PORT OF MANCHESTER

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 151, 29 June 1932, Page 9

PORT OF MANCHESTER

DIRECT SHIPMENTS THE SIZE OE VESSELS LONDON, April 24. The need for more direct importation of provisions into Manchester from the Dominions and colonies and for import duties to be fixed on a quantity instead of an ad valorem Basis were among the chief matters discussed at the annual meeting of subscribers of the Manchester Wholesale Provision Association, Ltd., in the Corn Exchange, on April 21. Mr 11. W. Horrocks, retiring president* in reviewing the esents of the year, said that when England Ment off the gold standard it was thought by many that food prices would be greatly advanced, and the President of the board of Trade made a request to do the utmost to check panic-buying and to help to keep prices as luw as possible. The response had been such that there had since been little or no change in values. The directors had taken up the question of the ad valorem duty on butter, lard, cheese, and They had pointed out to the Treasury that a flue rate of so much per hundredweight

would entail considerably less work for both importers and CusGims authorities, and were now .mlisfug the support of Manchester members of Parlia ment. It was an interesting fact .nat a. week before the. duties came into force the price of Danish butter was 175 s per cwt in Manchester and that immediately afterwards the price dropped to 1395, including the 10 per cent. duty. And to-day the price of lard was shillings per cwt. cheaper than before March 1. Dominion’s Dairy Produce Commenting on the direct shipments 'of butter and cheese to Manchester from New Zealand, Mr Horrocks said that tho butter consigned to Manchester increased from 40,700 boxes in .1930 to 87,927 boxes in 1931, and cheese from 23,925 crates to 41,526 crates. Taking the first quarter of each of the last three years, he showed that the direct imports of the butter rose from .14,767 boxes in 1930 to 30,874 in the next year, and to 65,954 in the first quarter of this year, and of the cheese from 8905 crates to 14,028 in the first, quarter of last year and to 28,8429 crates at the end of March last. The future of this business, he added, was considered so important that a new section hacLbeen formed, called the Colonial Butter and Cheese Conference. Its purpose was to work with other trade associations, such as the Fruit Trade Association and the Fresh Fruit Association, to secure more direct boats from Australia and New Zealand to Manchester. One thing he hoped this section would do was to ask the people responsible for the allocation of tho vessels for the Manchester service to see that the boats selected sould navigate the Ship Canal and so unload at the Manchester docks and not in Liverpool, whence the cargo had to be forwarded to Manchester by road or rail. During the last year they had had the unfortunate experience of having five boats out of eight on which produce was consigned to Manchester unable to navigate the Canal, or only with great difficulty—three because the masts were too high ami two owing to the width of the beam. He was glad to be able to announce the receipt of a cable announcing the departure from Australia of a boat direct for xManchestcr —a step in the right direction. '•Ridiculous Prices” Mr C. H. Ashton, the new president, said that at the present time fierce competition, the effects of tariffs, fluctuating rates of exchange, and tho prospect of a bacon quota were all giving rise to much anxiety in the trade. Competition had never been so fierce before. Wholesale prices o*t pro visions over the last fifteen months had fallen slightly, but relatively retail prices had fallen considerably more, therefore th<- margin between wholesale and retail prices lia<l boon coutracte*!. and naturally the retailer hud been decidedly keener in bis buying Lack ' h unen ploymcnt, coupled with heaxy produc- ■ othei '■ ' tors. Provisions had found their way into the bazaars and toyshops, and had been sold at ridiculous prices. It was a disservice to the community that goods should be sold below the cost of production and distribution. Tu some departments of the trade, Mr Ashton added, tho fluctuation and uncertainty of rates of exchange ha.l created groat difficulties, and buying forward delivery from countries still on the, gold standard was almost at a standstill. This was to be regretted, but the removal of tho gold standard had provided uu opportunity for manufacturers and exporters, on whom they hoped this would react to their mutual advantage. Referring, finally, to the argument used originally by shippers against direct shipment to Manchester —that Manchester could not dispose of enough dairy produce tu warrant direct steamers being sent Mr Ashton pointed out that in tho last eighteen months the average cargo of dairv produce* from .*vew Zealand shipp--I

direct to the city* had risen from to the region of 800 tons, and, as Australian butter was becoming extremely popular in Manchester and East Lancashire. he hoped every effort would be made t » encour«gc more direct, stcameis to Manchester from Austm-