PRODUCTS OF NEW ZEALAND

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 152, 23 March 1921, Page 5

PRODUCTS OF NEW ZEALAND

SHIPPING SERVICES AND FREIGHT RATES MARKET FOR FROZEN MEAT IMPORTANT CONFERENCE TO BE HELD •' I . An important meeting is to be held in Wellington on March 31, those invited to be present being representatives of A. and P. associations. Farmers’ Un ton, freezing companies, dairy associations, Sheepowners’ Federation. Woolbrokers’ Association, together with the Standing Producers’ Committee and the Board of Agriculture. The meeting is convened by the, president of the Beard of Agriculture, and the Minister of Agriculture will be present. The matters ilo be placed btfere the meeting are of the ' ighest imjertanne to producers and to the Dominion generally, particularly the question of shipping services and freight rates for frozen produce. The Producers’ Committee has, through a sub-committee, been in negotiation with the shipping companies for some time past in connection with a form of freight contract and bill of lading to bo adopted, after control of refrigerated shipping space by the Imperial Government ceases at the end of April. So far as the terms of the freight contract are concerned, apart from the freight nates, an agreement has been reached save on ono or two points, which are considered capable of being adjusted. There has been ft total inability to agree, however, on two specially important jnaiters, namely, the jeriod oier which the contract would he operative and the rates of freight to be charged for frozen meat. Tho Producers’ Committee, in accordance w.ith the irstruction "given by the conference at which it was set up, is unable to agree to any contract covering a period of more than one year, for tlhe present position ss regards mercantile shipping rates generally Strongly suggests that the Dominion producers should not be tied to a contract for a longer period, seeing than tthe tendency of freight rates is to decrease. The shipping companies, though willing to carry on without a contract, declined to enter ihto a freight contract for one year only, but have expressed their willingness to negotiate for a two or three years’ contract wi?h a sliding scale of rates which will give a slight decrease in charges each succeeding year. Taking Jamb as an illustration the rates offered on a three years’ contract would give an average rate over the three years of 2.09 d. per lb. Afifcr a full discussion the (ommittee, which had the advantage of the presence of the members •of the Board of Agriculture, came to tne conclusion that tliese terms could not be recommended to producers, and decided to refer the whole matter to the conference w’hich has now been arranged for March 3.

Other important points for discussion in shipping are fhe present current supply of ships for lifting'meat and a proposal for the establishment of a board of mercantile "hipping to act in the interests of producers. The present condition of tlhe market for frozen meat will have to be discussed, also the question of the realisation of’stocks of New Zealand wool held by the Imperial Government. It will be remembered than the proposal was made by the Imperial Government that these carried-over wool stocks should be placed in the. hands of the British Australian Wool Realisation Association for the purpose of selling to the best advantage m the interests of the Imperial Government. "It had been suggested by tlhe Imperial authorities tnat two advisory committees should be established to watch New Zealand’s intfcrests in this matter, one to sit in London, the other in New Zealand, and that the chairman of the London Committee should have a seat on the Board of Directors of the Realisation Association, but without voting power. Efforts have been made to get the Imperial Government to agree to this New Zealand representative on the directorate being given voting power, it being realised that without it hw appointment would he of very doubtful value, and that’, in effect, being in a merely advisory capacity he would not be in a position to safeguard the interests of New Zealand producers to a sufncient extent to be of real value The commiutfe has concluded accordingly, and is of opinion that this matter could beet he dealt with by *he Prime Minister when he reaches London, all lepresentations made by cablegram having failed to induce the Imperial Goveminent to change its attitude on the point- .