THE SHIPPING FAMINE.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 August 1917, Page 4

THE SHIPPING FAMINE.

With only seventeen vessels available ■".iid forty required it is evident that New Zealand producers will have to face a most difficult situation. Apparently it is utterly impossible for the Dominion's produce to ibe tarried overseas in anything like a sufficiency to relieve the congestion which already exists, and wiil increase rapidly 011 the opening of the new season. , It is dear, therefore, that our producers will have to face the situation and adapt themselves to entirely new conditions, for the time being tit least. There are onlv two ways of dealing with the emergency, as it affects the meat industry, one being to systematically regulate the quantity of animals slaughtered, and the other to increase very considerably the cold storage accommodation. The Premier has convened a conference of reprnscui;:tivos of freezing companies with the object of ascertaining to what extent coo! storage can be increased, and this Mill, of course, cover the requirements of the dairy industry. The latter is in quite a different and far more soriou9 position than is the meat industry, for while it is comparatively easy to hold back beet, mutton and hunh, it 13 impossible to take 'this course with regard to butter and cheese, for the cows must be milked and the produce manufactured. There is also the wool industry which represents a very considerable bulk for export. It may be expected that the British Government will <io all in its power to transport the commandeered produce, but the serious lack of shipping restricts operations. Tho position of ail'airs was very ably placed befoie the Farmers' Lnion Oonlcrenco bv Sir James Wilson. ]f e pointed out that there will shortly be four million careases awaiting shipment, with only four months in which to clear them before the new season opens, so there is a probability that by the end of November thero will be at least a couple of million carcases in store, apart from cheese and butter. The seventeen ships that have been secured to load in the Dominion before the end of September have only been obtained by urgent representations to the Imperial authorities and in this respect tho Premier has done tho best he could. This increasing difficulty for our produce to reach the world's markets has become 2, very serious problem, for while the producers are e.vtremelv nnxious to get their wares sold, the consinners are far more eager to obtain tne food they so urgently need. The weakness of the connecting link—transport is felt keenly on both sides of the ocean, and the pity of it is there is no remedy at hand. (Ireat efforts are being made in Britain and America to expedite shipbuilding and tho Americans

are <»#■ utilising the interned German .vessels, but these latter -ivill be. required for American purposes. The Federal Go.eminent has tflso undertaken a shipbuilding programme, but Australia needs even more shipping space than I\cw Zealand. Although tho submarine campaign cannot starve Britain it is certainly crippling trade between the lJuminions ami the -Motherland. There is in sight 110 remedy, and tile producers must realise this in such a way as to .nako tho best of the situation. The existence of this trouble has served to l-ring homo to the producers the fact that they are and always have been at the mercy of the shipping companies. [ll dealing with this aspect of the question, Sir James Wilson said:--

_ Now Zofilnm! shipping is governed Ky one man in London. The directors ;u:<i managers here have practically 110 say in the matter, and by a judicious spicarting among agents and shippers of commissions and rebates, there is 110 one to make a fuss, except the producers. H is veil known to every one what their .position is. Nothing short of ail Act of iPnrliament will bring them together, and advantage is taken of them at every turn. First of all, there is a combination of all shipping companies 1o exclude any other company coming in. Then contracts are entered into with the Freezing Companies, Dairy Associations, exporters of all kinds as to freights. Care is taken that these contracts do not run out at the same time, and this is used

as a lever when new contracts are being fixed. The representatives here have lieen so Jong at this game that they can play one set against (mother with the art of a politician. This will go on to the cud, if the producer does not wako up and take a hand. We must, however, be -all producers and exporlers. "We are up against a big concern in the Meat Trust as well. The only .way, if we want to start an opposition company, i s to first nobble the freights. The only way tn fight such a monopoly is to do as thev do. They nobble the capita] and 'Tall the time" as to freights; Imt if the produce of New Zealand is controlled by another company then the tune is changed. No shipping company can get on without freights in anil out. Once control that, or even a large proportion. and terms are possible. Mr. A avasour lias put before, the public a scheme to raise the money for such a company by way of levy. This levy' bas been taken up enthusiastically in Taranaki, where the. dairy people have found it an easy means of raising money for extension purposes. Jt requires some thought to work out such a scheme and to find how far the Government is prepared ; to assist it. A commitUe lias been set up to make a full investigation on this point, but it would be premature to disclose to "what stage they have reaaltod.

Whatever the producers may do relative to this matter, it is certain that unless they organise and loyally co-operate they .will be far harder hit in the future than in the past, and it i* obvious that the co-operation must include the Imperial and Dominion Governments. The question of providing a sufficiency of cool storage to tide over the present shipping famine is one that rests entirely with the producers. It is either that or a very groat loss, Meanwhile considerable relief would be obtained bysupplying the people of the Dominion with moat, not required l>y the Imperial Government and thereby relieving the high cost of living.