CONGESTION AT AUCKLAND..

Chronicle (Levin), 12 December 1946, Page 6

CONGESTION AT AUCKLAND..

AUCKLAND, Dec. 11. The pori of Auckland is facing Ihe possibility of Ihe worst shipping congestiou in ils history, llarbour ofiicials slaled thal Lliere is practically 110 hope that berths will be availald'e before Christinas for overseas ships arriving from tomorrow onwards and by tlie

lioliday period there may be as many as 10 large vessels at anchorages in the stream. Tliere are only a few working days between Christmas and New Year and even if a settlemen't is reached in the nieantime, it is inevitable that the port will begin January clogged with shipping which is expected to leave Auckland next month with passengers for London and which will call at Sydney for the Duehess of Gloucester. The eongestion was reflected today in a labour shortage on the waterfront. Several coastal steamers were not fully manned although about 250 non-union workers augmented the supply of unionists. A serious shortage of railway trucks has added to the difliculties of discliarging the Makatea phosphate cargo brought by the British steamer Samstrae. For the past two days no trucks have been available in the afternoons and as a result only four hours have been- worlted on each day. The Saim strae arrived from Makatea on December 1 and remained at anchor for several days before a bertli .became available. A large proportion of lier cargo still reniains undischarged.