FREIGHTS AND SPACE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 46, Issue 14128, 28 May 1920, Page 4

FREIGHTS AND SPACE.

A very serious problem that faces the New Zealand farmer now that the commandeer is to be lifted, is that of securing shipping to carry his produce 'to England. In the past most of the shipping companies doing business with this country have totally disregarded the interests of the producers of 'the Dominion. These shipping companies have adopted too much of the Kaiser attitude towards our farmers. The remedy for this state of affairs is in the hands of the farmers. Combined they are wealthy enough to build their own steamers to carry their produce, and it is the duty of the Government to assist as much as 'possible a scheme of this sort. The Poverty Bay farmers have set the ball rolling, and we hope to see the farming community, in other districts following suit. We believe that many of the shipping companies can see this writing on the wall, and that was probably why some of their representatives displayed so much anxiety at the Producers’ Conference at Wellington for the welfare of the farmers in the.matter of shipping. Even if the farmer is provided with space for his meat, there arises the question of what the freight will be. The uniting of the shipping interests throughout the world has not been with a view to cheapening freights and assisting producers to place their products as cheaply as possible on the open market. Therefore, the question which concerns the farmer is how to remedy the unsatisfactory position, and we think the difficulty can be easily overcome by the farmers running their own steamers.