ANOTHER SHIP DIVERTED FROM WELLINGTON

Chronicle (Levin), 17 January 1947, Page 8

ANOTHER SHIP DIVERTED FROM WELLINGTON

WELLINGTON, Jaa. 16. The >Shaw Savill aiul Alliion vessel Waipawa has been diverted from Wel lington to Lyttelton owing to congestion in the port, here. The Waipawa was expected to arrive from Brisbane 011 Alonday to load frOzen meat for London and Liverpool. Blie will now Joad meat at Lyttelton and will come to Wellington about February 9 to load cheese and general cargo. This is the second vessel diverted froiu Wellington, but the first to be diverted before .its arrival. The inter colonial vessel Karitane left Wellington last week for New Plymouth after waitiug five davs for laliour to uuload her cargo of wheat from Australia. There are 13 overseas ships in port witli a prospect of 20 by next Alonday.

United Kingdoin are aLso engaged in bringing- su])plies i'rom Briiisli factories io New Zealand. If lliese ships contin.ne lo be delayed in New Zealand waters bj7 waierfront disputes Ihe suggested effeet will be to slow lown tlie provision

pf jpf tcvDfils n'ecd,ed to gssist New: ' li N poiivlei'l out that under Ihe present conditions as mvtch as ninety days are somctimes occupied in diseharging and loading a ship on the New Zealand coast. During the war ihe average time was oue month, although it is reeognised. that comparisons between the present and wartime conditions are not always reliable owing to the ditTerent circumstances prevailing. Even • when, allowanees are made for these, however, representafives of the shipping companies contend that if a fair day's work were given on the New Zealand waterfr'ont the present unsatisfactory time emptoyed in turning qound ships in Dominion ports could .-be snbstantially redneed. It is considered in London shipping eircles that the ])resent accnmnlation of cargo in New Zealand cnused by the waterfront dispute will seriously disloeate this year's shipping schedules even if tlre dispute is speedily settled. It is emidiasised that the hohl-up oecurred at the peak of the out ward cargo season and every day it eontinues will make it more difficult to handle the stacked up cargo in the stores.