EFFECT OF HOLD-UPS

Chronicle (Levin), 9 January 1947, Page 8

EFFECT OF HOLD-UPS

-Press Association

By Telegravh-

WELLINGTON, oan. 8. Keqnests were- now being cabiett from London. for the shipping cpippanies in New Zealand to divert refrigerated cargo ships from the Dominioii ports to the Kiver Flate in South America heeause of the whart hold-ups here and. the consequent delay in the turn-round of ships, said Mr. Warwick E. C. Gregory, . resident director in Sydney of the Port Line, who is in New Zealand for six weeks, in an intsr-view. - . ' 1 There is simpiy not enough re frigerated tonnage in Ihe world lci allow ships to be hel'd up for io.ng periods on Ihe eoast, " he said. "We Jiave six ships ari the eoast at present aird olher eonipanies are in similar positions. The ships are being delaved here and are piling up so that othe'r ships can neitlxer enter the ports nor get out of tliem again. " , ' Mr. Gregory said that although he Imd not been in. the Dominion long 'euough to obtain full deta'Us of the uaterfront position, it was obvions that until there was a proper turn-round of vesseJs,. the killing and freezing of meat and the export of foodstuffs would be delaved. if refrigerated ships were diverted from New Zealand this mtisi have a detrimental effeet on the Dominion 's primarv produeers. l'Already I see that your wool huyers are asking for a postponement of the wool saies because of the shipping posi tion," he said. ''All these delgys have ultimately to be paid for by the eonsumers whether in Australia or New Zealand," said Mr. Gregory. "There must be a eonsumer who pays for it — and that 's you and me. ' ' When asked to , make a eomparison l*ei ween Ihe positio.ns on the Australian and New Zealand waterfronts, he said he would say that matters in Australia were neither better nor worse than they wero in the Dominion. As far as industry as a whole 111 Australia was concerned, he thought tliings were moving along steadily. Many British eonipanies were openiug hranelies in the Commonwealth, and that eould be taken as a sign of a national effort at deeentralisation.