WIRE AND WHISKY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 214, 29 May 1918, Page 8

WIRE AND WHISKY

SHIPPING NECESSITIES AND LUXURIES. - (Prom Our Special EeporteiO Masterton, May 28. Mr. Hugh Morrison (Masterton) moved at the Fanners' Union Conference here to-day: "That the Government bo requested to give wire, wire netting, staples, woolpacks, and corn sacks preference in shipping space over luxuries, and to ba supplied to soldier settlements and new holdings at the lowest possible rates." ■ ; Mr. Morrison said that lie had been told that there wore many luxuries stilt coming into the country. For instance, it was said that because of Prohibition having been carried in some parts of America much American whisky had come here. At the same, time fencing wire was badly needed for settlers in this country, and the want of it was keeping the country back. Mi\ C. Eeed (Carterton) asked that the words "da'iry requisites" should bo added to the motion. A while ago 800 motorcars were brought out by a subsidised mail steamer at a time when a shipment of <£8000 worth of salt for the National Dairy Association was refused steamer space because it paid tho shipping people better to carry motor-cars than dairy salt.

Mr. E. Campbell (Wanganui) held that vessels should be sent by the Government to India to get corn sacks and woolpacks. Distribution should be controlled by the Government, so that "rich people and big. people" would not be abld to buy for three or four years ahead, as they did last year. 21r. T. Moss (Eketahuna) said that .these things had been given careful consideration by the Efficiency Board. As to benzine, the farmers were a3 much to blame as auyone, and it Tested with tliem to do away'with some of their joy r\dcs. At the conclusion of the discussion it was resolved: "That the Government be requested to give full preference in shipping spaco to all recjuisities of essential industries, and that their attention ba called to the need of 'ensuring the necessary shipping from India for carrying bales and sacks to New Zealand in tima for next season." Speaking at tho conference later in the day, the Minister of Agriculture said that at present a scheme was being considered to get woolpaeks and 6acks in a proper and satisfactory way, and ha hoped to have the whole scheme, before him in about ten days from 11W. There were very few non-essential things coming here in ships—tho freight rates were against it. The Government realised that unless they could get the produce away thev could not get the money to carry on "the war. The matter of exporting was in the Imperial Government's hands, and the New Zealand Government could only continue to make representation to them. A delegate: How about wire? Mr. Mac Donald said it was now a very difficult thing to get wire.