PACIFIC MAILS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 304, 19 September 1919, Page 9

PACIFIC MAILS

FREIGHTS ON THE STEAMERS

A SOUTH ISLAND COMPLAINT

Business peoplo in theiSoiith Island interested in trade with North America have for a long-time'cherished ft grievance regarding the freights charged on the subsidised mail steamers running between Auckland- and Vancouver, and between AVcllinftton alid San Francisco. A deoutation of members of Parliament from the South Island waited on the Prime Minister yesterday to urge that there should bo a flat rate .of freight from nil uorts of the Dominion to.the two American ports of Vancouver and San Francisco. Mr. J. M. Dickson, who spoko for .the deoutation. said that the people of me South paid their share of tho aubjjiay | on these sorvices, and they should bo placed on the same footing as Wellington and Auckland. At present the higii freights-charged for, the carnage of xoods- from.southern ports to be transshipped into the mail steamers debarred anv South Island trade being done to these services. He explained that lie did not wish to prejudice Auckland or Wellinston or the Union Company. The request was that exporters m Canst; church or Dunedin should be placed in the same position as exporters m Auckland or "Wellington. This might involve an increase of the subsidy, but that was a between the Government and the Union Company. . Mr. K. P: Hudson paid that he was | interested in the matter as a representative of a fruit-growing district. -Hey <rcre looking forward to a trade with ! Nortli America in fruit, and therefore I were interested in the. matter. | .Mir. Massev said that he thought he understood the position. As a matter of fact the term of the.contracts had expired in both cases, he thought. They had been extended to enable the whole I position to bo talcen into consideration next year. This could not be done in time for tho present session. lie had I hones of a considerable trade one day between New Zealand aiid British Columbia. .The mail contracts would have to be reconsidered in the near future, and .when this was done the points raised by the deoutation would be bonie in mind and .taken into account.