SHIPS HURRYING TO AUCKLAND

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 111, 23 February 1950, Page 6

SHIPS HURRYING TO AUCKLAND

RACE WITH IMPORT DEADLINE CONGESTION OF PORT (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Feb. 22. New port records will be created at Auckland in the next few days as ships hurry to port to beat the import licensing deadline. To-morrow morning seven overseas ships will be at anchor in the stream. By Saturday this figure will be increased, probably to nine. The port record of gross shipping tonnage of 216,419 tons will be broken to-morrow by nearly 20,000 tons, and almost every day the gross tonnage figure will mount in new records, until Tuesday at least.

The Minister of Customs (Mr C. M. Bowden) will permit the African Prince, the Pipiriki, the Tlangitane, and the Tento to arrive after the deadline, but if four other ships, due on Tuesday, fail to arrive their cargoes will not be covered by 1949 licences. They are the Wairimu, Matua Carron Park, and Koromiko.

Grocery merchants and agents are watching the movements of the Wairimu with uneasy interest as the ship has heavy shipments of tinned pineapple, sago, tapioca, and other Eastern products. The Wairimu was expected to leave Brisbane to-day on the last stage of her voyage from the East. She is a fast vessel, and if she left on time she should arrive by Tuesday.

The Koromiko, expected to leave Melbourne to-day, has Australian general cargo. The Carron Park has phosphate and the Matua has Islands produce.