FLAT RATE FREIGHTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 237, 6 October 1928, Page 13

FLAT RATE FREIGHTS.

Mr. J.. Or. Cobbe, chairman of the Wellington Harbour Board, moved at tho last meeting of the board, ".That tho board, on the recommendation o£ the Shipping Freights Committee, reaffirm, with the addition of the words 'users ot the/ the resolution of the board of September 22. 1026,- reading as follows: 'That in tho opinion o£ this board the present system o£ tho flat rate of freight from all ports in the Dominion is wrong in principle, and is most unjust to the users of the main ports providing safe accommodation and modern facilities for handling ships and cargo; that it retains overseas ships on this coast for a much • longer period than, is necessary; that it prevents quick and regular shipments of our produce, and is generally against the interest of the Dominion.' " ...'....

' Mr. G. Mitchell said the -whole trend . of opinion in the Dominion was in favour of the motion, and he thought there was a perceptible change in feeling overseas in the direction indicated. The advent.. of the new boats recently put -m this,, service would mean, that"we would have . improved shipping methods, and that would probably include less waste of time . on the coast. Inquiries he had madp showed that in the first six months of the year the average stay of overseas steamers' ■ on the coast was 451 days, and in the second six months 4S days. It.was,pleasing to note tha.l there was'a general growing support of the attitude of the Wei;.-. lington Harbour Board.in regard to this,., matter. He quoted the opinion recently, expressed 'by', the. New. Zealand . Silperin- ". tendent of" the Isew Zealand Company in regard to'the u'p-to'-date eon'r ' dition of the port o£ Wellington,-and his reference to the huge expenditure on small •'■ or artificial harbours at places which • Nature never intended to be harbours. Hewas pleased to eeo that shipping com- > panies were recognising that tho principle /: of the flat rate was wrong. Then, -with.i respect to lighterage, why should the people of the Dominion have to pay ,the ligtherage of any vessel lying in the open eea simply b_ecause a vessel went'to r such.ports to piclt up a small amount ofcargo? Ho could hot understand anyone,wko had the federal interests loE the ; country at heart advocating such wasteful methods. No one could justify a nidn port offering up-to-date harbour facilities being charged the 6ame rate of freight,as .a port that had not even a wharf_ to tie;'; a vessel .up' to, or a crane to lift-the' gobds. In any other business such a thing would not be tolerated. . ' .

The motion "was carried and it wae agreed to request Mr. Norwood, a. member of the board now visiting England, to present the board's views in the proper quarters. It was also resolved that the resolution Ve referred to a committee with.'the view o£ arranging for tho holding of ■ a conference on the matter. . ■ ..,."...-.:.;