STEAMERS AND REFRIGERATOR SPACE.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2385, 15 February 1915, Page 4

STEAMERS AND REFRIGERATOR SPACE.

No one can read tho cablegrams and correspondence which wc publish this morning on the question of the supply of steamers to carry our produce to the Homo markets, without realising that the Peiaie Minister I has useg every possible endeavour .to prevent a shortage of vessels occurring. It is, of course, an easy matter to find fault and point out the possiI bilities of a shortage occurring, and those who are likely to suffer through being unable to secure all the space they want at the time that suits them no doubt feel they have a very real grievance. To the dispassionate onlooker, however, it will appear somewhat unjust to attempt to saddle any share of blame on anyone but those responsible for the world disturbance which has dislocated trade and shipping in all quarters of the globe. At anyrate, it is plain enough that so far as New Zealand is concerned, the Government has done its best' to overcome the difficulties of an unprecedented situation, and has met with some success. This dominion could not hope to escape entirely from loss and inconvenience in the matter of _ its overseas trade in' the great crisis which.has come upon the people of the British Empire," nor would the people of Now Zealand wish to shirk their share of the burden or imperil in any way the success of the cause the Empire is fighting for by selfishly' seeking to interfere with the plans of tUe military and naval authorities for the transport of troops. Unfortunately for us, the necessity for steamers to carry our troops to the centres of conflict has interfered with our export trade—or- threatens to do so—to some extent, but on the whole we have escaped lightly. It is desirable and necessary that no .effort should be spared to minimise the loss and '-inconvenience that may be caused by a scarcity of steamers with refrigerator space, and it is quite plain from the correspondence now published that Ministers. are fully alive to this fact, and have acted and are still acting accordingly: