THE HIGH FREIGHT QUESTION.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3689, 29 July 1886, Page 4

THE HIGH FREIGHT QUESTION.

The question of freight betweon Britain and Now Zealand has (says the iVero Zealand Herald) on several occasions been animadverted on m our Chamber of Commerco : but, for some time timo pa?t, it scorns to havo been allowed to sleep. Possibly this quiescence may be duo to an impresßsion tbat any further agitation of tho matter is practically useless. This, however, is a miitakc, inasmuch as it is only by persistent advocacy, despite all forbidding prospects, that reforms of any kind are effected. In this respect an example is furnished to the local boly which is recognised as tho guardian of our commercial interests, m the action recently taken on this question by the Dunedin Chambor of Commerce. By this body a resolution ha 3 just been passed to the effect " That tho ruling rates of freight from London to the port of Dunedin are higher than is necessary, compariug them with ratas ruling to tho chief Australian ports ; " and it was remitted to a commitleo to make an exhaustive investigation of tho matter, and bring up a report with a view to future action Now, the grounds of the compluiatthus made by the representatives of the trading interests of Dunedin are, nmtatis mutandis, identical

with those which exist m Auckland and m every lending port of New Zealand ; and any action taken at one port for the redress of such a grievance ought to be taken at them all. Isolated attempts m matters of this nature are seldom or nover effective, and it is perhaps duo to the lack of united effort that this burden complained of by the several New Zealand communities haa not before this time been removed. The companies interested m "nintaining high rates of freight are strong ....a influential, and find it necessary, or at all events advantageous, to support each other m resisting any attempt to lower them ; and it can easily be understood that, 'unless they are confronted with a united organisation, they will naturally decline making any concession. It may of course, bo said that these shippiag companies aro not paying, and that a reduction of freight would only signify for them further loss. This may bo true : but, if so, then tho question is, whether they have not themselves to blame for this ? To say nothing of whnt is regarded by somo as extravagance m the scale on which they havo had their steamers constructed, and the speed at which they drive them, it is m their interct to consider whether by tho high charges they make they are not, m so far at least as inward cargo is concerned, m danger of losing the trade of the colony. Thore are instances wo believe, m which it is found cheaper oven to send exports from New Zealand to Sydney orMelbourno, and ship thence to Britain, than to forward them direct at the ruling rate 3, But what we more especially refer to at prsent is not the outward but the inward traffic, and this tho New Zealand companies, unless they are wise m time, will soon find to be for them a diminishing quantity. There is this fact staring them m the face, that^not a few firms have their goods shipped m sailing vef sels generally, but sometimes by steamers, to Melbourne and Sydney, and forwarded thence by tho Union Company's boats at a cheaper rate than can be secured by direct Bailing vessels. Now whon this happens, it is clear there is something wrong, and that the directors of the New Zealand Shipping Companies must be pursuing a suicidal c jurse if they continue a policy which has a tendency to divert the trade of the colony into other channels. They need not expect the public to be considerate of their interests if they decline to be considerate of the interests of the public. For, after all, it is on the public that the burden of these high rates of freight on both the exports and tho imports of the colony eventually falls. And, as the interests of labourand consumption are intimately associated with those of the trader, tho numberof thoseavailing themselves of the cheaper, even though less convenient, means of transit for their goods is to increase. The direct shipping companys will, therefore, act wisely and m their own interests by losing no timo m assimilating both their outward and inward freight rates as nearly as possible to those ruling between London and the Australian ports. And the duty plainly devolving on the several Chambers of Commerce m tho colony is by a conjoint representation to place before them m a convincing light the expediency of their promptly adopting such a policy.