SHIPPING FREIGHTS

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 316, 23 December 1936, Page 5

SHIPPING FREIGHTS

Increased Costs Mean Higher Freights. Press Association—Copyright. y Dunedin, December 22.. Addressing the Otago branch of the Farmers’ Union to-day, Mr. James Begg, a member of the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board, reviewed the negotiations in regard to the export trade which had taken place during his recent, visit to the Old Country. Discusisng the negotiations with regard to freights, Mr. Begg said that the representatives of the Dominion had met the shipping companies in London early in April. They, the companies, had got word that wages in New Zealand had been restored to the 1931 level with a 40-hour week, and wanted to know what these additional costs would mean to them. Shortly afterwards the Martime Board in England had decided that working hours of seamen should be reduced from 84 to G2, and this also meant a considerable item of cost to the shipping companies. Did Best They Could. Mr Begg went on to say that the Dominion representatives were therefore in the position of having to make the best arrangement they could. The increase in freight charges had been per cent, on all cold store produce with the exception of fruit ?nd honey. He assumed that the Government had expected that. The increase of 21 per cent, meant a total increase of something like £60,000 a year for tin next three years. It might conceivably have have been the case that they' would have got better terms if they had been able to fix up the contract in April. He did not. think, however, that, the advance of £60,000 per annum meant more than a fraction of the additional costs the shipping companies would be liable for under the present conditions. Thfe .alternative would have been that they would have had no contract at all.