NO SHORTAGE OF SHIPS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2269, 1 October 1914, Page 6

NO SHORTAGE OF SHIPS

FOR HOMEWARD CARGO

STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER NO NEED FOR ANXIETY WHAT THE GOVERNMENT IS □ OINC. An important statement was mado in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoan by the Prime Minister regarding (ho shortage, real 01 imagined, of ships to carry Homo refrigerated cargo from New Zealand during the export season just opening. "A good deal has been. said .in the House miring the last few days." said •iV?' ass °y> "with regard to the possibility of our producers being able to get their produce away in the coming export season. I have been looking into tho matter very carefully, and I desire to give the House some •information with regard t.i it. I find that 111 October last year three.ships wero required to carry away our refrigerated produce. Of course, no difficulty exists' concerning any cargo except butter and : choose, and frozen meat. ■ This year wo have three ships, available for the month lof October— the Bualiine, the Corintliic, and tho .fakeha. For November of last year there were shroe ships. This year, we' have five ready—tho Rotorua. the 1 Rakaia, the Tainui, the Zealandio, and the Star of Scotland—good big' ships, every one of ihem. For December*of last year five ships wero required. This year we havo five—the Turakina, tho Tongariro, tho lonic, the Tokomaru, and tho Indrabarah. ' :

"That brings us to December 31, and members will see that there is no possibility, so far as it. is humanly possible to judgo, of any difficulty occurring between now and the end of the year. Sir AValtor Buchanan: Two moi. ships than last year? Mr. Massey: Yes. Deferring to the coming rear, of course, the possibility of any difficulty arising is owing to a number of our ships being" used for trooping purposes, not only from New Zealand, out from Australia as well. I, hare cabled to the Imperial authorities asking them to release the troopships at _ the earliest possible moment after their arri/al. I have not yet had their reply, but .I have not tho* slight est doubt that thoy will do as we suggest. I havo informed the - shipping companies that I am prepared to meet tneni, if it is iccessarj to send" back any of 'the eliips in ballast or partly loaded with cargo. I don't propose to pay full compensation, because I think : members will understand, as I am sure I the companies will understand, that part of, the oost- l 6hould be- borne by the companies themselves. I havenot : the slightest doubt that some friendly arrangement can be made. Also tho Imperial Government has commandeered one of our ships—tho Muritai—which t they are using for conveying frozen meat and stores to the troops. I have asked them to release that ship at the earliest possible moment. I haven't bad a reply, but' I think the reply when it comes to hand may be satisfactory. That is what we are' doing, up to the moment. The Crltloal Period. ' '.'We come now to the two first months of next year, and then we are in the thick of tho sea-son. For January and February of last year we required 18 ships to carry our frozen produce away from New Zealand. For those two months-of next year there are 14' ships in eight; the Now Zoaland. Shipping Company have eight, the Shaw, SaviH Company five, and tho Dominion and Commonwealth Company ono. Mr. Sykes: That is eiolunivo of troopships? . Mr. Massey. Exclusive of transports. Then there are four ■ possibilitiei without touching the transports. Thsro is the Indralema, which will arrive' in'. New Zealand in a few days. There aro also the Indrapura and the Makarini, now in Lon'dou awaiting oargo, foi 1 it seems steamers are finding difficulty in the Home ports in getting cargo for this Dominion, and ships are delayed in consequence. There is then the possibility of-these three ships being available, and there is tho ship I have referred to as having been commandeered. In addition to that-, it is possible that the transports will coma back to New Zealand before they aro required 'for ordinary cargo. About this I cannot speak, because I can't say when the 6liips will go 'from here. As a matter of fact, I don't know. I feel fairly confident of this, however, that our transports will be back in New Zealand before tho end of February. I think that is a very fair assumption. If it should prove to be correct, there will be no difficulty at all. Personally, I don't anticipate difficulty in any case, but I am making this statement in oraer that tbore need be no anxiety on the part of the, people of this country about our exports. In i addition to tho ships I have mentioned, one of the companies has also informed me, not exactly offioially; so that I am not at' liberty: to nienU'on tho name of, the company, that they have eiglit ships building,, and that thoy have chartered three more. So far as this Government are concerned, we have done everything that it is possible to do, and we intend to do -everything it •is possible to do to keep the trade of tliis country going, and I don't think there is need for the least anxiety on the part of the people.. whether-producers or otherwise. Making the Worst of It. Sir Joseph Ward said he . hoped the predictions would' turn out- to be correct, but he was afraid the ships mentioned for. October ? however. • would not be sufficient. This was going to be a big season. •

Hon. members: Not in October. ■ . Sir Joseph Ward: Well, that, is my opinion: He added, iii leroronco'to the interjections that had been made, that it was time Ministers wcro taught manner's, and that more courtesy was shown to tho Opposition side of the Houso. He went on to complain of "politically impertinent interjections." Unfortunately, ho added, such interjections frequently came from Ministers, and ho asked Mr. Speaker to "teach these Ministers a salutary lesson." Ho had said nothing to call for angrv and rude interruptions from • Ministers, and he hoped tho Prime Minister, would give some of his colleagues a lesson. Mr. F. H. Smith (Waitaki): Don't be a spoilt baby.

Sir Joseph Ward added that .ho had information from a' southern port that the two freezing companies thero would havo over 40,000 carcasses that could not ho shipped until November. This would remain on hand, and would be the. first block. Tho same number would not do for November this year. Mr. Wilson: Thero are two more than last year for November.

Sir Joseph Ward said ho was not questioning tho fact that the Primo Minister was doing all he could, but ho did not think the shipping companies coukl supply tho demand', notwithstanding all that had been said. lie wanted to see the trado of tho country carried on.

Mr, Wilkinson (Egmont): What would .you suggest? 1 Sir Joseph Ward replied t-haf he would suggest that some of the troopships now in harbour should be dismantled, and that they should get other ships to take away tho troops even now. in. lion, member: Impossiblol

Sir Joseph Ward said he had not boon asked by the Government to help. In such a matter one got little encouragement. His own opinion was that tiio necessary ships did not exist. He , also urged that spaco should be allotted proportionately to cach port. They were trying to got a quart of water into a pint pot. I Position Satisfactory. . ' Sir "Walter Buchanan (Wairarapa), Chairman-of the Shipping Freights Committed, said that tho figures given by the Prime Minister disclosed a very satisfactory position, Mr. Myers (Auckland East): Have .Ira the September figures P Sir W. Buchanan: Yes; last year there were four ships in September, ami this year there wero two. Of. course there wa3 a margin there to be allowed for, but still for the tlireo months of tho year there was a substantial margin as compared ivith last year. It was true that the strike last >P ar made somo difference, and sonio allowance must be mado for that, but altogether tho position was not nearly so serious as was apparently believed by tho Leader of tho Opposition. "A Business Man." Mr. Massey said that'there Was an apparent desire on the part of the Leader of'tho Opposition to make the worst of the position. He hardly' thought that tho right honourable gentleman could bo speaking . seriouslv in suggesting that ■ somo of the troopships- should be dismantled. He had discussed tho matter with the Minister of Defence, and some of the people concerned, and after making full inquiry ho was informed that they could not load a single ship in addition.to the three that were here now. If however there was any need for another ship it would be met. The Government had selected a troopship which might be dismantled, and it had also selected another ship to 1 take her place in such a case. ' Mr. Isitt (Christchurch North): The suggestion of the Leader of the Opposition was not so unreasonable after all, then. Mr. Massey: lam speaking in the sin-, gular, but the Leader .of tho Opposition was speaking in the plural. Sir Joseph Ward had spoken of 40,000 carcasses, but this was only about one-third of irliat some of tli£ large steamers would take. He was prepared to take any action that wis necessary. If trouble came, he was prepared ito stop ships go-' mtr to New York. ' ' Sir J. Ward: I think it ought to be done now. * Mr. Massey:-1 will do it if it is neces*iTy. I am not going to allow the proQueers of this country to go without the mwssnry bottoms. Sir "J. Ward: I think that the Old Country should, have the 'preference. Mr. J..Allen: So do 1.Mr. Massey: _We will, deal with the . matter in a business way. Mr. Hanan (Invercajgill): Are you a' business man? ■ Sir.! Massey: Yes, of course I am a business. mail. Mr. Hanan: The people are laughing at vou. , Mr. Massey: I have been able to pay twenty shillings in the pound for,the whole of my career, anyway. He added that some' of the steamers, which had gone to Australia would be available for New Zealand. The cicht new steamers referred to -were intended for the Australian rather than for the New Zealand trade, therefore any delay in ■ their completion was not likely to affect Now . Zealand. He believed that when. the time came it would be found that there werA ample ships to take away all our "rodnce.:

When the House met at 7.30 p.m. the Prime Minister said that he had received some further information .about ships available. He was informed that herides the ships he had mentioned! the Kaikoura would be available in October, the_ Buteshire ill December, one unnamed in January, and one, if not two, aduicioual steamers in February.