INCREASED FREIGHT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2480, 5 June 1915, Page 6

INCREASED FREIGHT

DAIRY PRODUCE AND SUNDRIES. The Prime Minister stated yesterday that tlie Board of Trade had found 1 it necessary to withdraw in part a concession given to New Zealand exporters. "Tho Imperial Government," he said, "requisitioned some time ago all the insulated space on ships trading to Australia and New Zealand. In the case of tho New Zealand ships, tho board levelled up the freights payable to sometiling like tho freights being paid by shippers in Australia and the Argentine, taking tho distance of the ports from England into account. One consequence of this has been that ever since tho commandeering of tho space the Board of Trado has teen losing considerably on tho carriage of dairy produce, rabbits, and frozen sundries such as veal and pork. The Board of Trade advised the Government and also the people concerned some weeks ago that after Juno 1 it would bo necessary to increase tho rates of freight cn those goods. I pointed out that there wero very large quantities of dairy produce and rabbits in storo, which had been purchased by exporters in this country on the understanding that tho rates of freight wore to bo those ruling for some time past, and that it would be hardly fair to make these goods, already purchased, subject to tho liicrcascd rates. I li'iv© reply to (Jio effect that tho new rate will not be made to apply to stocks in cold storo prior to May 31. . "By tho arrangement at present in operation tho Board of Trade is paying 40 per cent, of the freight oil all frozen meat exported from here, and they hava never yet suggested t-liab the prodncor in this country should contribute a. penny towards this payment. Tho freights now payablo aro somo 40 per cent, higher than those payablo under tho contracts existing prior to the war, and the Board of Trade is paying all tho increase."