THE SHIPPING PROBLEM

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3088, 19 May 1917, Page 8

THE SHIPPING PROBLEM

AUCKLAND'S SUGGESTION

WELLINGTON OBJECTIONS

The suggestion mado in Auckland. Dial, the New Zealand Government blioiil'l simplify tho shipping problem by arranging with the imperial authorities to send produce to tho West Coast of tho United States for transport to Atlanticpurts by rail, or on condition that equivalent produce was forwarded to the United Kingdom from the East Coast port* or America, receives scant support from Wellington business people. .Several men to whom the matter was mentioned by a Dominion reporter yesterday slated that they could not see the suggestion offered any solution of the shipping problem at all. The rearrangement would nolincreaso tho amount of shipping space available, even if the American railways were ablo to handle big quantities of New Zealand produce. Tt was pointed out that as a matter of fact the railways of tho United States were already heavily overburdened. "The proposal does not seem to br> at all feasible," said a shipping man. "The Iransporf of refrigerated produce across the United Stales by rail is out of the question, of course. Tho railways di not possess the necessary amount of insulated rolling stock, and they are not in the least likely to set about procuring it. We could move wool to San I'ran-cit-'co or Vancouver, and it is just possible that the railways would undertake to carry this bulky material to the Atlantic terminals, at a price high enough to compensate them for the dislocation of their ordinary traffic. But what would the saving in shipping amount to? Ships would bo wnnted on the Atlantic side again, and the time occupied in the extra loadings and unloadings would eat up any saving in the number of knots steamed. There would be no reduction in the number of ships employed, and the shortage of ships is tho crux of tho wliolo matter." The idea that the Americans might bo prepared to accept New Zealand produce on the West Coast and export to Britain equivalent produce from tho East Coast, thus avoiding railage across, tho continont, seems to disregard loeal conditions. The fact is that the Western States already send their own produce East to the great manufacturing and industrial centres. Then the whole scheme would depend, if other difficulties could be overcome, on tho willingness of the United States Government to organise the import and export trade of the "Republic on a gigantic scale for a tcninorary purpose. Starlets would have to lie rearranged, buying awl soliine; system remoulded, and drastic changes

made in some of the conditions of interstate trade. By.no other moans cnuld big quantities of New. Zealand nrocluce

>e used on olio side of tlie United Rtat?s to release liorno produce for export on' the other side.

AN IMPORTANT CONFERENCE. Br Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, May 18. Replying to a deputation from the local freezing companies with reference to the allocation of shipping space and direct Auckland representation on the Shipping Committee, the Hon. A. 11. Myers stated Hint ii conference would bo held next week between the National Efficiency Board of Trade and the Requisitioning Committee, with a view to submitting a import dealing with the provision of storage for meat and dairy produce. The conference will also consider the policy that Government should recommend to be carried out by farmers in the immc diate future regarding the holding and killing of stock, and matters relating,to agricultural and pastoral industries generally.

Mr. Myers stated that as far as he knew the' Imperial authorities had no intention of commandeering a certain largo steamer engaged in the New Zealand mail and jiassenger services. They had, however, already commandeered four out of five cargo vessels trading between tho Pacific Coast and New Zealand. Mr. Myers also stated that arrangement; had been mado with two shipping companies to convey wheat from Australia to New Zealand and to 'carry thirty thousand tons of coal from Newcastle to New Zealand every month.