COMMONWEALTH LINE.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19156, 12 November 1927, Page 17

COMMONWEALTH LINE.

COMPARISON OF FREIGHT RATES (BT CABLE—FRXBS ASSOCIATIOH -COPTBIOET). (AUBTBALIAH AND V.Z CABLE ASSOCIATION.) CANBERRA, November U. In the House of Representatives, in the course of-the debate on Mr M. Charlton's motion of censure, Mr W. M. Hughes, arguing in favour of the retention of the Commonwealth Shipping Line, submitted evidence showing that the operations of the line bad forced reductions in freight rates, and that had the ships been operated on British instead of Australian articles, the result of the operations on the last three years would havo shown a profit of £140,000 instead of a loss. lie claimed that the annual losses on the line were more than Bet off bv the savings effected as the result of freights being kept down. The Conference Shipping Line, which, in 1921, had offered to buy out the Commonwealth ships, and other big shipowners, recognised that the Australian Government, with the taxpayers behind it could go on with the fight indefinitely, and that the Conference Linn might eventually be ruined. Mr P. E. Coleman said a comparison of the freight rates between New Zealand and Australia would be read with much interest by the primary producers, whose alleged representatives said the Commonwealth Line did not effectively control freights. The charge for carrying frozen rabbits from New Zealand to the United Kingdom was 10s a ton measurement more than from Australia. The carriage of apples was Cd a case more, and frozen lambs 5s lOd a ton weight more. The additional freight for the carriage of beef was £1 3s 4d a ton. Tf the Australian shippers were on New Zealand rates, they would have paid last rear £239,000 more to send their refrigerated consignments to the British markets. On the figures of the previous vear, the extra amount involved would have been £400.000.