NOT ENOUGH SHIPS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2740, 7 April 1916, Page 6

NOT ENOUGH SHIPS

SPACE NEEDED FOR HEMP

MILL OWNERS' DIFFICULTY

MAY HAVE TO CLOSE DOWN

The shortage of shipping space, especially ,for flax, was the subject on which a deputation representing the ' New Zealand Flaxmillers' Association and Hanip Sections of tho Wellington Auckland and ' Canterbury Chambers of Commerce, interviewed the Prime Minister (the lit. Hon. W. J?. Massoy) yesterday. Mr. AV. H. Field, M.P., introduced the deputation. Ho said that the shortage of shipping space had .becomo a very serious matter to the hemp industry, andflaxmilldrs and exporters had come to the Government for assistance. They know that Mr. Massoy had been very successful in his efforts to afford relief to other branches of industry, and hoped that their own branch would.receive from him sympathetic consideration. Men engaged in the industry realised that unless some arrangement were made, the mills would have to close down. A Cravo Situation.. Mr. A. E. Mabin said that the trade had come rather suddenly to a'dead end. The loss of the Matatua and the Eangatira, and the recrudescence o.f the submarine campaign had produced a situation of, a'very grave- kind for the flax industry, so that it could not' carry on any longer without relief. Some 260,000 bales of flax were now in store, and the ■ mills wero producing at the rate of 19,000 bales per month. If the mills continued to work the total in store would reach 83.000 bales by | the end of June. The ships available in April and Mav would, take ecarcely any flax at. all, and the amount j lifted hi June would not cover stocks | now in store. The men interested, in tire matter had considered the situation, and had decided that unless tho situation changed materially tliej would have to 1 -close down their mills at the end of tho present mouth. The mill owners would give notice to thoir hands at once. This step would be a senou.i matter for the millers and. exporters. It wouid mean a loss of £100,000 a month to Now Zealand experts. The deputation -wished to know whether the Government could not help by representing the needs of the situation to the Admiralty, or by other means. The necessities of the war had to come.first, but it might be possible to rearrange matters on an improved footing. The millers and exporters were prepared to'meet very heavy charges for insurance and freight. They could understand that difficulty was being experienced in shipping wool, Mr. Massey: We can see our way to get all the wool away.

_ Mr. Mabin: We' think the wool sometimes gets a better show than the flax. Mr. Massey: The shipping companies prefer wool. That' is well known.

Mr. Mabin said that if relief were not afforded, the mills would have to close down for two months at least, probably for a longer period. Mr. Alfred Seifert said that the exporters had said plainly that they could not continue to buy flax .under present. conditions. They would have to cancel their contracts. . The millers in these circumstances were faced by the necessity of closing their mills; unless they could be assured of an outlet for their product. This would be a very serious matter, not only for the mill ownerc, but for a large body of workers.' The stoppage of the mills in May and June was normal, and they could face it, but a stoppage after June would bo a grave matter. He added that the industry was worth a great deal to New Zealand, and the millers hoped the Government would be able to assist them in some way. .-'..'■ No Reason to Complain. '.'We are face to face with a serious difficulty in connection with shipping space," said the Prime Minister in reply. "The trouble has been accentuated by the loss, temporary or permanent, of the.Matatua andthe Rangatira. I think that the .position is going to improve in a month or two, but I cannot be certain about that in theso times of war. Eleven steamers are expected to come' here in June for loading, and the situation will then be relieved materially; but in the meantime we are going to have trouble. I am in almost daily communication with the Imperial authorities, and have represented the needs of the Dominion to them very fully. I can say this, that New Zealand has no reason to complain about the way the available shipping space ha's been allotted. ' The Dominion has been treated ■ very well > indeed. Several of our traders have been released at my request, after they had been commandeered for war service. Recent, ly one big ship, which had been commandeered, was sent as an Imperial ship to load meat. The Imperial authorities are doing what they can in the face of exceptional conditions." Other Products. Mr. Massey mentioned that he was in communication with the Imperial authorities concerning the accumulations of meat in New Zealand. It was estimated that the beef and nutton in store at April 30 within the Dominion would be 2,400.000 freight !arcasses. He know the snipping diffinilty existed also in the Old Country ind in Australia. He had communi;ated with the local shipping committee,' and they had informed him that they saw their, way to get the wool DUt of the country in a reasonable time/- Wool was being urgently asked for by the Imperial Government and' by other parts-of the Empire. Referring to the demand for shipping,- Mr. Massey said he knew of a ship which had cost .about £70,000 to build, a good cargo vessel of her type, and this ship had recontly been sold for £150,000 cash. This was an illustration of the tremendous demand for shipping spaco. The difficulty with regard to flax was that it occupied more space in proportion to weight than,any other article of export, and consequently the shipping companies wera not anxious to take it when they could fill up with more profitable cargo. It was not only wifli flax and wool that trouble had arisen. The Government required a certain number of ships at present to carry coal. It was part of the duty of New Zealand to supply coal to the Admiralty, and the Govornment had had no end of difficulty in getting coal ships. The coal must be sent away. Also, the Minister of Railways had told him that day that unless somo arrangement were made to bring oil down from the Bast Coast ports of America there would be serious troublo in the Railway Department. And 'it was possible to get the oil here only by sending a snip. ' Cheese and butter wore piling up in the stores, and ho Baw no prospect of getting the produco away for the next two months.

Request to be Made. Ho appreciated the flaxmillers' difficulty, and ho realised tho importance of maintaining tho export trade. Now Zealand lived on her exports, and flax had contributed in a high dogroo to tho prosperity we had enjoyed. Ho would ask the Imperial Board of Trade if tbey could supply a cargo ship to carry such commodities as flax, tallow, cte., of v,'h!ch there-_ were accumulations in otores. He did not know whether a ship could be supplied. The position was simply that the Imperial Government had commandeered about 30 per cent, of British" shipping for its own

purposes. It was not possible to get any ships at all now. Mr. yield: Does the Imperial Government nflly understand tho difficulty wo are in.

Mr. Masse?: They understand it thoroughly, and New Zealand has no reason to complain. They have done their very best for us.

Certain details wore discussed, pub catioji of which is forbidden.