NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 94, 19 April 1916, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

j SHIPPING CHARGES INCREASED i * DUNEDIN, This Day. j As has been anticipated for some , time, a revision of the freight tariff I " be announced shortly. It is uuder- ! Stood that the Union and Huddart Par--1 er Companies and praeticaly all smaller local companies will raise shipping rates* by 2/(5 per ton on the coast, and that intercolonial freights will be made uniform by flic Union Company incieasing its rate by 5/ a ton. Passenger fares are not affected; they remain at pre-war rates. The increase is due to art aggregation of abnormal circumstances during the past 20 months, in which the outstanding feature has been the steady general increase in working cost of shipping . Wages of even- branch of shipping afloat and ashore have been inci eased substantially, while since war commenced there has been hcavv increased charges for bunker coal, for marine engines, and victualling str

/ A war-risk premium, harbour and I light dues have been imposed, probably through direct and indirect influences of the war, and Dominion shipping companies have been called upon to meet additional expenditure of close on half a million sterling annually. In view of phenomenal conditions and charges obtaining in other countries, New- Zealand is still in a fortunate position.

THE NATIONAL CABINET. SPEECH BY PRIME MINISTER. WELLINGTON, April IS. Speaking to-day at the annual meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, Mr Massey, referring to the National Cabinet, said that Ministers, while objecting to misrepresentation, welcomed criticism. The Defence Department had been lately subjected to more than a fair share of ehiticism. Hadn’t the Defence Department delivered the goods? It had, and the goods had been of the highest qualitv, delivered on contract time. The Government had beeh criticised regarding the cost of living, but it was not responsible for the increase. The cost always increased in time of war, but the increase l in New Zealand was less than than in any other port of the British dominions. There was less exploitation here than elsewhere. ’ ’ Mr. Massey referred to New Zealand’s, remarkable trade expansion and gave the following comparisons of trade per head of the population.—-New Zealand £4B 6/9; Australia £25 11/2; Canada £2(5 7/2; United Kingdom, £2B' 2/3. Mr. Massey expressed the hope- that something would be done to prevent the enemy ever again securing the place in British dominions’ trade that h e did before the war. He trusted the Paris Conference would be the forerunner of similar conferences in the future, and that New Zealand would be represented. The chairman (Mr. James Macintosh), while deprecating criticism ofthe Government, thought anyone with ideas that might be useful should suggest them to the Government. In that spirit he suggested that the Government should keep an eye on the large accumulations of private funds,, and see that the expenditure of public money on any but war purposes should cease.

DISASTROUS FIRE. CLUE WORKS DESTROYED. AUCKLAND, This Day. A fire at To Papapa, early this morning . practically destroyed the New Zealand Glue Co.’s building. The plant and stock was valued at between £2.000 and £3,000. The origin is a mystery. The whole insurance amounts to £475 in the New Zealand, the balance being covered by the company’s own private fund.

THE GRIERSON CASE. RESOLUTION OF PROTEST. NAPIER, This Day. Madame Boeufve and Miss Beatrice Day, of the Anti-German League*, addressed a meeting of 700 people in the Municipal 1 Theatre yesterday,. Mr. Vi", or Brown presiding. The following resolution was enthusically carried: That this meeting is of opinion that the Government erred in allowing Lieutenant Grierson to wear the King’s uniform and return to camp after disclosures revealed at the recent commission. ”