PRODUCERS’ SHIPS.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 May 1921, Page 4

PRODUCERS’ SHIPS.

TARANAKI FARMERS’ VIEWS. PROPOSAL SUPPORTED. I “That the Government be urged to ac quire its own shipping or to legislate to that end,” was the wording of a moi tion moved by Mr. Bennett (Otakeho), at the conference of Taranaki farmers at Eltham yesterday. Mr, Astbury, in supporting the jnotion, said that their produce, as soon as it reached the boats, got into the hands of a huge shipping combine, and it seemed to him the height of folly that the producers should be at the mercy of the shipping combinations in getting their produce home. The shipping companies stated that they were only charging a fair price for their freights in order to give them a legitimate profit, but that was not true. Shipping shares were always increasing in value, which showed that extortionate profits were being made. It seemed to him only ordi« nary c4|nmon-sense for the Government to purchase or lease ships in order to see that their produce was carried right from the farm to the consumers by r State-owned services. The president (Mr. R. Dunn) said he had always been in favor of a produc< ers’ shipping company, but not' a Government shipping company. At the same time he was in favor of the Gov* ernment having an interest in a producers’ shipping company. Mr. O. Hawken, M,P., said tlie Produc- \ ers’ Committee hud threshed out the matter a good many times, and had obtained the best information it was possible to get. The committee had laid particulars of a scheme before the Government on the basis of the producers owning half and the Government the other half, and had. come to the conclusion that it would be necessary to find £500,000 a year. It was quite apparent that something was necessary in order to act as a check upon the shipping companies, but it would require a very great amount of money to estab* lish a company. It was so difficult to really arrive at the cost and value of shipping; a ship which was worth £400,000 two years ago might be worth only half that amount to-day. It was quite likely that within a few months ships • might come down in price sufficiently make it possible for the Government and the producers to enter the business, but at present the prices were too high to make it possible to make a start. He thought a system under which the State was only a partner was the most advisable to go in for. The president moved as an amendment: “That in the opinion pf this conference it is desirable that a producers' shipping company be established in the Dominion. Mr. Pierce seconded. Mr. Hawken said there was one othet point he wished to‘make clear, which was that the man who owned the freight must also own shares in the company. The freight from Home was very hard to control. It was controlled by an asso- . eiation, which did practically what ifi | liked. The amendment was carried, Mr. Astbury voting against it.