HOME FREIGHTS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 427, 9 February 1909, Page 8

HOME FREIGHTS.

CASE FOR EXPORTERS. 'OTT.>BY. ; 'im^;.W.^O.: ; BUpHiNiN, ; "M,P.' ,;. i A- l .battle."ifor 'cheaper .freights on produce consigned from New Zealand to England-was ; initiated by .what" in 1897 was.known as tho Freights- Heduction"-Committee,- and the matter'.is ono, of interest to , all Qxportors. Itfjhas.now been.revived by a speech mado by.'■Mγ. , . , yf. 0. .Buchanan,",'M.P.,. at ins 'of the Mnsterton .A.: and .P.. Association 'hold pn:SaturdayiJ ..: .■•.-,■.; ■....." ;j .['-'i '.:;: • ;• Mr," Buchanan said that, he would'like to tako'.advantage'' , , of tho representative gathering of farmers to bring under, their notice, •a matter; of'the ■utmost importance , to tho; wholeiof New Zealand, viz;, the free trade .in;tho exports of the Dominion.. Hβ referred itbi the : freight-charged on -wool between New Zealand and England/; and his regret ivas;':that \he .could, not 'refer in the -same' way tb.the ;freight produce, i\ : ;■ .•; VThe'v Effort ■ 1n ; 1897.." ■-'.'■ •'".^..••.v .■'■■ Perhaps.fthey' would .remember that iri : 1897 he travelled, all 'over the North Island and'.initiated what.' was termed '-; the. Freight , Reduction ; Committee/ the ■ object : of which :was.to get^settlera.to send .their wool Home redjiced - charges of ) the: cpmmit-tee.i-.-iThe'cpmrpittee. also.had : in-,view!-frozen moatand'proliucejbiit on account,of one of .!. largestiVfr'eezingc..,companies: 'in ■!, Canter'.bury;;hbldmg',;aloof. v ,.ffom..,the- 'movement ■the", result:'wasi,failure.*,. But enough; had been ' dqrieyjtp' give ..'.the - companies;.: a' ;fright,'- and - down .went,the -freight on .wool by Us. i per; bale rand- frozen;, produce by' Jd.. per r lb,;.i,Tb : r the/i)prnini6n:this' meant '-.'a' .saying .of,a.quarter;,of:a..million sterling , in. one : yeaf.: ,; : ,-.:'. i ho.i':.'";-- ■'■'!■:■".'■■'■'■ ':-'■:■ ■';''-': : , -;-'-\:v^ i ;,YV-4tYhe^.yi,pol',: i Shlpmentßi".v/.-. ■■.■.'■:--. V;'-;.: . ;: .■"■■■^;.Sinoβ\'itha't^''tliriβv^βvßβign't.' , 'Bedubtio.n■■ ! Committee had - been loading', sailing vessels, butstbis yeir. the wool handle"d : by the coin--niittee had.heen : put .'aboard-three steamurs instead'; of 'sailers:.' -.TheH, reason ; for-" this *as;; : - the ;■' insumcienoyiihbf;- the'"'•• -tonnage of. '■:• tho .sailers ; and the: fact ?that 'they Had had .';te» j double .their; charges ; on- account of :he' I would like 'to urgej-Uppnithemiwas.that the: -opmmitteeYiWished/the'settleTS generally to .help th'im'and/shipjtheir.iwppl'through the ; Freight'': Be'ductien • Cemmittee's - steamers;. ,They knew well that wool buyers came'' from "all : part3 ; bf : : tho .world to f attend' the ; sales in New Zealandjiand -it.was , a' fact' that: some-; ■ had; been '.told' tbat'iif'. they shipped by .the .Freightr.'Reduction'jbCommittee's . steamers',' : they; could expect no . ; accommbdation' in 'other' TOSsels'.-vln'..other words, , a, boycott was establislipd/'and.the cbmmittee.had to fight.'.tlio banks .flnd.cpininissioh'agents who .wereusing tlie.boycott.:: To.skb\y i-whore":the ,committee- was : ,endeayouring ■■•tit: a benefit'on "settlers he mentioned, that' (last.' shipping companies: charged;' 9-lGd.' ipfer -lb.- : for: wool and 10- per , cent, primage,: while .-the': : Freight'l.VKeductipn '-'■ Committcb' ,charged;7-16d;: net'ori Bailers?; This;year the iCOmmitteo's "steainers 'were" carrying for.jlhe ;.same ; ;price,:'and. if theyVeared; to ';reckbn -it. ryut, ;they ; ;. would ■.■find-that: the. difference'' in ipncev.meant' rpughly,,a;:saving of 65.. 6d.' 'on 'a: four hundred, pound. bale, of.'.- wool.'ft' That was, a. difference-to .New Zealand of £140,009. This- merely-Hllustrated vlibw ■.much- svas: ; in'- : b'y'. the cdmmitteo's■ operations', vbiit ■•ho'-would .like/'to : addVthat;i\ntnout.the a'ssisitance^'p'_f;:;settlersi. the' t committee, could., dp :nothing;. .< SubK 1 ; assistance': could' be igiven by farmers: directing agents as.to-, which: ships ithoy Tff shod their 'wool to be sent Home by! ■■V-:;) : ,%.-;'? , Fretf,Trade\ ; .fbr : !the''Expbrt8VV.''y-''' : ';';.'

'_ .Tho.banks,and commission agents'liad largo -interests'involvedsin:the: Dbminioh's■'vvool clip, but the' committee was only concerned'■ ..carriage! oversea; and! thereby was .making an' effort; to keep , the freight on this 'country's produce: an operi question.- Hβ had .nothing in the business any,more than any vof.those present) and his only iobject was to ;obtain : cheaper freights. ; He Purged v- free strade-.for..tho/exports, and ;all that ■'': was .wanted :'was atUiHiH-ket''rates.-''The-;c6mmitteb"wahted: no-favours, merely an open ;door,':but. lie. would -take'..the precaution to if, : ;it-lapsedj , :freights' would ■:gd back -the price they, aro ; iiow;' 'The.'.committee,'had'.hopes,, when, it 'had an fopportunity. of.-, putting,ithe-facts' before.till ; settlers, of -forcing the.opehdqor'for shipping .arid- striving;,for New':Zealand; to :havo-..tbG ■same.'•.oheap.vfreignts "as- Australian:arid other ! sett|ersf.in:'different-parts;of: tho.'-world had!.with:EDgland.;r In-:conchisiori he said that >ome:day-the committee hoped to Have ropro- : (Sentatives =in' every ,distrjct, ; .'and 'when it was , realised; what' tbefoominitteo's'efforts .meant ■forthe settlers, of-the Dominion,-he felt sure ;ft at: Plsn*y/.«f^sopport : .would-:b6,fprthcoming.. ; ' STATEMENT DY MR. D. H.' SCALES^ . Mr.!'&': H. Scales;(shipping, agent' for tho Freight 'Reduction. Committee) gave sbine particulars respecting wool freights to -a .Dominion '. representativo■■." yesterday; .The committee,; .which- represents '■".. shecpowiiers ithroughout'this province, : was established 12 ■or 13; years' ago iwitli the object of getting carnage' at a fair rate, without the 'necessity •of, charter.' Until this year Mr. Scales has loaded sailors. This year ho decided to load' .three Clan liters. ;, . ■ .The shipping companies,' which have been charging 9-16 d: per pound, reduce the freight to-7-16d.^in v ;waiter, but, Mr. Scales says,: only tho'. freezing, companies benefit by this !winter,',rate.' : At tho opening of this season, the companies ; announced tliat I , the, winter 'rate would. be.contihued during.the summer. .Paragraphs'have-appeared in the press explaining.tha't tho cohtimiance of tho winter jirate was ; duo-variously to the prico of wool' and;to-itho-reduction;-of rates , from Australia. ■ Mr...Scales says 'that the reduction- of rates 'from Australia was due to' the compcT : titioai-- of ! ■•the/,Clan Miners;" Not 'many days ■,ago|the',compaiiies reduced'the rate to 3-sd' plus 10-percent...This,' says Mr;, Scales, is a ifew ;pence,.a'.bale: ; cheaper than- his rates. The:suggestion!has been made-that the Clan ;line;s_i:competition.' jeopardises the : general ■carrying .trade'-of--the-companie's, but Mr: Scales ..pointed ioiit that v tho companies : al- 1 rcady;.jinve>,to.-charter- steamers to carry ■ wool,- and - ifijio did not charter steamers, ;they;would havo to charter more. /If they ; built.more,;. they would' only-havo to lay' ui) moro.^hips,! for,'the ■'-winter.'•• Already two lOJan liners ;hayo :been: sent away,. and auiothor.is loading..m'v;;-:;v-; ■:•■•-•. : - ; .■■'-.-.

; With; reference' to ajVpublished istatement , ;that complaint is. made of the fact .that the 'boats h'ave'_coloured: craws, Sir.- Scales .mentioned that coloured crews have been .employed on wool: ships used by the shipping [companies..-; The\TJ.S.S;, Co.'s, Aparima, ho 'added, has also.coloured.seamen.. . :• ' •'•' ■'