SHIPPING FREIGHTS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 2, 27 September 1917, Page 7

SHIPPING FREIGHTS

AND THE RECENT INCREASE

A VIGOROUS PROTEST

Some hard words about the recent increase in t.lio freiplila from England io New Zealand wore said in the House of Bejiresentatives yesterday by Mi'. (1. V. Fcarce. Mr. Peavco asked (ho Prime Minister whothor ho had seen tho published statement that the freights from Homo had beoh advanced from J!G (o .810 a ton. Ho asked the Government to eablo Homo a. protest against suoh greedy robbery on behalf of these shipping companies. Ho had, understood from .tho Primo Minister and the Minister of Finance that flier had arranged with (ho Imperial authorities on their visit to Kngland for continuous and ohcap freights (o Ihis lountvy. Was this how tho arrangement was being carried,out? He would draw the attention of the Primo Minister ito the fact that American cotton was now worth 3s. a pound in Britain, and he had been credibly informed that if our wool were sold on a freo market iu England it would be worth -is. 6d. a pound, and tho gazetted price was about, 15d. This was what New Zealand was doing for tho Mother Country, and in return we were being robbed "by an iif-c-rease in freights to tho extent of J;5 a ton.

The Prime Minister said that the Government had already taken action regarding freights, as notified in tho recent cable news. But he would point out that the fixing of tho rate of freights was now in the hands not of the shipowners, but of the Imperial authorities. Mr. Fearce: That makes it all the woifee. i Mr. Massey: That may be. lam not apologising for it. I am simply saying what is a fact. With regurd to the price of wool, the position is a very simple one. It is all very well to say that the price of our wool would be so and so, or_ that it would bo better for the producer if he could get it on the market, but he can't get it there. The scarcity of shipping makes it impossiblo to get produce on ,to the English market unless it is carried in British ships under 'the control of the British authorities. The scarcity of shipping has been brought home to me this morning in a very practical manner, in a way that I don't want to disclose at present. Ido not wisli to cause any alarm on this account, However. lam sure the British Snipping Controller-is keeping his word, and thai; be will do everything he can to place ■ our products on' tho British market, especially those for which the Imperial Government has made itself responsible by buying them from our producers.