THE VALUE OF CRANES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 201, 19 May 1908, Page 6

THE VALUE OF CRANES.

A wellingtoniln's opinions. : (ST TEIiEOBAPH.- i BPECIAIi' bOJUtfefcfcONDENT.) Auckland, M&y id. A Welling to n(an publishes a letter in defence of the crilne system of discharging vessels. He says:—'"Auckland may under present conditions:>discharge■ the first few hundred tons of heavy cargo'somewhat faster than at Wellington, but, aftor my-two years' residence Mil Auckland, I; am sute she could not keep .pace.' with : her, southern rival whert , i it was found .necessary to go up with, her ; - stacks, for the sheds lack modern appliances. It woiild do those who oondomn the cranes good to see the number of heavy lifts that ■ theyv'can;d&i;with';in a ? veryi short: Bpace 1 of tiriife; 'Auckland must know what it costs to 4rect a derrick and' the time lost to avessel; in ,doing , so. ,It has been said tllat the cranes ■ are seldom Used, and are known as 'Ferguson's! lighthouses;'. Well, sir, statements of this; sort come • only: from persons opposed to tlieih living outside iof Wcl-* lington. , The general public and those 1 who . do know something about them speak well of their usefulness, and aro wolf satisfied with the for€6ight shown by their engineer, . whieii haS ' placed Wellington in the front rank of the leading ports of the Empire. It iSinot gfilierally kriofrn.that almost, all the v , direct Home ( boats Hand from 4000 to over 6000 tdns-of cApital city, including, transhipments, 'arid, givefli fino .weather, always discharge their; heavy "tfargo under the. Sis;, tfo'rking daj'S; If I' aril not; mistaken, the.New Zealiuid Shipping Company use the. crimes more lhah any. other, company trad- , ihi to this city,' and I am. sili'o would be only too pleased to forward sonic of their sliips' working timo and tonnage handled fol comparison if appi'oachcd." . v