PREPAID FREIGHTS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2333, 15 December 1914, Page 7

PREPAID FREIGHTS

GOVERNMENT TO BE APPROACHED CENTRAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEETING. A' meeting of the Central Chamber of Commerce was held yesterday afternoon. Mr. 0. M. Luko presided. Further correspondence relating to interned cargoes was received, on tho' lines of previous letters. The chairman pointed out that there was no difficulty now with Tegard to Australian cargo. ' As tho matter of Java cargo had not been brought directly before them ho did not see that they could take any action. —The correspondence was received. A letter was received from the Department of Agriculture stating that ' they were alive to the prospects of trade with' South and Central America, and were having inquiries made. No Teply was received from the Prime Minister as to the suggestion that the Government ■ should appoint a trade commissioner for those places. It was decided to leave the matter in abeyance in the meantime. The Prime Minister wrote that the Government would give careful consideration to the council's suggestion re a regular supply of phosphates. Mr. H. G. Hill, referring te the increased shipping surcharge, pointed out that tho naval victory off Falkland Islands would affect the position. He could say that. the shipping companies had _ had an interview with the PrimeMinister, but there was no advise yet as to how they intended to act, although there was cabled advice of the reduction of the war rate., He understood the Prime Minister had not been able to see a deputation from the council. Ho suggested that the Chamber should endeavour to find out, either from the shipping oompanios or from the Prime Minister, whether the 25 per cent, surcharge was going to be reduced, or taken off altogether, in view of the German naval loss, and whether they were still going on with ■ the demand for prepaid freights on wool and allied lines. He said that the shipping compitniea should not have the right to charge the consignee here. They had got themselves out of -all liability. Mr. J.- Reid thought they would be doing the country a good service if they were to get a good barrister to draw up what he considered an equitable contract ; as between the shippers and the shipping companies. The present agreement had to sign was too onesided. While the shipping companies were left to compile their own bills of lading they would never get any advance. '

Mr. C. Ashcrof t Edwards suggested that after the council had formulated a scheme here they should approach H.M. Trade Commissioner, and get him to pre-' sent the matter to the authorities at Home. Mr. A. Leigh Hunt said that he waß in accord with Mr. Hill. They should endeavour to approach the Prime Minister with . a view to getting the surcharge taken off. It waß finally resolved,' on the motion of Mr. Hill, that a deputation should wait; on the Prime Minister to ask whether, in view of the destination of the German fleet, the time is not opportune for a remission of the 25 per cent.- surcharge, and the abandonmnt of the,demand for the prepayment of freight on wool, etc. It was further resolved to suggest that every . cafe should be taken, to prevent the export tof foodstuffs .intended/"to go.-. into\, tho enemy's, country.'. -'_•''' :'■•'■•• The following resolution was carried on the motion of Mr. Hunt, seconded by Mr. Reid:—"That the.arbitrary and. unreasonable attitude of shipping companies in inserting clauses in bills of lading, taking power to collect freights from consignees, notwithstanding they hold a prepaid bill of lading, is, in the opinion of,this Chamber, so contrary to equity that the Government be urged to introduce legislation making the possession of a prepaid bill of lading ipso facto evidence that the said freight has been paid, and further making it illegal for any shipping company to refuse to deliver such goods." A letter was received from H.M. Trade Commissioner stating that English merchants were seeking new markets. It was decided that business firms Bhould be urged to instruct their travellers to point out to customers the national importance of purchasing British goods in preference to those of other countries.