HOME FREIGHTS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1736, 30 April 1906, Page 2

HOME FREIGHTS.

DISCUSSED BY TBE GISBORN: FARMERS’ UNION.

There was a large and representative attendaDoo at tbe meeting of the Gisborne branoh of the Farmers’ Union held on Saturday afternoon. Tbe ohief business dealt with was the question of ooean freights, the following motion being moved by the Chairman (Mr W. D. Lysnar) ; " That the Gisborne branoh of the Farmers’ Union considers the present freight war is of vital importance to tbe farming community of this oolony as a whole, and that this oolony has been greatly handicapped by reason of the combination of tbe threo present shipping companies charging until quite recently 50 per cent higher freight rates on frozen produce between New Zealand and London than Australia pays, wh le the distances and the quantity of frozen produce shipped do not warrant this great difference. 1 This branch would therefore strongly urge all branches oi the Farmers’ Union through out tbe colony to take tho matter up energetically, so as to acquaint all members of the Union of tbe position, and urge them to support tbe new Federal Stoam- ™ ship Line,, by directing that tbeir produoe shall, fo far as possib'e, be shipped by this line, i n order to get it established independency from tbe other shipping companies. This is all the more essential, as noarly a’l the freezing and dairying companies througbout the ooloDy have contracted by deed to ship all their frozen produce to London by the present sbipping ootnpany for the next six years, wh'ch is a very serious drawback to aoy new line starting. This branch also urges tbat these long freight oontraots should in every possible way be discouraged, as they have a tendency to recoil on the produoer by bandioapping free and open competition in the carriage of our produoe.” In the course of a very forcible speech, Mr Lysnar pointed out the importance of the subject and the great saving tbat would rosult to tho farmers by supporting tho new Federal steamship line. He said they had no complaint as to tho way the present shipping companies served them, but it could not bo denied that they were handicapped in sending their produce to the Home market as compered with Australia. The difference in favor of Australian producers, as far as freights were concerned, was a lb. On meat alone, in 1903, New Zealand paid £203,000 more in freights on mutton and lamb than Australia, and why should they lose this amount, and have it go into the pookets of the shipping companies ? There was nothing to warrant New Zealand being charged 50 per oent. more in freight charges than Australia. The two freezing works here would pay £26,000 less per " year for freights,if they were in Australia. For wool, while New Zealand was paying id per lb, Australia only paid |d to 3 Bd, He was ghd to be Bble to state tbat the Gisborne Freezing Company did not agree to the extension of contracts by the shipping companies some time ago. Apart from the rest of tbe oolony, this district was strong enough to do business with another line. He had recently seen the manager of the Federal line in Wellington. The Federal had forty steamers, three of wbioh were in the oolony now, aDd shipping by this lino farmers would be able to send their produce direct to Liverpool and Glasgow. The bills of ladiDg wore the same as those of the shipping companies now doing busines’. Mr L;saar said he had been told that the new line would not grant the same conditions as the other shipping companies, but he hud got their oondilions reduoed to writing, and they were the samo. New Zea'and was more favorably situated than Australia, for there were ten lines doiog business in Australia against three here, and Now Zeshnd expo trd four million pounds of meat, as against one million from the Commonwealth. New. Zealand had also tho thick end of tbe stick in that steamers had only to travel 1025 miles (o pick up cargoes-here, as against 2327 miles in Australia, 1$ was said that coal oost doablo in New Zealand, but tho Federal line had made a contract' for their ooal wbioh they got for only 2s 6i a ton more than in Australia. Tbe Federal line must be kept going at all costs. It oad been suggested that tbe position was so serious tbat PailiameDt Bbould pass an Act making the present contracts with shipping companies void ; bot this extreme etep would not be necaesary if farmers were alive to tbeir interests, and were not lethargic. In conclusion, Mr Lysnar said when nows of tbo new line had come to Gisborne he was offered a lb reduction by a local firm to allow 150 balea of his wool to be shipped away, but he refused. He had not to thaDk the local firm for the roduotioD, and he would

keep bis wool for the now line. If tbe union existed for no othor purpose than to urgo this matter, it was well justified. Mr 0. Gallagher seoouded tbe motion. He strongly condemned the shipping com bines, and urged tbe farmers to leave no

stone unturned to secure the concessions

in regard to Homo freights. Mr W. Bell also warmly supported tbe motion.

Mr Lysnar said that if the freights from New Zealand wero the same as Australia,

sheep would be worth Is Id a head more to farmers, and eaob oat'.la beast 16s 81, Mr Birrell said the ohairman bad dealt with the matter so exhaustively that he

oould not underttind any farmer not

supporting the motion. They had to thank tbe Federal shipping line for reduction in fares, for they oould get for £25 fiist-olass. The Chairman pointed out that al-

though they bad three lines running to ihe*coloay, there was no oompetitioD, as ihey were working under a bond not to

on 6 freights. The Government bad to be thanked for introduo ng tbeFi.de.al line, and subsidising them in the South African trade until they got a footing. The motion was carried unanimously. On the motion of Mr A. J. Cameron, it was deoided that the information collected

by the Chairman be tabulated and circulated throughout the oolony by medium of the various brandies of the Farmers’ Uhwdi