Overcoming Shipping Strike Handicap

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 18, 22 January 1937, Page 7

Overcoming Shipping Strike Handicap

Extraordinary Efforts To Divert Freights VANCOUVER SERVICES OVERLOADED United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. Received Thursday, 9.40 p.m. NEW YORK, Jan. 20. Banks, business houses, export firms and shipping lines are making extraordinary efforts to overcome the handicap of the Pacific Coast maritime strike by conveying goods by mail ea3t and west over the Pacific between Australia, New Zealand and the United States. The Associated Press ascertains that the inactivity of the Matson Line on tho Pacific Coast is causing the rerouting of most of the freight and mails to Vancouver where only the Canadian-Austraiian-New Zealand line is left to handle the unprecendented volume with infrequent sailings. The Cunard line states that considerable freight usually shipped via the Pacific is coming eaßt. This with the normal flow from eastern ports is going principally to the Norton, Lilly and Commonwealth and Dominion line and some little is being diverted to the Montreal-Australian-New Zealand line. The Cunard line intimates that it knows of cases of orders for machinery, automobiles and general cargo, normally placed by Australian and New Zealand business houses iu the United {States, now being diverted to Canadian or European manufacturers for fear of costly delays. The east coast situation is less complicated than the west because the Roosevelt line is the only principal American group here and three out of four bottoms leaving for Australia and New Zealand are British. A general belief prevails in the west that the strike will shortly be settled. The Matson line is booking tentatively in the Monterey for a sailing on February 2.