SHIPPING FREIGHTS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXVI, Issue 18019, 6 November 1920, Page 4

SHIPPING FREIGHTS

SOME PERTINENT QUESTIONS. ! PREMIER TO INVESTIGATE. (By Telegraph.) (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) I WELLINGTON, Nov. 5. j A letter forwarded to the Prime Min-, ister, and also published in the press relating to the report of the Stock Com.' mitteo of the House of Representatives j on shipping freights, was the subject. | of a question in the House by Mr Jones j (Kaiapoi). Mr Jones asked ii the Prime , Minister had received a letter, and if i he observed that Mr Findlay, the, writer* stated that the increase in the I running charges of ships was 183 per; cent. .Mr Findlay also slated that there was evidence before lite Stock Committee which did not justify it in bringing down its report. As a member of thei Committee, Mr Jones wished to say that they had no evidence from shipping ' companies, only assertions that the freights for frozen meat had increased since before the war as follows Multon 38(1 per cent., lamb 3DB per cent., beef 360 per cent. Would the Prime Minister take this into consideration, together with Mr Findlay’s statement that the running charges had increased only 183 per cqnt. Would he also consider that P. and (). shares (£lOO paid up) were recently sold for £530, and now, despite coal increases,' were selling at £430? Also, that freezing charges, though there had been approximately the same increase in cost as for" shipping, had advanced by only 100 per cent. Would the Prime -Minister consider this, and take action to see that t’he producers of the Dominion got a fair deal? The Prime Minister said he had received the letter referred to, and he noticed that Mr Findlay stated that there were certain inaccuracies in the report. He had not had time yet to go into the figures, but he intended to do so when the session, came to an end. He would look into the matter closely, and he intended to do all he possibly could to see that the producers were not charged unreasonable rates of freight for the produce they were able to send away.