FARMERS AID SHIPPING.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 46, Issue 14128, 28 May 1920, Page 5

FARMERS AID SHIPPING.

SPACE AND FREIGHTS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON. ThursdayAt the Producers’ Conference to-day, Mr James Findlay, of the Shaw, Savill Company, said he was unable to give any information as to when the imperial Government control of insulated tonnage would end. Speaking for- his own company, he thought there would be ample space available. Mr J. R. Roper, of the Commonwealth and Dominion Line, said his company’s war losses had been replaced by eight- larger vessels, and at the end of the year there would be two more. There would be space for 2,653,000 carcases per annum if the ships mae.o two trips per year, but there were many delays, which.were against that. , '

Mr G. B. Bullock, 0 f the New Zealand Shipping Company,, said that if the producers woyld only leave themselves in the hands of the shipping companies, he was quite sure they would be absolutely till right. Mr Findlay pointed out that, a£ter providing space for dairy produce, there would be available space for tho carriage of 10,400,000 carcases per year, while New Zealand’s production was equivalent to 7,000,000 carcases. There .would; in fact, be more f "space available, than could actually ! be filled, v- : ■■■: - r When asked to say something with reference to the future-freight rates to be‘charged by the shipping companies, Mr Findlay said there was not the slightest chance of any information being available at that moment. The shipping companies would endeavour to .give the producers as cheap a rate as possible—distance for distance as cheap as any country in the world. But when it came to saj'ing what' the freights would be, he must say no. It was useless to try to corkscrew out of him auy opinion at all as to what the freights would be.

The conference at this stage adjourned for a separate discussion particular interests of the producers, shipowners, freezing companies and exporters.