SHIPPING AND EXPORTS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2293, 29 October 1914, Page 4

SHIPPING AND EXPORTS

The report presented to the House of lieprcscntativcs yesterday by Sib Walter Buchanan on behalf of the Shipping. Freights and Charges Committee confirms the result of preliminary inquiries made by the Government in regard .to the amount of shipping that will be available to fcako away the Dominion's exports during the present season. The position, broadfy, is that plenty of shi'i-i , are available up to the end of Janlinry, and that difjiculty will be experienced, if at all, -during the busy months of February and March, when the export output reaches its maximum volume. The recommendation of the committee that steps should be taken to secure- the return to the • Dominion with all possiblo speed of, ships which may bo engaged m convoying Expeditionary Forces to Lurope was anticipated and acted i upon by the Government some weeks ago. An additional safeguard suggested by the committee is the retention of surplus ships, not required between now and the end of January, to take .away produce in February and March. Since tiiis course .would entail the payment of compensation to the shipowners, on account _of the time'lost by their vessels, it will presumably only be adopted if the situation threatens to become acute. The- Government has made it evident that it has the position well in hand) and may bo trusted to take any necessary action m the interests of the export trade. The committee was able to make a satisfactory report upon the questions of freight increases and the allocation of shipping space which it was primarily appointed to investigate. Upon tho carriage of dairy produce and frozen meat no increase has been imposed, and the additional 25 per cent, on -general cargo is found to be to some extent justified, though the committee is of opinion that as , conditions become normal the increase should be abolisnad. There is a possibility of difficulty being experienced in providing shipping space for cheese, but the committee considers that it can be met by special consideration on tlio part of tne shipping companies, llie only branch of export trade which appears to be seriously threatened is the flax industry An increase in freights of ,17s. per ton on top oi a recent reduction in price of j>3 per'ton makes the prospects of this branch of our export trade so precarious that a good deal of weight must bo attached to the recommendation that the. Government should, if possible, devise so.no method of tiding the industry over its difficulties. , The fact that the committee .presided over by Sir Walter Buchanan has been able on this occasion to render such useful service is the best possiblo argument in support of.its recommendation that a permanent Board of Trade with- clearly-defined powers of inquiry, should bo set up in this country. There is no need in New Zealand for a body of such wide scope and powers as the British Board of Trade, and. indeed, some oi. the functions which that' body exercises in Great Britain are carried out here by State Departments. An Advisory Board of Trade, however, _ might perform as useful service in its own field of work as, on the testimony of the Pkijie Minister, is already being performed by tho Board of Agriculture. As tho trade of the country expands, questions relating to shipping arrangements and freights, markeis, and so rorth,_ becomo increasingly complex, and. it is very desirable that per-, manent machinery should be. provided for assembling and keeping always at hand the best available , information on these subjects. The findings of tho committee, composed of .members of both sides of the House, and the support which they received in the-House, are a sufficient guarantee that'no exploitation of the Dominion's producers and exporters is being attempted at the present time, but if an attempt of this character should over be niado an Advisory Board of Trade would bo able to render very useful assistance in anticipating and defeating it.