SHIPPING FREIGHTS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16267, 6 November 1920, Page 16

SHIPPING FREIGHTS.

♦ OWNERS’ REPLY TO SELECT COMMITTEE. LETTER TO PRIME MINISTER. Joseplt Kinsey, chairman of the Chnstcluinh Overseas Shipowners’ 1 omnuttoe Ims sent, to tho ‘‘Star” a. copy ol a. letter addressed to the Prime Minister, under date Wellington, November 3, by tho New Zealand Overseas Shipowners’ Committee and signed by ]\[r James Findlay as chairman:--

ci * Rcferring to (he report of the Agricultural and Pastoral Industries, Slock and Commerce Committee, recently presented to the House of Representatives, wherein it is stated t uat while giving full consideration to tho various causes winch have operated in materially increasing the cost of running vessels as compared with pre-war tunes, _ the committee, after carefully weighing the evidence given, is ot opinion that the rates now quoted lor privately owned cargo are unwarrantably high. These rates when applied to an output of frozen meat, dairy produce, meat, sundries, flax and annual by-products, equal to that shipped in 1919 and an output of wool equal to that shipped in 1914, would involve the payment of £5,143.202 in excess of the payments made for Heights on these products during tho year 1913. I desire to point out that such a basis of comparisons is entirely misleading and tho A. and P. Stock and Commerce Committee anpears to have lost, sight of the fact that it was comparing in 1920-21 at the enhanced lates of freight ruling, quantities of cargo greatly in excess of those shipped cl 1 i 913 ’ , o or instanco t!l ® A. and P btock and Commerce Committal’s estimato of meat shipments in 1920-21 is about 50 per cent in excess of shinments in 1913, wool and cheese beim* approximately 18 per cent and 157 ner cent in excess of 1.913, Tho only fair basis of comparison is of course the estimated quantities of cargo to be shipped in 1020-21 at present rates as compared with the lower rates *of freight current in 1913. '‘This committee, adopting the quantities shown in the A. and P btock and Commerce Committee’s re’port, as a basis, has made a careful calculation with the following results: Warnings 1920-21 season at ( present rates of freight £6,959,207 Earnings for same quantities at. 1913 season’s rates ?Lf rei ? hf • • . • £2,373,468 ine increased earnings in 1920-21 £?lite for ° £4 : 58 - 5 - 745) “id not £0,143,202 as mentioned in tho A. and i . block and Commerce Committee’s n P iqun eV'° freight charges in ISE.O-M are thus shown to be 193 Per cent over 1913 while tho A. and P btock and Commerce Committee had before it evidence that tho extra cost of i mining steamers (exclusive of estahisliment charges, depreciation and increst on capital on steamers built at Ingli cost during or since the war) was Wrf er E . xf L a charges for iniciest and depreciation on now steami or information it mar be s atod, will, together with establishment charges, increase tho muniim cost of steamers to well over 3@o per cent, ns compared with increased freight charges of 193 per cent. Under the Srcumstanees, tins committee ventures { ° ,1 s llm iho finding of the \ and 1. Stock and Commerce Committee Is not warranted by facts, i. ?p s a re .snlt of the report by the Select Committee, overseas shipping companies have been unjustly criticised bv the Press and this committee proposes !o iTrA"’" “ f tl " f comm unieation

SHIPOWNERS’ PROFITS. [From Our Correspoxdext 1 """"" W ELLINGTON, November 5. taking as his brief a statement by he chairman ot the Overseas Shipowners Committee regarding their I'unning costs Mr D. Jones put a question to Mr Massey. He asked if the iume Minister realised that the preuar freight on a 601b sheep was 3s 3d It was now 10s 33d, or 318 per cent iise. Lamb, formerly 2s Id, now was snn J if f\] of 308 per cent and. 800 lb bullock carcases bore an increase of freight at the rato of 360 per cent, ovhereas the shipowners’ statement showed that their running costs had incased by IS3 per cent: and LLlni were recently sold at oier .LoOO, while to-dar, despite ho high price of coal and other costs, they were quoted at £430. Freezing companies which paid identically the same rates of increased wages had increased rates only 100 pw cent & In,ow ’Ml* Prime Minister "ooojjoke action in the matter. What sort of action?” queried Mr Massey, wlm said he had received the shipowners tetter but did not know Wh‘°n, tlo . f, S urGS were correct. Wlien. (he session came to an end he Mould deal with the matter and decide was to bo done. He would certainly do all he could to see that prod cers were not charged an unroa onablo rate of freight for the cargo they sent away. \ ” ■