SHIPPING FROZEN MEAT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 231, 9 March 1915, Page 5

SHIPPING FROZEN MEAT.

STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER,

By Telegraph.—Press Association. t , Auckland, Last Night. Nothing is to be gained by the Goveminent commandeering freezing, space," declared the Prime Minister to-night, "because it would not make a single additional inch available. Besides that, there are difficulties in the way, as our legislation does not provide for anything of the sort. The authorities who can commandeer space are the Imperial Government, acting on the advice of the Board of Trade. It has to !be remembered that such action ibreaks existing contracts, the result of whicli.would be that freights which are lower from New Zealand to Britain than from the Argentine or Australia would' go up with a bound. There has been a preat deal of criticism,'' added the Prime Minister, "in regard to the eJiortage of shipping, but it mugt be said that the circumstances during the present season. have been exceptional, and Hve have not had the best of good fortune in connection with insulated steamers. First of. all, the Kaipara was sunk, and then, the Tokomaru met a submarine. The Nairnshire was commandeered by the Imperial Government, and afterwards took fire. The Muritai was damaged by collision, and only the other day we were informed by cable that the Surrey had. been torpedoed. Several of the ships trading to New Zealand, and which' ea.ll at Australian ports, have been commandeered by the Australian Government, and several others by the British Government. We required in the earlrji ■ part of the season a certain number of insulated ships to take the first expeditionary forces to Egypt. By arrangements with th e shipping companies I brought three of these vessels back in ballast at very considerable expense to the country, but by so doing effected a great saving of time to the producers, who were naturally_ anxious to get their meat away. I also arranged""for the Muritai, after 'being repaired, to come back in ballast. At my request the Canadian Government released a portion of our ships which they had commandeered, and the Australian Government allowed three to go which it contemplated talcing possession of. Just lately the Australian Government gave me an assurance that it did not propose to interfere with six alrips of the Shaw. Savill and Albion line whieh are in Commonwealth waters at present, and will come to New Zealand. Then the Imperial Government, I learn from communications which have reached ,jne, is negotiating with shipowners in Britain to have as many vessels as possible made available for the carriage of frozen meat for th e use of the Allied forces."

In spite of all these difficulties, up to January 31st we had sent-away equal to 1,740,657' carcases of "mutton, as compared with 866,758 for the corresponding period of last year. ' This increase was maintained in the same proportion right through February, so I feci certain that we are ahead of this time last year by at least £1,000,000." '"As to prices," continued Mr Massey, "I have endeavored to arrange a scale of prices which would he fair to the Imperial (loverumriit and also to the producer of this country. Up to the present 1 have not received a single complaint, and I believe that the great bulk of tile producers and the people connected with the meat trade are of opinion that it has been done satisfactorily. Tt is quite likely that we shall get the first ship away with meat for the Imperial Government before the end of this week. The steamer concerned is the Ruahine, which is limed to leave Wellington on Thursday. It has been suggested that there might be some delay with regard to payment. I am making arrangements so that payment will le made promptly either at the head office at Wellington or at any of the banks doing business in New Zealand on presentation of the necessary documents."