SHIPMENT OF TALLOW.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 January 1918, Page 5

SHIPMENT OF TALLOW.

NEGOTIATIONS WITH IMPERIAL ' GOVERNMENT. By Telegraph.-—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. For some months the Government has been in contact with the Imperial Govenment, pointing ont the urgent necessity for providing tonnage for the shipment of tallow. On December 28 the Secretary of State for the Colonies cabled to the effect that owing to the serious shortage of tallow with which the United Kingdom was then faced, the Government would hjive wished to arrange for the shipment to the United Kingdom of all available supplies from New Zealand, but owing to the scarcity of tonnage it was Impossible to obtain freight for all the Australasian tallow required, and the question was being considered of installing a plant for splitting tallow in this dominion. It was pointed out, however, that some months would probably elapse before this plant would bo available, but meanwhile there would be no objection to, the shipment of reasonable quantities of tallow to the United States, provided 1 the stocks are not unduly exhausted, and 110 fats are diverted from the United Kingdom which could be shipped there, and that no general permission be given to ship to foreign countries, each case to bo considered separately, the shippers to understand that the arrangements would be strictly provisional. ' The High Commissioner again communicated on January 22, to the elfeet that the whole of last season's output had not been shipped, resulting in u loss to producers. Reference was made to statements made that producers in Australia had been able to ship tallow in liirge quantities, and this was causing much dissatisfaction among the produ cers of this country. A census of stocks of tallow reveals that the quantity on hand probably exceeds 40,000 casks. The Minister of Customs is prepared to consider applications to export tallow to other destinations than the United Kingdom, on terms notified by the Secretary of State for the Colonies, and on the strict understanding that arrangements are provi' sional.