SHORTAGE OF SHIPS

Waikato Times, Volume 84, Issue 13207, 24 June 1915, Page 4

SHORTAGE OF SHIPS

DEPUTATION TO PREMIER.

By Telegraph Special to Times. WELLINGTON, Thursday

A large and representative deputation from the Auckland district waited upon the Prime Minis!,'!' yesterday afternoon in regard to the question of the shortage of space in insulated vessels for the carriage of frozen meat and dairy produce. The deputation was headed by the president of {he Auckland Chamber of Commerce, Mr Robert Burns. The members of the Overseas Shipping Committee also attended.

After the members of the deputation had stated their case, the Prime Minister made a lengthy reply in which he dealt exhaustively with the question, largely on the lines of his recent statement on the subject. In regard to the Shipping Committee, he said that it was not set up by the British Board of Trade. He would have no objection to Auckland being represented on the committee if the Board of Trade saw fit, but the question was that Auckland was not the headquarters of any of the shipping companies. A representative of the Government was added to the committee at his (Mr Massey's) request. As to Auckland's share of shipping space, he said that when the allocations for a certain month were submitted to him he said that he thought that Auckland was entitled to a little more space, and at his request Auckland's proportion for that month was raised from 9000 to alxrat 17,000 carcases. He detailed what the Government had done in the early stages of the war, and the consistent efforts that had been made to maintain as many ships as possible. The Government had paid £SOOO to have the Muritai sent back in ballast. He had also agreed on behalf of the Government to pay half of the £IO,OOO which !he owners of the Zoalandic required as the price of bringing that vessel Lack in ballast. The allocations were made by the Shipping Committee in proportion to the number of carcases in store. He did not say that lie agreed with that method, but that was the case. Auckland was lamentably short in respect to storage. Instead of having provision for only 55,000 carcases in Auckland he thought that in view of the expansion of the large district there should be provision for the storage of half-a-million carcases there. He hoped that the Auckland people would provide as much storage space as possible during the coming season. He was glad to notice that new works were already being erected in the Auckland district. Continuing, Mr Massey said that the ships available for July were the Opawa, Remuera (to lie partly laden this month), Tongariro, Athenic, La Blanca, Delphic, Waiwera, Corinthic, and Somerset. These ships would carry about 784,950 carcases. In August there would be the following, with possible additional ships:—Tainui, Ruahine, Huninui, Otaki, Waimate, and the Makalini. These ships would carry 582,000 carcases. In September there would be the Kumara, lonic, Matatua, Rotorua, Whakatane, and Orari, with a total carrying capacity of 522,000 carcases. The total capacity of the ships for three months would be 1,888,950 carcases. There were about two million carcases in store to-day. Instead of being scared and frightened the people of the Dominion should be fairly satisfied with what had been done. He admitted that Auckland had not had its proper share during the last two months, but the shortage would be made up in the future. There was one thing, however, that Auckland must make, and that was provision for storage space. The prosperity of the country depended upon it. Mr Massey said that out of a total increase of freight space for the North Island up to the end of May of 168,471 caicases, as compared with the previous year, Auckland received space for no less than 116,023 carcases. In reply to a question, Mr Massey said so far as dairy produce is concerned he did not think that there would be any more trouble in the future than there had been in the past, but he could not say the same in regard to meat.