EXPORT OF TALLOW

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 103, 24 January 1918, Page 8

EXPORT OF TALLOW

POSITION EXPLAINED ■: LIMITED SHIPMENT TO AMERICA TO BE ALLOWED* ' ■ ( For some months past the Goverui menfc has been in constant telegraphic ' . "communication with the Imperial Govy.Jernment pointing out.ths urgent neces- .. . 'sity that exists for providing tonnage for the shipment of tallow. It was Jpointed out by. telegraph through the ; High Commissioner as Bir back as October last that there wero 35,000 casks "". awaiting shipment, and it was emjpbasisea that unless the embargo was } removed very serious loss would b« ... ...likely to _ result to producers. The 'reply received was unsatisfactory, and ■ ! was to the effect that, all possible was , being done with-the tonnage available to effect shipment. On November 20 the High Commissioner was again requested to confer with the Shipping Controller and ilo " everything possible to secure permission to ship as much tallow as possible in order to relieve congestion. The reply received was to the effect v that he had continued to impress tho urgency of the matter on the Ministry "■ of Shipping, who wero of opinion that iall possible was being done with the : available tonnage, and that the Minis-. ; .'try had informed him that in the ab- ...; jsence of ah urgent need for tallow sin the United Kingdom preffcrcncccoulJ ■ not bo granted. - ■ : Further representations were mado (by the Government to the Secretary of I State for the Colonies, who replied on (December 28 to tho effect that owing to the serious shortage of tallow with ! which the United Kingdom was then (faced, His Majesty's Government would have wished to arrange for shipment to - ' the United Kingdom of all available 'supplies from New'Zealaud, but owing - 'to the scarcityW tonnage it was im- - ' 'possible to obtain freight for all the " ' Australasian tallow required, and the ~. question was therefore being considered of installing a plant for splitting ■ j tallow in this Dominion. It was point- , >ed out, however, that some months ; must probably elapse before this plant •• would be available, but that'meanwhile there would be no objection to the shipment of reasonable quantities of tallow to tho United States of America, pro- ' V vided— . •

'' " 1. That stocks' are not unduly ex- •: hausted. 2. That no fats are. diverted from the United Kingdom which coulJ ; be shipped there. 3. That no freight be diverted from '";" . . .the United Kingdom. 4. That no general permission Uβ given to ship to foreign countries, , each case to be; considered separately. 5. Shippers to understand that arrangements are strictly provisional.

In view of the complaints made regarding the non-shipment of this material, the High Commissioner was again communicated with by telegram on January 22 to the effect that practically the whole of last season.'s out.put had not been shipped, resulting in loss and inconvenience to . producers. Reference was included to statements which had been-made that producers in Australia have been able to ship

tallow in' large quantities, and that this, was causing, very much dissatisfaction to producers in this country.

A census of the slocks of tallow reveals that the quantity cu hand at tlie_ present time m-obubiy exceeds 40,u00j casks. Arrangements Ime been made' with the' Minister of Customs, who is in possession of full information on the matter, and is prepared to consider applications made to export tallow to other destinations than the United Kingdom on tho terms notified by the Secretary of State for the Colonies and on the strict understanding that the arrangements are provisional.