RISE IN SKIPPING FREIGHTS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 36, 6 November 1920, Page 8

RISE IN SKIPPING FREIGHTS

COMPARED WITH INCREASE IN RUNNING EXPENSES A QUESTION IN THE HOUSE A letter stmt to the Prime Miifister by the chairman of the New Zealand Overseas Shipowners' Committee concerning i the recent Parliamentary report on ship ping freights, was mentioned in the House yesterday hv Mr. D. Jones (Kaia- ' poi), who said that he had seen a, copy of the letter published in the columns of The Dominion. Tho writer (Mr. James Fiiullay) suggested that the finding of- the A. and P. Stock ;nd Commerce Committro wa.s not warranted by facts. Mr. Jone.j said he wished to point out that from the letter ;t appeared that, the increase in running expenses was 183 per cent., whilo facts which ho could give showed that the riso in freight, charges amounted to over SOO per cent. Tlie pro-war rate on a GOlb. sheep was 3s. 3d.. ami now ,t was-10*. .13d., an increase in tho freight of 380 per cent. ' Tho freight on a 361b. carcass in pre-war times was 2*. lrl.: to-day it was Gs. 5d., an increase of 30S per cent. Similarly thero had l>een an increase of mime 300 ner_ cent, on the freight upon an 80011). lmllopk. "Would the Prime Minister, in forming Jiis opinion of what was a fair rats c/ 'freight, pny regard to tho fact that P. and 0. deferred oliares, ,£IOO pa.id up, were recently sold for over JioOO, and to-day despite coal increases wero frJ.luig for JM.IO? Would the Prime Minister take action in order to seejliat thn nrodueers of file Dominion received a fair deal in the matter of shipping freights? " The Prime Minister .said he had received Clio (letter referred to 'bv the member. He had not vet had the time or the opportunity to go into the figures submitted to him, and he did not know whether they were correct or not. But when tho session came to an end, as he hoped it would within a fortnight or three v.-eeks— (lauijhter)—he hoped to be able to deal with the ouestimi and arrive at a conclusion about what should be done. He would do all he could to see that the producers of this country were not charged an unreasonable rate of freight for the nroduee they sent away. RAILWAY TUTTIORISATIONS TWO WELLINGTON DEVIATIONS. When the Kailwnys Authorisation Bill was introduced in the House of Represontativos yesterday, the Minister of Public .Works (Mr.. Coates) said that the Bill authorised a further extension of tho North Auckland trunk line- to Te Tio, a distance of thirteen miles. Construction had proceeded right up to the present authorisation, and the extension was necessary. Tho extension now proposed would permit of a possible alteration of route. The other lines mentioned in the Bill were tho final section of tho Westport-Inangahua line, and two deviations on tho Wellington-Palmers-ton line. The Minister, answering a question regarding the Westport-Inangahua line, said ho could not say whe-n this railway would be completed. His intention was to complete the Otiro . tunnel before, doing anything else in that part of the country, and during the next eighteen months all tho available labour would be required for the tunnel. Mr. Holland (Buller) repeated anoo r fcr ho had made previously to find labour for the Wostport-Inangahua line, which is to traverse tho Buller Gorge and give access to extensive coal deposits. Mr. Coates replied that ho doubted if the Government would bo justified in accepting tho offer when every man obtainable was required in the coal mines. Mr. Holland:. I would get them from outside New Zealand. Mr. W. A. Veitch (Waiiganui) asked the Minister when ho would order a trial survey of the Raetahi lino, north of Wanganui. Mr. Glenn (Kangitikei), and Mr. W. B'. Smith (Waimarino) supported tho request. The Minister replied that he would be glad to have tlie trial purvey made when an engineer was available. His Detriment had more railways l in hand than it could possibly carry out at present, and tho policy now wfts to complete the moro important lines "before undertaking .any additional work. But a living survey of the Raetahi lino would bo valuable to the Department and to members. The deviations mentioned are: (1) Tho Palmerston North deviation (length C miles GO chains), and (2) a. deviation leaving the Pnlmerston North deviation at about 0-miles 5 chains on the 'chainage of the snid proposed deviation, and running generally to tho north-westward of the existing line to a junction therewith at about i miles 22 chains on tho railway ehainage (length about 2 miles 37 chains). SHOPS AND - OFFICES THE REDUCTION OP ASSISTANTS' HOURS. Sir William Herries last night moved tbfc committal of the Shops and Offices Amendment Bill '(No. 3), tho (principal point of which is the reduction of shop assistants' hours from 52 to 48 per week. The Minister stated that a. new clause was to be moyed giving power for extension of tho working hours by 120 hours in any one year.for stocktaking. There was a proviso that, in addition to payment for overtime, ther,? should be Is. (Id. paid as tea money. The clause had been practically agreed to by the representatives of the employers and the employees. The employers wer* opposed to clause 8. which gave tho Arbitration Court power to fix the closing hours of shops in any trade in any particular district. He did not wish to soe tho i clause interfered with, ns endless difficulties would arise if the matter were left to Parliament to adjust. The Government looked forward to a consolidation of the Labour laws next, session. . 'KJ-e Labour members contended that clerev should receive the same Ivnefits as shop assistants would receive under tlio ■ Bill • Many clerics wore working more > than tli? number of hours provided for in the Bill, and where the employer was determined to exact his pound of flesh they had no protection. There was nothing to'eiisuro that they should be paid extra for tho overtime they worked. • Mr J P- Luke (Wellington North) a"recil that the clerks needed som,* protection. He regarded the Bill as an nnoortant instalment of reform. Mr E J. Howard (Christchurch South) spoko' about evidence given to the committee regarding practices in somo marble bars. The girls m these places mi-'ht be employed for a certain number oT extra hours in the year. A girl was engaged; the permissible amount of overtime was exhausted within, perlmps, three weeks, and the girl was sacked. Something ought lo be dono to prevent that sort of tiling, but tho Labour members were "thankful for the small mer- • cies" that tho Bill represented. Tho Bill was passed without amendUl The House adjourned at 12.15 a.m. until 11 a.m. to-day.