refrigerated ships

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 265, 5 August 1919, Page 11

refrigerated ships

HAS NEW ZEALAND HAD PKEFEBENCEI 1 , Melbourne, July 17. With reference to tho statement wade bv the Minister oi Agriculture (Air. Oman) that N'ew Zealand had been given more .than a fair shave of tho reh) S"altd ships offering to lift frozen cargo for Great Britain, Mr. Manson tho New Zealand 'I'rado Commissioner, Melbourne, stated yesterday, in reply to (says the Melbourne Age ) that he had received cabled information froni his ijovernment pointing out that the Dominion has teen the greater sufferer in this direction, and merchants in New Zeaknd have lor months 'bitterly complained that Australia—not particularly A ictoria has been getting tho lion's share., in as far as insulated tonnage is concerned, lhe \ic'torian Minister's statement must, the cabled information claimed, have been made, under a misapprehension, as a comparison of the stocks held in store on June 30 by both countries undoubtedly indicated. Th 3 New Zealand inures show, it is stated, that 7,000,000 freight carcasses vera waiting shipment on this date, besides 353,000 crates of cheese, huge quantities of rabbits, tallow, and sundry norishaMe articles, whereas only VbU.lMtf carcasses of lamb and mutton, picce moat, boneless beef, representing about oOOUquarters, and 3500 crates of cliwse were in tho V ictorian cool chambers at tho same date. It wis evi(lei}t, therefore, from tliese figures, it was pointed out, that New Zealand's great accumulation had been brought about as a direct result of tho acute shortage of suitable ships to carry this class of cargo, and that New Zealand had not been given preferential treatment by tho Imperial authorities, tfe lias been suggested. Tho New Zealand Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Manson said, stated in-tho cable message that, whilst deeply regretting Victoria s predicament, he thought it hardly fair that statement's should, be made* which would make it appear that the New Zealand Government'' was responsible for the unfortunnto state of nffairs existing in this country. Nevertheless, he (the Minister) sincerely hoped that Victoria, wjth New Zealand, would succeed in having her congested stocks speedily lifted.