PRODUCERS’ SHIPPING LINE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16537, 22 September 1921, Page 2

PRODUCERS’ SHIPPING LINE.

REPORT OF COMMITTEE. REPORT OF COMMITTEE. The report of a committee appointed at a conference in AV ellington of representatives of farmers, freezing companies, woolbrokere, and others to consider a producers’ shipping line wa® read to a. meeting of farmers in Christchurch yesterday by Mr W. J. Poison, Dominion president of the Farmers’ Union, who said, that he had received permission to publish it,' and that it then was being given to th© public for the first time. The report is as follows : U A board of mercantile shipping, with al! th© powers of a. company, to bt=r formed for the puTuose of providing refrigei - ated and other tonnage for overseas shipping to and from New Zealand. 2. That. the Capital of the company be provided : (a.) By contributions from farm produce in New’ Zealand, such contributions to be proportional to the value of the following classes -of produce:—(i.) All stock put through freezing works; (ii.) all wool clipped e,nd slip«d; (in.) all pelts, tallow -and animal by-products produced at freezing works; (iv.) all butter and cheese produced by factories; (v.) *.ll flax, produced. (b.) By the Government subscribing annually an amount equal to the total of such contribution 3. Th contributions received and the Government subscription t:> be considered the capital stock of the beard, and scrip shall be issued to the growers, freezing companies, dairy farmers, flaxmillers, «tc., and the Government, for the amount paid by each, and dividends to be paid on this ecrip when earned by the board. 4. Any fixed loan approved by the Minister to be guaranteed by the Crown and raised as a Government lean. 5. The Mercantile Shipping Board to be so constituted that each organisation, body and association contributing shall receive repreEeutatiaon in the board proportionate to the amount paid to the board by such 'organisation, body or association, Computed up toi the end of each financ-iaJ year6. The Mercantile Shipping Board to be given powers analagous to those possessed by hospital boards, the board in each year to estimate the financial requirements of that year for costs of administration, interest on fixed loans, overdrafts and other capital expenditure; rents upon charters, reserve funds and sinking funds. The board also (subject to appeal to- the Minister) to have power to fix the proportion of the whole moneys required by it in airy year, which ie to bo found by the various products mentioned in CLauee 2. The board also to be given power to fix the contribution which, upon the estimated output for the year, will produce the proportion of the whole sum. for each particular industry, required by the board. Mr Poison said that til© idea, was to pass legislation to make a compulsory contribution on produce exported. It would be seen that there was no mention in the report of a. contribution on imported goods. That omission was made because th© importer would pass on the contribution to the retailer, who would add his profit and pass it on to the public. The importer, in that case, would receive share capital, and the public would pay for it. There would be big opposition to the producers’ line. Pressure had been brought to bear on the freezing companies. Th© freezing companies, in iact, had received pressure from strong vested interests, and they had eaten their own words- Statements by Mr Hughes in his defence of the Corumonwealth line were being used to oppose the .shippers’ line in New Zealand. A fight was coming, and he honed that farmers would not be misled.