WOOL FREIGHTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 13, 9 February 1909, Page 2

WOOL FREIGHTS.

AX .M.l'.'s COMPLAINTS. I ATTITC'DK til' 1 Sllll'l'lNCl CU.U--I'AN IKS. By Tclcgwph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. At Mastertou on Saturday, Mr. Jlueli'aiian, 11.,1'., made conic eoniplaiiits regarding the attitude of shipping companies oil the shipment of wool, and ,to-duy enquiries were made locally about the matter from the point of view of the shipping companies. It appears that some time before it was known that Mr. C. 11. Scales (shipping agent for the Freight Reduction Comimittee) had decided to carry with steamers, the llomc-tradiug shipping companies had decided to open the wool iseason with low freight rates. It is ifurtlier stated that at the time the shipping companies indicated that rates Vould fall .still lower as the season progressed. Last year the shipping companies carried wool at !)-Hid per lb. This season the rate was 7-10.1 at the opening of llie season, and to-day It 'was only %d, a, reduction which has been in operation since the middle of January. The Freight Reduction Committee's charge (fit its chartered steamers, it was pointed out, is 7-1 lid. or %d higher than the companies' rates.

"Most of the. statements made by 111' Buchanan.'' another authority said,"are entirely misleading. It should be remienibered that the. companies, have lo provide freight for the. whole country all the year round, and frequently boats wore lying idle for considerable periods, hi one iustanec it is known that, a company made a few enquiries amongst some of its regular shippers as to whether they required, space for their clips, and at (lie same time intimated that it might not be possible to guarantee space later in the season. The company in question lias not refused to accept a bale of wool from anyone. The steamers which have been, chartered by the Freight Reduction Committee, it anpears, arc what is known as the Clan line, ami one of thorn, the Clan -McLaren, is at present in Wellington. It is complained in some quarters that these vessels are ,partly man,led by colored labor, and therefore have an advantage over companies which employ nothing but white labor."