MR. MASSEY & U.S.S. CO.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1860, 20 September 1913, Page 8

MR. MASSEY & U.S.S. CO.

BUTTER QUESTION.

THE VANCOUVER CONDITIONS.

INTERCHANGE OF LETTERS

A deputation of Wellington butterexporters recently waited upon tho Hon. W. F. Massey, ill his capacity of Minister of Agriculture, and of Industries and Commerce, and laid beforo him certain alleged disabilities under which they laboured in connection with the shipment of butter to Vancouver. Tho Minister, in a letter to the general manager of the Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, wrote as follows :— " The chief points in regard to which they desire an amendment of conditions aro as follow: —

"1. The fact that at ircse" 4 they are required to apply by September 1 for the whole of the space needed by them during the ensuing twelvo months or elso Tun tho risk of others scouring the space places them at a very serious disadvantage, as they are unable at that dato to say with any degree of certainty what their requirements will be. They are of course awaro of tho provision in legard to a certain amount of space being held for New Zealand shippers if unallotted to them on September 1, but they consider that the company ought to be able to fix a later date than September 1 for tho annual allotment. Alight I suggest that tho question of allotting space more than once during the 6eason —say at intervals of four monthsshould receive careful consideration in. addition to tho quostion of fixing a later date than September 1? "2. The deputation protested very istrongly against the coastal freight, to Auckland, and asked that your company should adopt the same attitude as Home-trading companies, which, as you are aware, pay coastal freight to the main ports on goods for shipment to England. I shall be very pleased if you can see your way .to agree to this request, or at least to a reduction in the coastal freight. "3. Tho exporters complained of the withdrawal of ' tho privilege of shipping butter for Vancouver from Wellington to San Francisco for transhipment, aud of tlie intimation received by them that if any butter were later on accepted for forwarding by that route the shippers would have to pay coastal freight from San Francisco to Vancouver. I trust that your company will seo its way to mako tho same arrangements as last season, namely that butter will, when shippers so desire, bo sent by tho San Francisco'boats and transhipped from San Francisco to Vancouver, tho American coastal freight being borne by .the company. "4. Filially iflio deputation aisked that somo reduction bo made in tho rate of freight oil butter to _ Vancouver or San Francisco. They pointed out that at present the freight to England (including Now Zealand coastal freight) is 2s. (3d. per box, as against 4s. Bd. a box to' Vancouver (not including New Zealand coastal freight). It is recognised that tho Union Steam Ship Company is at a disadvantage, in regard to rates .of wages, cost of stores, oost of repairs, and faster steaming; but nevertheless it is felt that' the discrepancy between the two rates is, in view i of tho respective distances, unduly largo. I liavo no doubt that you will recognise that it is exceedingly important at the present juncture that everything possible should be done to foster trado from Now Zealand to Canada, and that you will look on this matter in the most libcr.il spirit ppssible, and. reply • as favourably as circumstances will allow." U.S.S. Co. Reply to Mr. Massoy. Mr. D. A. Aiken, actiiig : general manager of the Union Steam Ship Company, Ltd., in his reply, stated that on learning that somo amendment was desired,- tho matter was taken up with shippers in Wellington, and as a result it was mutuallj arranged that all applications for. butter spaco received on September 1 would be protected, and that the balance of space available would then be held at the disposal of Now Zealand shippers until October 1. Mr. Aiken added that the refrigerated space in the Vancouver steamers when the service began waß ' 35,927 fcubic feet, since been extended to 157,056 cubic feet. The quantity of butter shipped from New' Zealand last season to Vancouver direct and via 'Frisco was 115,327 boxes, and the space available this season was 230,000 boxes. The schcdulo rate- of coastal freight to Auckland was Jd. per lb., but for Trans-Pacific cargo had been reduced to $<1. per lb., and 110 further reduction could bo made. As to tho rate of freight on butter to Vancouver or San Francisco, Mr. Aiken submitted that a comparison with tho' rates charged by the Home lines was not a fair one, as tliey wero run at a slower and moro economical speed, wero not called upon to. pay colonial wages, or comply with oolonial manninig scales, and carried full cargoes; of meat, cheese, butter, wool, ete, homeward, and general cargo outward, yielding all round good rates of freight. Mr. Aikon adds: — " Wo notice occasional references in the Press to Australian shipments receiving preference to tho exclusion of Now Zealand produce, and as proving these statements are without foundation, our records show that while New Zealand shipped 3154 tons weight in cold storage last season, shipments for Australia aggregated only 4-52 tons weight, space for latter only being allotted after New Zealand' requirements had been provided for. In conclusion I beg to assure you that it is our desire to provide every facility for tho encouragement and development of the Trans-Pacific produce trade, and we shall be glad at all times to consider any reasonable suggestions made in this direction."