COASTAL SHIPPING

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 48, 16 February 1943, Page 6

COASTAL SHIPPING

SHORTAGE OF VESSELS

LOCAL CARGO DELAYS

The recent letter going forward from the Whakatane Harbour Board advising of repeated complaints in regard to lack of outward shipping space and that empties; and wool have awaited shipment on the wharf for over a month, has since been answered by the Northern Steamship Company. The; company states that on account of the general and considerable decrease in the outward cargo from Auckland to Whakatane, the weekly boat leaves without full load of cargo, and if an additional boat was sent, such Avould, have to go down empty. During the peak dairy produce season, there is some difficulty in coping with the back loading but this only lasted for a few weeks. The company had already had four vessels requisitioned ( for defence purposes, and ithere w r £is a definite, shortage of coastal ships;. Arrangements had been made for the Tauranga boat to proceed to Whakatane to load on Saturday 23rd, whatever wool and empties were awaiting shipment. There was no reason why this arrangement could not be carried out, whilst the quantity of butter and cheese remained the same, the additional trips of the Tauranga boat depending entirely /upon -what cargo is offering at Whakatane'. The. secretarj r stated that since the communication had been forwarded the position, had improved and reasons for complaint rectified.