More Food Ships Than N.Z. Ports Can Hold

Chronicle (Levin), 20 December 1949, Page 5

More Food Ships Than N.Z. Ports Can Hold

Press Association)

(Per

WELLINGTON. Oeo. 19. There are more refrigerated ships available for taking meat to Britain than Xrw Zealand 's port capaeitv can cope with. From now on. through the sanson, shipping lines will be working right up to port capaeitv, state ttie Overseas Shipowners' Allotment Committee. The statement is in replv to protests by the president of the New Zealand Waterside Workers ' Union (Mr. H. Barnesj about Britain using food ships as meat stores. "A ridicnlons situation," Mr. Barnes described it. Vessels owned by the member shipping lines o" the oommittee being nse1 as storeships included the Pakaha. Port Caroline. Norman Star. and Tudor Star. All these are about to go out of serviae altogether, or ara no longer suuable for the southern Dominion trade. The Suffolk was being similarlv usert whiie under repair. bnt would be back in service as soon as the repairs are finished. It has been reported that altogerner 1.1 sjiips are being used as storage vessels. "The shipning eompanies, " Mr. Barnes said, "are being paid very substantial stims for the use of their ships as vnrnhouses when the food in Tact should be made available to the peopie of Britain. to whom we have sent it." Refrigerated stores in the United Kingdom are congested because tne hotne killing season and the unexpected arrival of South American mear have coincicied. explains the shipowners ' committee. Stocks have trms been inereased temporarily, but the supnlv is not any more than is necded during the vear. Mr. Cvril Osborne, M.P. (Oonservativel has asked in the Oommons for the total tonnnge "of the 11 o-cean liners heing used as flnntin.e refrieerators. " He received uo answer from the taii, aubnrn-haired. 4.9-vear-o'd Parliamentarv Sefretarv to the Ministrv of Food G)r. Edith Bummerskilll, but at least he deserved the flattered nod from the taii, rusty, 30year-atd Pakeha.