RECORD MONTH'S EXPORT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 73, 29 March 1915, Page 7

RECORD MONTH'S EXPORT.

shipping shortage not so acute. Per Press Association. Wellington, March 28. The exports for February show £3 968,228 against £3,308,512 for February of last year. I The Prime Minister (Mr Massey), commenting on these figures, said; j ll Approximately we shipped from N’e.v Zealand one million carcases of mutton and lamb during the month of February. None of this meat was, however, shipped to the order of the Imperial Government, for the opera(tions on their behalf did not commence till! March 3. I think these figures constitute a record export for one month. The difficulties caused by the short supply of ships to carry our meat are not now so acute as they were, but there are not yet ships enough. From June 1 the indications 'are that there will be a sufficient numjber of ships available for our purposes, but for May definite arrange- • meats have not been made by the shipping companies. These arrangements are being made in London by a committee of shipowners working with the Board of Trade and also with a committee of shipowners here. The Board of Trade, acting for the Imperial Government in the meat supply business, lias agreed to an increase in the rates of freight on meat, which increase the Board o i Trade >vill pay. This increase has been made as the result of representations made by me on behalf of the New Zealand Govcruent. With regard to the scarcity of insulated ships for our trade from the Argentine, the freights for frozen meat were some fifty per cent, higher, and from Australia about 25 per cent higher than the freights obtainable for New Zealand cargoes.”