HOW SHIPPING PARALYSES INDUSTRY

Chronicle (Levin), 12 July 1947, Page 5

HOW SHIPPING PARALYSES INDUSTRY

' ■ WELLINGTON, July 11. Five examples of the Ways in whien •Coastal shi^ping- in New Zealand is a;t present being delayed were given by Mr. G. H. Norman, seeretary of the SMpowfiers' Federation, tonight. He was replyiiig fo' a report from Christchurch which stated that lack of shipping was causing eongestion of cargo. Mr. Norman- said- that there was now available eoa'stal sihipping of greater ca'paeity than- 6ver before. The Fe'deration believed- that' the eongestion o± cargo at New Zealand ports was not dne to' lack of Sufficient shipping but to the insuffieient use of the Shipping available. The conditions of the working of vesSel's in- port under the waterfront eontrol regulations were a material factor. ' The following examples were typical of tlie diminishing use of New Ze'alaud VesseTS, said Mr. Norman: One of the vessels employed in the Last Coast trade' ffoni South lsland ports to Auckland was in co'mm'ission for 365 days in , 1939, making 16 round trips averagin'g 23 'days pe'r trip. In 1946 the Same vessel' wds in commission for 329 days and made seven rou'nd fripS ave'raging 47 days for each trip. A Ship employed in the Melbourne-South lsland and Wel: lington service took 21 .days for the round voyage before tli'e war. The same ship is now averaging 47 days for each trip. • A ship running continuously between i Wellington and Lyttelton carrying 1500 tons bf gen£ral cafgo' made only s6ven i round trips in the first six months bf i f hig- yeaf . A roiind trip should be made in 14 to 16 days. Carrying about 80'0 tons of cargo' b'efween South lsland ports,- Wellington and Wanganui, a vessel* made 26* rbnnds trips in 1939. FifitCen trips onl'y were made in 1-946. In the trade between Sydney, Po'rt ;Kembla, Newcastle and South lsland ports a vessel of the Karetu type with a* carrying eapacity of 4200 tons- to6k 30' days to make the rou'nd trip befotfe the war. The same veSsel now took 90 days to' do the same work. Many simiTar instances eould be given, said Mr. : Norman1. | The factors eontributing to the sloWer turn-found o'f shipping were the > feduced daily hour s worked on the - wharvbs', thfe diminlshed qtfa-ntity oi •cargo being handlcd each day and the shortage of labour and trUeks at raiiwsiy ports.- A maf erial factor #as cohg'estion ih the' sTieds through- the no'nd^litbfy of cargo on S'afh-raays. ShipOWne'rS gfeherally Were cohsciqus of the ihadeqtiafe ser.viee giVen fo the eoihrnefeial commu'nit^. Ah inereased huih6er of ❖essels wbuld not eure the' position as fhey slmply tvould not - 00 | worked under^present-day conditions.