MEAT EXPORT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 252, 18 July 1919, Page 6

MEAT EXPORT

THE SHIPPING POSITION PROSPECTS FOR NEXT SEASON It is within the knowledge of every man who .has anything to do with the , meat export business that the shipping coming to New Zealand at present is not sufficient for. the needs cf the freezing industries. In January and Febru-ary-promises wore made through the , Government of quite a gonero.is supply of .ships, but the promises have not mn- , tenalised. There have been good reasons 'why, it has not been possible to send all 'the ships; The.Minister in Charge of Imperial, Supplies (the lion. D. 11. Guthrie) recently dispatched a telegram to .the High Commissioner on tho subject 'of shipping' space as follows:— "Ther.e are now in freezing 'stores throughout tho Dominion approximately 8,000,000 freight carcasses of meat, and . the greatest congestion exists. Sume stock still remains available for killing, and . if' additional relief is not forthcoming this must be reduced to store condition. Tonnage made available up rill tho present time for Dominion requirements is not adequate. I should be glad if you tvill make representations to the Shipping Controller, and point out tho urgent necessity of reducing tho amount of meat in "store before next season's hillings •commence, otherwise tho position must be disastrous to New Zealand's interests."'' ' The High Commissioner replied on July "U as follows:—- / "Have made .representations to the Ministry of Shipping and the Board of . Trade urging a substantial increase of tonnago for New Zealand, and will continue to press matters. I ain informed that New.Zealand is receiving every consideration',' but that it has been found impossible to allocate more than 17,000 of refrigerated space during August. Not less than 30.000 tons will be .ivailajilo in September, l)iit no estimate can be given yet for later months. Tho above estimates may have to be modified if ships are delayed."' These figures mean that the space promised for August will take GKI.OOO freight carcasses, but as space will have to be found for cheese equivalent in stowage to 126,000 freight carcasses, the amount of meat that can be put into the. ships will be 503,000 freight carcasses. The sdhco for September will take 1,110,000 carcasses, but this is, again subject to reduction for dairy produce by 103,000 freight carcasses, so that the 'vital amount of meat to be shipped will be 1.007,000 carensses, making a total of 1,510.000 freight carcasses of meat for the months of August and September. Judi,ing by past experience it will not be snfe to exp?ct that) tho September steamers will all be here before October, aid this tonnago named may have to suffice for the nex 1 three months. This means in round figures that the meat shipments from New Zealand for the months of August, September, and October may not exceed half a million carcasses a month. This will not be'adequate for require- ; raents, but if may serve, if the rate is continued until December, when the new ' season will open. It is estimated that by that time there will ho in the storei about, four'million freight carcasses. A. season's killing for the whole- country amounts to about 6.000,000 carcasses, so that the total amount to be proyid»d for during the season will he lfl.flOO.flflft carcasses. The nominal capacity of the cold stores in the country is 7,405,000 carcasses, but in actual fact the stores hold more than they are snnposed to take. It will be quite safe to estimate the. capacity of'the, stores at 8,000,000 c-.rensses. This store capacity is calculated in uncut carcasses, and as alt the carcasses will be cut the stores .should hold 10,000,000 carcasses. This ' means that we shall be able to get through next season, with a ■squeeze perhaps, but. we should get through it. Shipping will, of course, continue while the season is in progress. ■Referring to these figures yesterday Mr. Guthrie said that if anything like the number of ships that had been promised came •to -load here New Zealand would but it was necessary t tliat.the Government should continue, as in the past, to keep the Imperial authorities informed of the position here, and of the. necessity for more tonnage. If this were done lie honed that the position in New Zealand would improve. The delays up. till the present in shipping had been caused by strikes in Britain, the shortage- of coal, and influenza. If these troubles should not .occur in future, he had hope,that we should get more shipping, and that- the position in the meat industry might be eased. DOMINION THEIiIATEST SUFFERER STATEMENT BY NEW ZEALAND TRADE COMMISSIONER. (Rec. July 17, 10.40 p.m.) • Melbourne, July 17. Mr. Ma.nson, New Zealand Trade Commissioner, replying to allegations that t'New" Zealand was getting more than a fair share of refrigerated ships to lift ( frozen' meat: cargoes for Britain, stated that he had received a cable messagn from the New Zealand Government to , the effect that the Dominion was the' sufferer .in this direction. New ''Zealand .merchants had been complaining . for months past that Australia was gettine the lion's share of insulated ton- I nage.—Press Assn. I