NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 March 1921, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE.

SHIPPING SERVICES AND FREIGHT RATES. MARKET FOR FROZEN MEAT. IMPORTANT CONFERENCE TO BE HELD. An important meeting is to be held in Wellington on March 31, those invited to be present being representatives of A. and P. associations, Farmers’ Union, freezing companies, dairy associations, Sheep-ownere’ Federation, Wool-brokers’ Association, together with,the Standing Producers’ Committee and the Board of Agriculture. The meeting is convened by the president of the Board of Agriculture, and the Minister of Agriculture will be present. The matters to be placed" before the meeting are of fhe highest importance to producers and to the Dominion generally, particularly the question of shipping services and freight rates for frozen produce. The Producers’ Committee has, through a sub-committee been iq negotiation with the shipping companies for some time past in connection with a form of freight contract and bill of lading to be adopted, after control of refrigerated shipping space by the Imperial Government ceases at the end of April. So far as the terms of the freight contract are concerned, apart from the freight rates, an agreement has been reached save on one or two points, which are considered capable of being adjusted. There has been a total inability to agree, however, on two specially important matters, namely, the period over which the contract would be operative and the rates of freight to be charged for frozen meat. The Producers’ Committee, in accordance with the instruction given by the conference at which it was set up, is unable to agree to any contract covering a period of more than one year, for the present position as- regards mercantile shipping rates generally strongly suggests that the Dominion producers should not bft-stied to u contract for a longer periqq/ seeing that the tendency of freight rates is to decrease. The shipping companies, though willing to carry on without a contract, declined to enter into a freight contract for one year only, but have expressed their willingness to negotiate for a two or three years’ contract with a sliding scale of rates which will give a slight decrease in charges each succeeding year. Taking iamb as an illustration the rates offered on a three years’ contract would give an average rate over the three years of 2.09 d per lb. After a full discussion the committee, which had the advantage of the presence of the members of the Board of Agriculture, came to the conclusion that these terms could not lie recommended to produers, and decided to refer the whole matter to the conference which has now been arranged for March 31. Y Other important pointg for discussion in shipping are the present current supply of ships for lifting meat and a pro-, posal for the establishment of a board of mercantile shipping to act in the interests of producers. The present condition of .the market for frozen meat Wil] have to be discussed, also the question of the realisation of stocks of New Zealand wool held by the Imperial Government. It will be remembered .that the proposal was made by the Imperial Government that these carried-over wool stocks should be placed in the hands of the British Australian Wool Realisation Association for the purpose of selling to the best advantage in the interests of the Imperial Government. It had been suggested by the Imperial authorities that two advisory committees should be established to watch New Zealand’s interests in this matter, one to sit in London, the other in New Zealand, and that the chairman of the London Committee should have a seat on the Board of Directors of the Realisation Association, but without voting power, Efforts have been made to get the Imperial Government to agree to this New Zealand representative on the directorate being given voting power, it being realised' that without it his appointment would be of very doubtful value, and that, in* effect, a merely advisorycapacity he would not be in a position to safeguard the interests of Jjlew Zealand producers to a sufficient extent to be of real value. The committee has concluded accordingly, and is of opinion that this matter could best be dealt with by the Prime Minister whe> he reaches London, all representations made by cablegram having failed to induce the Imperial Government to changq. its attitude on the point,