready to deliver it, said Mr T. L. Hayman at the monthly meeting of the Waimate branch of Federated Farmers. For some time now the necessary ships had not been available when they were required, and this had caused farmers a lot of worry, inconvenience, and expense, he added.

For the 12 months ended 31st July, 1939, 266 vessels had loaded at Timaru for North Island ports, while for the 12 months ended 31st July, 1947, the tally was only 75 vessels, with approximately the same number operating, said Mr Hayman. “It will be difficult for some of you to believe that these figures are correct; but I can assure you that they are. I have the names of the vessels and the dates upon which they sailed from Timaru.” he continued. “We want to get back to pre-w T ar conditions in our shipping, have the same hours of work on the waterfront as we had then, and handle the cargo at all ports at the same rate as we did then.

“ The watersiders at Timaru do a good job. I have no hesitation in saying that they enjoy the highest reputation in New Zealand for work done. We are in a very favourable situation in South Canterbury,” said the speaker. The /Timaru waterside workers handled cargo at a very satisfactory rate—the same rate as before the war—but they were not now allowed to work the same number of hours as they did before the war. The rate at which work was done seemed to be all right at the smaller ports, and it would seem that longer working hours was all that was required to correct the position at those ports, but at the main ports faster xork was necessary as well as longer hours, continued Mr Hayman.

“We must have a quicker turnround of our ships if we are to get our produce away at the right time,” he said. The position was both serious and dangerous in so far as it affected the coastal trade, but in respect of overseas trade the slow’ turnround of ships was suicidal, he added. “ We must ask ourselves this question: How long will overseas vessels come to lift our meat, wool, and butter and cheese if they are to waste so much time and money in our ports ? ” he said.

“ I move that we call upon the Government to rectify this serious shipping position and assure the Government of our support in any worthwhile efforts it may make to get a greater degree of efficiency in this our key transport industry,” said Mr Hayman. Supporting the motion, Mr Max Hayman said there was urgent need for co-operation among the waterside workers, the shipping agents, and the producers. It was hard to believe the difference in the numbers of ships, he said, but some ships might have had tw’o to three times the capacity of pre-war ships. The tonnage might not show the same discrepancy as the number of ships. Mr T. L. Hayman: I have not the figures for the tonnage, but many of the ships are the same vessels that came before the war.

Mr Max Hayman said he knew’ of cases where ships had been by-passed from Timaru w r hen cargo and labour to work the vessels had been available. Mr T. L. Hayman: I have been told by South Canterbury merchants that if they do not get more shipping to move the accumulating good they will have to close their stores. The motion was carried unanimously*