£300,000 FOR TRANSPORTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 80, 26 August 1914, Page 7

£300,000 FOR TRANSPORTS.

SOME UKTDHX I'RO.VI FRKRiiITS. AMPLE SiIIITIXC FOR OUR EXPORT TRADE. Per Press Association. Wellington, Tuesday. When will tile taxpayers begin to foot the big bill for tiie Expeditionary Force'! .\ew Zealanders who stay at home will willingly take their part' of the responsibility, which is to pay, but the 'burden of expenditure may be so spread that it will not Jiit anyone severely. Authority lias been given to the Government to raise two millions sterling by means of '-treasury bills, 011 which the maximum interest is to bf 5 per cent. Already the country has entered into obligations running into hundreds of thousfuids of pounds for transports. Two steamers have been despatched, and ten more will go in a few weeks. They are already in the (joverimient's bands, and the charges have begun. A prominent Wellington shipping man, who lias to do with these big vessels, gave an estimate of the cost of : chartering and running this big lleet for ten or twelve weeks. It works out at the impressive iigure of £300,000_ Against this must be put the freight earnings, which will be considerable. "The shipping companies have dealt very reasonably with the Government," declared the Prime Minister. When the question of the bill for the transports was raised, the Rt. Hon. W. 'F. Massey would not commit himself to a statement regarding the accuracy of the estimate quoted above, but he pointed out that quite a substantial source of re-' venue will be found in the freights. The Government, in lixing freights, will make allowance for the unusual conditions, but they will not, he said, greatly exceed the normal charges. "I directed tile Industries and Commerce Department to prepare a statement of shipping which will be available in New Zealand during the next six weeks," added Mr. Massey, "and so far as rtan see, there will be plenty of ships available to carry our produce when it comes on."