Heavy Machinery Parts Disappear In Transit

Press, Volume C, Issue 29504, 4 May 1961, Page 10

Heavy Machinery Parts Disappear In Transit

Two crates of machinery parts weighing two tons and a half and destined for two Christchurch manufacturing firms have been missing since they were unloaded from the Coptic at Lyttelton on February 22. In spite of police and Railways Department inquiries at almost every railway station in New Zealand, inquiries by the Shaw Savill and Albion Company at every port visited by the Coptic, newspaper advertisements, and published rewards, the whereabouts of the parts remains a mystery. They are valued at more than £2500 Information received by the two companies, Overseas Carpets. Ltd., and the Kaiapoi Woollen Manufacturing Company. Ltd., is that the cases were checked off the Coptic and loaded on a railway waggon for carriage to the Waltham railway yards Nothing has since been heard of the machinery. The machinery’ for the carpet company comprises the middle section of a yarn spinning plant which is at present being installed in its factory in Maces road. The company's manager (Mr K. R. Neville) said that, apart from the delay in getting the plant assembled and m production, three British engineers who had been engaged in installing the machine w’ould be held up if the parts were not found soon. “Their loss could cost the firm an awful lot of money in production delays.” he said. Mr Neville said his firm had been urged by the Minister of Industries and Commerce (Mr Marshall) to have the machine ins’alled and in production as soon as possible. The parts were not available in New Zealand, and there would be a delay of more than six months before replacement parts could be made and shipped to New Zealand again, at considerably more cost. Mr Neville said the machinery could have been checked off the ship but not loaded off. He considered, however, that it was “here somewhere,” and that it had been taken to the wrong destination. The crate is 10ft long and weighs a ton and

a half, and would have to be unloaded by a crane, he said. Mr B. R. Carey, general manager of the Kaiapoi Woollen Manufacturing Company, Ltd., said that his firm's missing machinery, consisted of parts for a burr crushing plant which is to be fitted to a woollen carding machine. Without it, the assembly of three other cases of parts which had arrived on schedule was being held up. The machinery was valued about £lBOO. A claim had been made against the Railways Department. he said.